Woman kicks mom out of house when she makes sober husband 'relapse.' AITA?
When this woman is upset with her mother, she asks Reddit:
'AITA for getting my mother a hotel room midway through hosting her?'
I (29F) live with my partner (32M 'Hank') in a 1000 sq ft apartment (2 bed/2 bath) in a warm coastal town. My mother (62F 'Mom') lives across the country in a cold area. Mom respectfully asked to visit for 1 week this January to spend time with us and escape the cold.
Hank confirmed that he is happy to host her, and we agreed on dates for her visit. Mom purchased her plane tickets independently with the understanding that we would host her throughout her stay. I used 20 hours of my limited vacation time to spend time with her because I see her so rarely these days.
Important context: Mom has severe alcohol use disorder (Hank is aware and has a lot of empathy for her, because he drank too much in college and now has 10 years sobriety thanks to AA). Please understand that alcoholism is a vicious disease and not just a matter of willpower.
During her visit with us, Mom drank a handle of vodka (1.75 liters) per 2 days. She slept away most of the daytime hours due to hangover and was awake all night drinking. Hank is a light sleeper and wakes at 5am for work.
His sleep was disrupted by her rummaging through the icebox to make cocktails. Hank was exceptionally patient because he knows alcoholism is horrible and she might not be around much longer.
On day 4 Hank mistakenly drank from Mom's glass. Instead of water like he expected, he basically took a shot of vodka. He kept his cool in front of my mom but privately told me that he can't accommodate her anymore. It was too late that evening to get mom a hotel, but I booked one for the remaining 2 nights of her stay.
I treated Mom to dinner and politely shared that it's best if she stays in a hotel for the remainder of the trip. I assured her that it is nothing personal, just a matter of sleep schedules not aligning and the implications for Hank's job. I also gently mentioned that Hank accidentally drank her vodka and it could compromise his hard-fought sobriety.
I could tell she was upset and I felt awful about sending her to a hotel. I got her a nice hotel on the beach, and upgraded her to a Marriott for night 2 because she was dissatisfied the first night. I declined to spend the night with her at the hotel because I knew it would be impossible for me to sleep if she's up all night drinking in the same room.
But I did reserve all day and early evening to be with her (even though she spent most of it asleep/drinking). She is now telling my extended family that Hank is manipulating me and abusive (both accusations are false). I definitely feel caught in the middle and unable to keep the peace. AITA for initially agreeing to host her, then essentially kicking her out to a hotel midway through the visit?
Let's find out.
mmobley8 writes:
NTA - Hank has a right to feel safe in his home in regards to his sobriety. You created a boundary and footed the bill for her hotel and made yourself more accessible.
Alcoholics can be incredibly destructive to relationships and it’s a no win situation but at the end of the day Hank is on the right path, you are building your life with him and while you are stuck in the middle you need to think about what is healthy and best for you and your future. I hope that your mom will get the help she needs to control her drinking and good for you to set limits to what you will tolerate.
rivalstritct writes:
Addicts do not act rationally. I’m sorry she is doing this to you after you were more than accommodating to her. Addicts are also selfish and act on emotional impulse. I wouldn’t say YTA. I would just say that you need to give your mom a reality check and let her know her behavior is not OK.
razchar writes:
YTA and your mother. You are way too accepting of her ‘disease’ and have completely removed all personal responsibility on her actions. She decided to turn what should have been a bonding family trip into a drug binge. Even my alcoholic mother knows to stop/slow down her drinking when she meets with family, and she’s a drink herself drunk every day for the past few decades drinker.
You aren’t doing her any favours by babying her. And consider yourself lucky you have such an accomodating partner.Stop making excuses for her behaviour and next time she comes to visit tell her she needs to be sober or not bother.