My son has turned into a total slob, and his girlfriend is his exact reflection. Im exhausted from living in their mess.
I never imagined Id say this out loud, but Ive had enough. Enough of the dirty dishes, the floor that hasnt seen a broom in weeks, the lingering smell of leftover food, and the feeling of staying with careless roommates instead of in my own flat. All of this because of my son and his girlfriend, who have been crashing here for the past two months.
Louis is twenty. He is studying for a distancelearning licence, just finished his military service, and landed a job right away. In theory, hes an adultindependent, contributing to the bills, not just idling. I was proud of him. That was until that fateful conversation.
Mom, he told me one day, Mathildes situation at home is terrible. Her parents are constantly fighting, everythings chaotic, and she cant even study in peace. Could she stay here for a while until things calm down? We wont make a fuss.
I felt sorry for her. Id seen her beforeshy, polite, eyes down, softspoken. How could I refuse? Especially since Louis has his own room and theres space. I just didnt expect the gift it would become.
At first they tried: dishes put away, floor swept, no noise. We even set a cleaning scheduleSaturday for them, Wednesday for me. I thought maybe they had finally matured. But three weeks later everything fell apart.
Dirty plates with dried food lingered in the sink for days, hair and wrappers littered the floor. The bathroom? Shampoo stains, hair in the drain, soap residue. Their bedroom resembled a den: clothes tossed everywhere, crumbs on the desk, a nevermade bed. Mathilde roamed around with a mask on her face, phone in hand, as if she were at a spa, not at my house.
I tried to talk, to ask, to remind them. The answer was always the same: We havent had time, well do it later. Except later never arrived. So I started handing them a mop and cleaning products directlyno accusations, just silently. That didnt change anything. Once they spilled sauce on the tablecloth and walked away without wiping it. Again, I ended up cleaning it all.
When I entered their room and saw the chaos, I couldnt stay silent:
Does it bother you to live like this?
Louis, without a flicker of surprise, replied:
Geniuses thrive in chaos.
I see no genius in that chaos, just two adults who find it convenient to live like pigs and expect their mother to clean up after them.
Louis promised to helpgroceries, bills. In reality, he only pays the utilities. He shops once a week, but sushi, pizza and other deliveries arrive almost daily. They give me gifts, but it doesnt warm my heartthe fridge stays empty. With that money we could have fed the whole family.
Mathilde doesnt work; shes a student. She receives a scholarship but never contributes a cent toward groceries or cleaning. All her money goes to frivolities. When I suggested a modest share of the expenses, she shrugged, offended.
I raised Louis alone. His father left before he was born. My parents supported me, I worked double, saved, did everything for him. I never blamed him. I dont want to start now. Yet watching my flat turn into a squalor I cant tolerate any longer.
I have tried calm discussionsonce, twice, three times The pattern is clear: they wont change. They think Im a nagging old woman who should be grateful they even tolerate me under the same roof.
Two months I held on. Thats enough. I will tell them plainly: either you get your act together, or you move to student housing. There, maybe theyll learn what it means to respect others work and space.
Im done being their housekeeper. I just want to live peacefully, without stress, without dishes piled to the ceiling, without socks strewn across the kitchen.
What would you do? Should I risk a fight with my son, or keep turning a blind eye to this disaster in the apartment I built with my own hands?
My Son Has Become a Tangle; My Daughter-in-Law Reflects His Chaos. I’m Exhausted Living in Their Turmoil!
