Ask Amy: A Crowded House Needs Fewer Residents

Dear Amy: I’ve been dating my boyfriend for the past year. I brought my pets and we moved in with him this past December. He’s an amazing guy — the absolute best! The issue arises with his house. He owns a three-bedroom house. Last July his sister and her family moved in with him. This took the total number of people from two adults, three cats and two dogs to four adults, six kids, three cats and two dogs. My cats have reached their limits with the children and avoid them. My dogs love to try to be around the kids but because one is a puppy, they complained and now my dogs regularly have to stay outside or in the garage. I have absolutely HAD IT with this family. I feel like my boyfriend and I have become prisoners in his house because there is constant drama and chaos. When his sister’s family has fights, we basically have to sit in our room, or in the garage (we ended up converting it to a bedroom) while they slam doors and stuff inside the house. And if we even TRY to start to bring stuff up, it’s World War III. How do I tell my boyfriend I’m sick of how they take advantage of him and disrespect his house and belongings? Related Articles Ask Amy | Ask Amy: Divorced mom is debt-averse Ask Amy | Ask Amy: Best friend should also be best man Ask Amy | Ask Amy: Sister’s revelation lobs secret bombshell Ask Amy | Ask Amy: Downsizers are not up to code Ask Amy | Ask Amy: A friend wants to impose “bro code” I get that they were there when I moved in, but I want them GONE, ASAP, but I don’t want to be the bad guy! — Woman, Standing on the Edge Dear Standing: Even though you maintain that this family has encroached upon your boyfriend — and you, by your own account the family already lived there when you moved in.