Come Visit! But Please Stay Elsewhere!
Dear Mouthy Housewives,
I’m graduating from nursing school and have a birthday this coming February. Because I live overseas, I sent invitations to my family last month so they’d have a chance to make plans. I found out today that several members of my family are counting on being able to stay with me in my tiny one room flat.
Granted, I do have both a bed and a fold out sofa, but there’s only so much room. Is there a polite way to turn them away?
Signed,
It’s My Party and I’ll Kick You Out If I Want To
_________________________
Dear It’s My Party,
Just tell them that you truly appreciate them spending hundreds of dollars to fly across the Atlantic for your graduation/birthday party, and as a thank you, you’ve booked them at a lovely little hostel just down the street from your flat.
If they don’t show enthusiasm as first, explain that they’ll meet some stoners just in from Amsterdam and some backpacking college students who haven’t showered in three weeks. I’m sure your family will be thrilled. Either that or they’ll tell you to bugger off.
This is the thing about visitors: they usually want to stay with you. Your family is already spending a lot of money to visit and celebrate these special occasions, so you might have to trip over their suitcases and share your bathroom for a few days. If you really have too many family members planning to bunk with you, simply send out an email to everyone and ask for their help in figuring out where everyone should stay. Maybe they can take turns getting an affordable hotel room.
I remember my days as a college student in New Orleans. We would have many, many guests during Mardi Gras. Sleeping bags literally lined our living room. Did I complain? No. Did I whine that I had to wait in line for my own bathroom to take a shower? No. Did it bother me that there was some stranger named Deke sleeping in my bed? No. Why did none of this bother me? Because I was drunk. And I suggest the same to you.
Good luck!
Kelcey, TMH
9 Responses to “Come Visit! But Please Stay Elsewhere!”
Comment by Desperate Dietwives.
Excuse me if I ask, dear It’s My Party, but did YOU make plans when inviting your family to your party? I mean, knowing that you couldn’t have them all at your place, did you bother to try to figure out how to accommodate them? Or did you just think that handing out invitations was enough and they had to figure all the rest?
And what’s that signature you got yourself, “It’s My Party and I’ll Kick You Out If I Want To”? Is it really a pleasure for you to have your family (or else what did you invite them for?)? Take care, or someone might want to kick YOU out of the family…
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Kelcey, TMH Reply:
January 12th, 2011 at 10:18 am
We here at TMH often use the sign off provided by our advice seekers, but sometimes add our own humorous spin. “It’s My Party and I’ll Kick You Out If I Want To” is not the woman’s real name or at least I hope not. Nor did she come up with it. And thankfully, no one was kicked in the writing of this post.
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Desperate Dietwives Reply:
January 13th, 2011 at 5:32 am
Ohps… :/
Still… last Summer a cousin of mine invited family and friends for his daughter’s christening and he lives pretty far away from all of us. He booked a convenient hotel for all of us and even paid one night’s stay to everyone (which of course not everyone can afford and we didn’t expect/ask)… What I mean is that if you plan to have people coming to your birthday party from overseas, you obviously should plan for accommodation as well, as you very well suggested. 
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Comment by Betty Herbert.
I found a novel solution to this last year, when all my family desended on our little house for our vow renewal – I booked me and Herbert into a local hotel, and left them all to it. Much more civilised.
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Plano Mom Reply:
January 12th, 2011 at 11:11 am
That’s what my parents do when all the kids come to visit – they hook up their motor home and stay there.
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Comment by Erin I'm Gonna Kill Him.
Haha, god one Kelcey. You are a nursing student? Can’t you hit everyone, including yourself, with a Propofol injection? You’ll all be as peaceful as Michael Jackson even if your hair is burning off…
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Comment by dusty earth mother.
I think you just put out the sleeping bags and trip over your guests. However if someone named Deke shows up, he gets shoved off to the hostel.
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GrandeMocha Reply:
January 12th, 2011 at 7:10 am
Me too!
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