People rally around woman's decision to house parents in renovated garage instead of the house

Just like every other human, parents get old and eventually need to move in with or near their children for support. However, this doesn't mean that everything will go smoothly. It can be difficult for many individuals to accommodate their aging parents simply because of circumstances. Reddit user u/Old_Programmer_5669 shared her story about her parents unnecessarily making a fuss about staying in a garage that had been converted into a guest house.

The woman provides some background about herself at the beginning of the post. She shares that she doesn't drive and lives in her "forever house" along with her pet dogs. The woman's kids were all grown up and she was also a widow. She writes, "I converted my garage into a legal guest house with everything a person needs for when the kids visit. Independent washroom, kitchen, everything." Her parents approached her and asked her if they could move in with her.

The woman agreed to her parents' request and informed her kids that they would have to sleep in the house if they came to visit because the garage would be taken by their grandparents. She shares, "My parents showed up on the appointed day and the kids showed up with their families to help them get moved in." One of the families even arranged for a hotel so that the house would not get too crowded. Her parents began to get confused seeing their things being moved into the garage.

She then informed them that the garage would be their home. However, they assumed that they could stay in the house since it had five bedrooms. She writes, "I explained that I actually have two bedrooms since one room is my office where I see clients, one is my private office and one is my hobby room. The spare bedroom is mostly for my mutts." The woman's parents were not happy with this and said that they did not want to live in the garage "like Fonzie."

The woman took a stand and informed them that it was a "take it or leave it situation," adding that they could move into a nursing home if they were not happy with the garage. She concludes the post, saying, "They are upset that they are living rent free in a private guest house that is fully up to code." Individuals on the site sided with the woman's stance, sharing their support and thoughts in the comments section.

u/YouthNAsia63 said, "Wow, your parents are spoiled. A rent-free, up-to-code apartment sounds pretty sweet. If it isn’t good enough for them, then they can make other arrangements. But if you let them into your main house-it will become their house. And you won’t be able to get away from them. NTA." Another user u/FuzzyMom2005 pointed out, "NTA. This is not the garage. This is a converted living space. A free converted living space. And Fonzie didn't live in the garage. He lived in an apartment above the garage."