Abby Connolly
I’ve always felt so sorry for people who felt they had nowhere to go or live after getting a divorce because their home went to their spouse.
When we have close family members dealing with something like that, it’s important to show support. However, you still need to set boundaries.
One woman recently got into an argument with her recently divorced sister, who assumed she’d help raise her kids when she moved in with her and their dad.
She and her boyfriend have been living with her elderly father for a while, as her father found it difficult to take care of himself. While the dynamic between the three of them has worked out, things are about to get more crowded due to her sister’s divorce.
Her sister is a mom of three children and is finalizing a “messy” divorce with her ex-husband. While her sister and her ex will split custody of their kids, the divorce left her with nowhere to live.
“My father, being compassionate, told her he would purchase a bigger house to accommodate her [family], and we would all live together,” she explained.
“My sister would be sharing custody with her husband, but we were having a conversation, and she said, ‘Won’t it be fun when we are living together, and you can help raise your nieces and nephews?’ That’s when I said I [would] be around them, but I’m not there to parent [her] children.”
Her sister became confused, asking her if she wouldn’t even be able to watch her kids while she was at work. She set her sister straight, reminding her that while she loves her kids, she has her own job and responsibilities and chose not to have her own kids so she could focus on those things instead.
Then, her sister developed an attitude and told her that if she didn’t watch her kids, she’d get her boyfriend to do it.
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