When my mother-in-law arrived at our house, she immediately began checking everything with discontent. When she saw our bedroom, she insisted on sleeping there, despite the fact that it was intended for my husband and myself. I tried to explain that this was our room, but my mother-in-law insisted. When I offered her a shower first, she declined, stating that she needed to chose her resting spot immediately away. I offered her another room, but she flatly refused.

She entered our bedroom and lay down on the bed without embarrassment. I told that couldn’t be and she should sleep in another room, but my mother-in-law insisted on her preference. I figured I wouldn’t be able to persuade her, so I informed my husband. He evidently didn’t know how to communicate with his mother, since she refused to listen to any arguments. However, I chose to compromise.

– Okay, your mom can sleep in our room tonight, but only tonight. But I had a wonderful retaliation strategy. When she went to take a shower, I immediately tucked some cat hair beneath the sheets, thinking it might elicit an allergic reaction. Prior to her appointment, she had requested that I remove any cat fur from the house. She raced out of the bedroom a few minutes later, moaning about her allergies.

Of course, I feigned to be astonished and claimed the cat was outdoors. – Perhaps you should sleep in another room; our cat does not go there. When she consented, I gleefully returned to our bedroom, feeling victorious in this small war.