Husband commutes into NYC every day and I am concerned about exposing them to COVID through him in our small home. With rain expected we will be even more confined and I am not wearing a mask for three days in my home. So much anger from them, what I thought was acting in their best interest has now become an act of selfishness on my part according to them. I have lost perspective. Please help.
The next time you make such an offer to your folks, IF you ever do, I'd make it clear that it's contingent upon certain criteria being met. Only IF the conditions are right will you risk taking them in for a long weekend.
I'm sure they'll get over their anger eventually, since it's probably just disappointment they're truly feeling. You're doing the right thing, so try not to lose perspective and just keep their best interests at heart, just like you have been. Crazy how parents can make us feel like The Bad Guy so easily, isn't it?
Ensure they understand they cannot visit you at all if they have any symptoms.
Sounds like you dodged a little bullet there.
Unless they have total dementia, both of them, they should be able to understand the severity this virus has over the elderly (and I, at 63 am considered 'elderly'--one of my kids kept away from DH and I for a MONTH)….and just wearing a mask in the house isn't enough. You would have to be wiping down surfaces, cleaning and cleaning the whole time they were there--and with a mask on! It just isn't feasible for many reasons.
My mother gets mad at me all the time and I often don't even know about it until much later. I have learned (as a coping mechanism) to simply listen to her when she complains and validate that she has an opinion and then do what I feel is right, regardless of what she thinks. Yes, she'll sulk and be a little petulant, but it is what it is.
One more vote that says you're doing the right thing.
Are your parents generally unreasonable like this?
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