“You’re Really Gonna Make Me Do This?”: Woman Bursts Into Tears Over Son’s GF’s “Petty” House Rule

“My house, my rules,” is a concept that nearly every single person on the planet can understand. Not to make it seem too extreme, but trespassing laws still exist, just in case you have a guest who suddenly goes off the deep end. But every now and then, some folks, particularly family, feel like they know better and, indeed, should be able to do what they want.

A woman asked the internet if she was wrong to insist her BF’s mother actually follow her house rules and take her shoes off. We got in touch with the woman who posted the story and she was kind enough to share some more details.

Not wanting people’s dirty shoes in your home seems fairly understandable

Elderly woman crying, covering face, upset over son's girlfriend's house rule.

Image credits: Getty Images / unsplash (not the actual photo)

But one woman ended up in conflict with her partner’s mom who would not take them off

Text discussing a woman’s reaction to her son’s girlfriend’s petty house rule, exploring family dynamics and boundaries.

Text about woman's disagreement with son's girlfriend over house rule.

Text about a woman upset over son's girlfriend ignoring house rules about shoes.

Woman sitting on floor, wearing gray pants, as she removes white sneakers highlighting house rule context.

Image credits: Natalia Blauth / unsplash (not the actual photo)

Text describing woman upset over son's girlfriend's house rule confrontation.

Text message about house rule conflict with boyfriend’s mom, feeling disrespected and causing her to cry.

Text expressing conflict over a house rule, related to standing ground and questioning fairness.

Image credits: ellafaith0

It seems the BF’s mom refuses to budge on anything

Bored Panda got in touch with the woman who posted the story and she was kind enough to answer some of our questions. Naturally, we wanted to know if there was any follow-up as of yet. “I plan on posting an update in the future, as the situation is still sort of ongoing – the response to my post has been great, didn’t it expect to be so contentious honestly.” At the time of writing, the update has not yet been posted.

“Things are a bit difficult with my partner’s mother at the moment as I’m having a bit of a career change into online content creation, but the whole situation has caused a bit of a rift in our family… over shoes… yes,” she shared with Bored Panda. Unfortunately, some people simply refuse to back down, to everyone’s detriment.

We were also curious to hear her thoughts on the variety of comments, as the post ended up being quite viral. “People’s comments led to a similar ending, that asking someone to wear shoes in your house isn’t a crime and it shouldn’t be made to seem that way. But they were right in pointing out that offering an alternative is good, so we’ve started doing that! MIL is still a b****, but hey ho,” she added.

Elderly woman with sunglasses, sitting indoors, reflecting on son's girlfriend's house rule.

Image credits: Aris Sfakianakis / unsplash (not the actual photo)

But it’s truly entitled to think you can make these sorts of demands in someone else’s home

At its core, “my house, my rules” is just basic logic. If you own or rent a place, pay the bills, and keep the lights on, you get to decide how things go within those walls. That’s not tyranny, it’s just basic home management.. You might have a certain type of carpet, a pet with allergies or just personal preferences. All of these are valid reasons to have rules, but the simple logic is the same, this is your home, you are allowed to make demands.

Think about it, restaurants have dress codes, gyms have rules, even theme parks tell you to keep your arms inside the ride. Nobody questions that. So why would someone question a homeowner saying, “Hey, no shoes on the carpet” or “If you’re staying here, no blasting death metal at 3 AM”? Furthermore, it takes a lot of entitlement to suddenly start acting as if you know better than your host. It’s quite rude as well, this person is, often, feeding and housing you, the least you can do is not make a fuss.

It’s not about power trips, it’s about respect and common decency. If you crash at a friend’s place, you don’t just start rearranging furniture or renaming their WiFi. If your grandmother says, “No elbows on the table,” you don’t start a rebellion. You just follow the rules, because it’s their space. Of course, if the rules are ridiculous (“All guests must wear pastels or else”) or enforced unfairly (“Only I can eat snacks on the couch”), then yeah, maybe there’s a debate. But otherwise? “My house, my rules” isn’t just normal, it’s common sense.

Woman wearing pink shoes standing on a purple velvet fabric.

Image credits: Aditya Saxena / unsplash (not the actual photo)

Some folks needed more info

Reddit comments about a woman's frustration over her son's girlfriend's house rule, seeking advice.

Reddit comment discussing son's girlfriend's house rule, suggesting plastic bags for shoes inside to respect home.

Discussion about a "petty" house rule regarding guest slippers in a comment thread.

Text exchange about house rule; focus on "no shoes" policy and guest compromise recommendations.

Woman questions son's girlfriend's house rule on foot conditions, Reddit comments screenshot.

Most thought she was very reasonable

Comment discussing house rules about wearing shoes inside, referencing different countries' customs.

Text discussion about a son's girlfriend dealing with a mother's house rule issue.

Comment discussing a woman's reaction to a house rule involving wearing booties indoors.

Text commentary on house rule about taking shoes off indoors; discussion on a family issue involving a son's girlfriend.

Text addressing a conflict over a house rule related to hygiene and personal boundaries.

Text discussing house rules about wearing shoes indoors and cultural differences.

Reddit comment discussing issues with a boyfriend's family's house rule impacting a relationship.

Comment discussing a son's girlfriend's house rule about shoes, mentioning a conflict with the father.

Comment discussing son's girlfriend's house rule about indoor shoes.

Comment discussing house rule about removing shoes, labeled as rude.

Comment on petty house rule mentions hygiene concerns about daily dirt brought indoors.

Text comment discussing house rule about removing shoes when entering.

Text from an online discussion about a house rule regarding shoe removal, highlighting a woman's emotional reaction.

Comment discussing house rule and relationship advice.

Reddit text comment discussing a woman's emotional reaction to a son's girlfriend's house rule.

But some thought maybe it was too much

Text exchange discussing a son's girlfriend's house rule about shoes, referred to as "petty" by a commenter.

Comment discussing a woman's emotional reaction to a house rule, suggesting house shoes as a compromise.

Text discussing house rules and a son's girlfriend causing emotional friction.

Comment discussing a guest's shoes-off house rule and dominance games.

Text comment discussing house rule etiquette and guest comfort.

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