When a woman’s parents asked to move in with her, she thought she had the perfect solution: her newly converted guest house in the garage. Little did she know that her parents weren’t thrilled with the idea. She found herself in a difficult position, having to make them choose between living in the garage or going to a nursing home.

A Cozy Guest House

The woman, a single widow, lived in a spacious five-bedroom home by herself. With her children all grown up and moved out, she had converted some of the rooms into offices and hobby spaces, leaving only two functional bedrooms. To accommodate her children when they visited, she decided to turn her garage into a guest house, complete with a private entrance.

Exterior of a blue suburban home | Source: Getty Images

A Surprising Request

Everything seemed to be going according to plan until her parents approached her with a request to move in. Although she had designed the guest house with her children in mind, she couldn’t turn down her parents’ plea. She even informed her children about the new living arrangement.

Elderly couple sitting on a couch | Source: Getty Images

The Confusion at Moving Day

On the day her parents were supposed to move in, the woman’s children arrived to help with the process. But there was confusion when the family started moving her parents’ belongings into the garage. Her parents couldn’t understand why they weren’t moving into the main house, which had more bedrooms.

Woman handing a child a moving box | Source: Getty Images

The woman explained that she only had two bedrooms available, as the rest of the house had been repurposed. The spare bedroom was mainly reserved for her dogs. This revelation disappointed her parents, who had expected to live inside the house.

A Difficult Decision

Realizing that her parents were unhappy with the garage as their living space, the woman made it clear that they had to choose between staying in the garage or going to a nursing home. She couldn’t understand why they were upset, considering the garage was a comfortable and private space, meeting all the required standards.

Upset elderly couple | Source: Getty Images

Others Weigh In on the Situation

When the woman shared her story on Reddit, she received mixed reactions. Some users sympathized with her, while others thought her parents were being unreasonable. One user even warned that if she let her parents into the main house, they might never leave.

Stern middle-aged woman | Source: Getty Images

Another commenter suggested that her parents might have wanted to live in the main house so she could take care of them. However, there were also stories of people who had similar arrangements with their parents, and it worked out well.

Setting Boundaries and Respect

While some felt that the woman should have clarified everything with her parents from the start, others advised her to communicate her boundaries and expectations clearly. It was suggested that occasional visits to the main house could be allowed as long as her parents respected her space.

In the end, this woman’s difficult decision to make her parents choose between the garage and a nursing home showcased the challenges and tough choices that come with caring for elderly family members.