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I think I'm being unreasonable

Stepcop's picture

Submitted by Stepcop on Thu, 08/23/2012 - 12:27pm

One of the first things dh and I bought when we moved in together was a new couch (not gifted like his from his dad, or used like all my college furniture). It's micro suede, beige, 3 recliner sectional. So nice!! I love it. We set a few rules and reiterated the old ones. No eating or drinking on the couch (except water), no wrestling on the couch, no climbing or sitting on the arms or backs, etc. one that the kudos just can't grasp is no sleeping on the couch. First of all the kids drool!! I hate having to clean the couch after one of them has fallen asleep on it. Also, it promotes ad sleeping habits and patterns. We refuse to have overnight guests that cannot use the air mattress so it's not needed for that. It keeps the couch from getting misshapen if it sat on, not laid on like that.

I know I am probably being unreasonanblr, but DAMNIT!! I have worked so hard, and saved so long to try to have some nice things. I scrimped all through college, worked three jobs and took a full caseload straight through my masters to live and get my degrees. I never had new things or close. I rarely had food. But I made it. So we decided to make a nice purchase and I want it to stay nice for more than a year! Is that too much to ask? **sigh***. With these damn kds, probably.

Comments

StickAFork's picture

Submitted by StickAFork on Thu, 08/23/2012 - 12:37pm

My mom is like that. Her house was and is like a museum. No this, no that.

Are you unreasonable? Well, you bought it, you decide the rules. Did DH buy it, too? Does he agree on these rules?

I like nice things. I also like to feel like a family and enjoy the things we have. I have an SUV for family trips (and a small 2 seater just for me!) It is showing wear. The kids have eaten/drank in it, laid around watching the dvd players, played xbox in the back row... BUT, we've used it a lot for road trips/camping/vacations with 4 kids. Same with our one furniture set. *I* bought it new 1 1/2 years ago. We all flop around on it, use our laptops on it, the dog/cat snuggle with us on it, we take a nap during football season on it (ok, that's just me), etc. I chose to "live" on our furniture. I didn't want it to be a stuffy kind of house.
But I bought it and it's my choice. Same for you. You bought it, your rules. I would highly suggest Scotchguarding it, though, just in case. Wink

Peaches1973's picture

Submitted by Peaches1973 on Thu, 08/23/2012 - 12:39pm

You arent being unreasonable at all! They have beds dont they?

Its not as if you are saying "Yes we have this perfectly great couch to sleep on,but youre sleeping on the floor."

Too bad if they dont like it.We have the same rule at MY insistance of course,and when they get pissy about it I tell them that this is my couch,that I paid good $ for it and if they so choose they can buy a couch when they move out and sleep on it whenever they want.Till then,my couch-my rules.

oneoffour's picture

Submitted by oneoffour on Thu, 08/23/2012 - 12:41pm

You are not unreasonable.

If they want to sleep in the living room they may sleep on the floor. If they no longer want their bedrooms you will reclaim them for oyurself and install your nice sectional in there and get a 2nd hand crappy sofa for the living room/ family room.

Willow2010's picture

Submitted by Willow2010 on Thu, 08/23/2012 - 12:42pm

I did not buy anything nice for my house until my son turned 16. And he is such a clumsy oaf that still don’t have nick knack’s or breakable items where he can even get in the vicinity.

BSgoinon's picture

Submitted by BSgoinon on Thu, 08/23/2012 - 12:50pm

We don't allow the kids to sleep on the couch. Not only because of the drull but sweat, and oily skin from their faces and hair, it wears down your couch. That is not a cheap piece of furniture... I don't blame you.

Frustr8d1's picture

Submitted by Frustr8d1 on Thu, 08/23/2012 - 2:01pm

You not being unreasonable at all. Before meeting DH, I had a full-time military career where I sacrificed a ton and saved money like crazy. When I sacrificed for DH by giving up my hard-earned career so we could be stationed together (he's military too), I used much of my previously earned savings to buy our new furniture. I will NOT have a careless (in my case a spiteful & careless SD) child ruin something that took me years to earn! Not bio, not step, not any child should be allowed to ruin things they didn't pay for.

I mean, growing up, my mom taught me how to respect furniture because it represents someone else's hard work, plus kids should learn to respect others' property. Even if it's an old raggedy couch, I still think they should be "nice" to it. It's just the right thing to do. These days, kids from every walk of life are allowed to disrespect others and others' property and it's never a good end result.