Man Kicking Girlfriend's Sister Out of Bed Cheered—'My House Isn't a Hotel'
A man has been backed online for telling his girlfriend's sister that she can't sleep at his house.
Praised online for setting out his boundaries, Redditor u/dontbeshy007 explained on Saturday the situation in a post with more than 6,100 upvotes.
"I have been with my girlfriend for a bit over two years. We live separately, but she's been spending most days at my house. I eventually gave her a key to my place. I'll come home from work and most of the time she'll be there," he explained.
According to the 2021 United States census results, 8,282,361 Americans live as cohabitating couples. This forms 6.7 percent of the total U.S. population.
His girlfriend has four sisters, and recently invited one of them—along with her niece—to her boyfriend's house.
"My girlfriend has been asking if her sister could come to my house to hang out. I have no problem with it, so I say sure," explained the man.
However, when he arrived home from work on Thursday, he was shocked by what he found, and an argument quickly ensued.
"I got home Thursday. When I got inside my girlfriend was with her niece. I greet my girlfriend and niece. When I start walking to my bedroom, my girlfriend tells me she set out clothes for me in my gaming room. I ask why? And she says that her sister is taking a nap in my bedroom," wrote the poster.
"I'm taken aback by this," he added. "My girlfriend asks what I mean. I tell my girlfriend that not only is it rude to sleep in other people's beds, but this is also my house, so I won't be quiet either."
The girlfriend was furious. "My girlfriend explains that her sister is burnt out and needs a break. I told her that's fine and everything but she can't be sleeping in my room, on my bed. That my house isn't a hotel," he wrote.
During the argument, she simply got up and left with her sister and niece.
"She calls me back saying that since my house isn't a hotel, she won't be staying there with me anymore. She tells me that her sister seriously needed a break and I couldn't help her," added the poster.
Left with mixed feelings about the incident, he turned to the internet to ask if he was in the wrong.
One Redditor wrote: "You were seeing a reasonable boundary," while another commenter added: "It really is ridiculous that she'd think that was fine. She asked if sister could hang out, not crash in your bed. You had a completely reasonable expectation to come home and not find someone in your bed."
"Boundary setting is crucial to a healthy relationship," Long Island, New York-based licensed clinical social worker Jennifer Bohr-Cuevas told Newsweek. "They set the parameters for mutual respect and individuality in a relationship. Start by establishing your personal boundaries. Know what you will and will not tolerate, emotionally, physically, or sexually. Communicate your boundaries to your partner in clear terms, on a frequent basis."
In a later update, the poster explained that he and his girlfriend talked it over: "Apparently her and her sister were at my house to chill and have lunch. My girlfriend commented how exhausted her sister looked. My girlfriend offered the bed and a short nap turned into a few hour nap," he said. "My girlfriend thought I wouldn't care and apologized for overstepping. Told me she wouldn't be spending so many nights at my house since we have boundaries issues we need to resolve."
"When a boundary is overstepped, a couple should engage in a meaningful and mature discussion about the issue at hand," said Bohr-Cuevas. "Partners should take equal responsibility for their actions and acknowledge each other's feelings, then they can re-establish the boundaries that are needed to strengthen the relationship."
Newsweek has reached out to u/dontbeshy007 for comment. We were not able to verify the details of this case.
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