Homeowning son expertly dodges fatigued parents nagging him to take in freeloading 42-year-old older brother: 'Enjoy wasting your three day weekend'

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Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Sep 5, 2024 4:00 PM EDT

It's often said that you can't choose your family, and this can be an especially painful truth if you're related to a deadbeat. It's possible for anybody to fall on tough times, but when you make a lifestyle out of making it somebody else's problem it's only understandable that people start to get tired of it. There comes a time when you have to at least try to positively advocate for yourself.

This is something that one Redditor's parents found themselves struggling with after they couldn't get his troublesome older brother to move out of their house. When their other son bought his own home, they hoped it would be the perfect opportunity for him to have a new roof over his head—but their younger child had other ideas. This tale of petty revenge brought an unforgiving approach to these family matters that it seems like nobody wanted to be responsible for. 

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  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 10399548160
    via Andriyko Podilnyk

    Photo does not represent real subject in the story

  • 02
    Try to force me to take in my deadbeat brother? Enjoy wasting your three day weekend.
    via extraradishes
  • 03
    My older brother Ted (42M) has been living with my parents for the last 6 years or so. Refuses to get a full time job, refuses to help around the house, drunk half the time, known to sell a little out of his bedroom window, super disrespectful to my mom and blames her for everything. He has at least two kids by two different women he hasn't seen in years.
    via extraradishes
  • 04
    Last year I bought my first house and since day ONE my parents and brother have been harassing me to let him move in with me. They say I have so much space and that they've already done enough for Ted and it was my turn now.
    via extraradishes
  • 05
    Basically a constant nagging since 2023. This weekend I finally got sick of it and decided to send a message. I got a call last Tuesday with my parents demanding once again that I take in my brother and that my dad had a three day weekend coming up so he had time to help him move. I said okay, fine, I'll do it and gave them a list on conditions that Ted would have to follow to live here. Of course they promised he'd do everything I said ( ) and we scheduled it for Friday.
    via extraradishes
  • 06
    So Friday comes and they show up with two cars full of stuff but guess what? I wasn't home. I take their call while I'm having a beer a few blocks away. I tell them I got cold feet! Oh my! I'm so sorry but I changed my mind and decided I couldn't go through with it. They huff and puff but after a couple of hours of ignored calls they go home.
    via extraradishes
  • 07
    I call them Saturday to apologize for being such a coward and after dwelling on it, I've decided they were right and I will let him move in. And as a token of my remorse, I even bought a mattress and a nice, heavy bed frame as a moving in gift. I just took a picture of a random expensive mattress and bed frame at the local furniture store. My parents were instantly smitten with the photos ("oh, you guys LIKE cherry wood?") and I suggested that maybe Ted didn't deserve such a nice gift and it'd b
    via extraradishes
  • 08
    So on Sunday they show up again with not only all Ted's stuff but also a large wooden bed frame with built in drawers and a high back board. And guess what? When they show up, I'm not home again. I ignore their calls for a good hour and finally tell them that I decided to change my mind again and hang up.
    via extraradishes
  • 09
    They went ballistic but ultimately left again. We talked yesterday morning and I told my dad that I was sorry and I was wrong and he can move in. My dad freaked out and told me how in the he can ever believe that lie again and I basically told him he can't so they should stop bringing it up.
    via extraradishes
  • 10
    EDIT: not going to bother replying to all the people saying things like "why didn't you just say no" or "this could be solved with a mature conversation". What part of harassing me over a year did ya'll not understand? How many times do I gotta say "no?" Thirty times? Fourty times? FIFTY times? "No" doesn't work and trying the same thing over and over again expecting a different result is just insanity.
    via extraradishes
  • 11
    appleblossom 1962 Why would your parents think that because they gave birth to a lazy , that in any way would be your responsibility????
    via appleblossom1962
  • 12
    BeautifulPhantom1 Because they no longer want the burden of the lazy they have enabled all this time. Because that would require them to level up, set a deadline for him to move out, and force him to become independent without them ever having to hear the whining that he's going to be homeless, or watching his tantrums that they're forcing him to finally adult. Basically, they just want to pass their problem child on, not take the steps needed to boost him into adult responsibilities, nor face h
    via BeautifulPhantom1
  • 13
    Coygon You should point out that they seem to believe your brother's lies all the time (I'm sure he tells them he'll do better), so why not believe yours? And if they can learn to stop believing yours, they can surely stop believing Ted's.
    via Coygon
  • 14
    MidwestMSW love it when the enablers try to the problem off on others.
    via MidwestMSW
  • 15
    copperfrog42 That was wonderfully evil. Great job.
    via copperfrog42
  • 16
    Constant_Cultural That's genious, now they don't trust you and won't try this again.
    via Constant_Cultural
  • 17
    limelight_602 That they fell for it a second time is exactly why the freeloader is still with them.
    via limelight_402
  • 18
    Illuminatus-Prime I have a "Granny Shack" in the back yard. Basically a small studio apartment with indoor plumbing and electricity (both of which can be shut off from inside the main house). The WiFi does not reach. Any deadbeat relatives (and I have a lot of them) coming to me looking for a place to sleep "for a little while" can sleep out there for 3 days for free. After that, they either sign a lease or leave. If they refuse to leave, then off go the utilities.
    via Illuminatus-Prime
  • 19
    Wolfsification That is the most evil I have ever heard! I feel almost a little bad for the parents. But good for you, the will leave you alone!
    via Wolfsification
  • 20
    Similar-Traffic7317 I tip my hat to you good Sir. You have shown us mere mortals how it's done!
    via Similar-Traffic7317

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petty revenge reddit thread Reddit brother house freeloader revenge argument family home parents moving out deadbeat
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