My dad recently died and my mom won't leave my house. How do I handle it?

Have you discussed this with her? Does she understand that you need a lot of space and private time?

Explain it to her politely after figuring out ways she can spend her time productively, whether it's in activities she's always enjoyed, at a senior center, at a library helping out or attending book club meetings or other activities.

Help her find something she enjoys doing. She's understandably lonely and wants the company of her daughter. But the first thing you need to do is open the lines of communication.

I haven't discussed it with her. I'm so scared to hurt her by being honest about how I feel. I'm going to have to find a way to say something that won't break her heart. By the way, on a side note...my mom is only 65 and she has no health concerns.

Only 65? My goodness, is she retired? She must be bored out of her mind, being so young with no employment or volunteer opportunities.

I see dad died 4 days ago. 4 days is a blink. ( not to you, I'm sure) but she is still decompressing from caregiving, from grief and the like. Give it another week. But set boundaries for yourself. "Mom, i can't talk right now, need to decompress from work. How about after dinner?"

To avoid hurting her feelings ( and that is a very legitimate concern), put the responsibility on yourself - say that you're the one who has always needed space, perhaps it's a shortcoming, but you function better when you have that space.

So what you're trying to do is accommodate YOUR shortcomings so you can help her more and make her life easier. Then she can view the situation as your attempting to adapt rather than push her away.

In the meantime, mobilize those children who are old enough to understand in helping to find ways to interact with her. There's no reason why they can't be part of the solution - go for walks with her, take her shopping, help with the meals to deflect attention from you...

It's important to get the kids involved now. You can even spur some self reflection by asking them to think of what their strong points are, and how they can use them to help Grandmother.

Try to look at the opposite side - unless she has somewhere else to live, try to think of ways that she can benefit from the children and they can benefit from her.

Babalou's suggestion is good - set times for talking, and others for working. Gradually you can begin to cut those times down, especially while integrating other members of the family into the talks.

Four days? Can I be honest? This may be a time that would be good for your personal growth. If you are ready to put your mother out after such a great loss in only four days, maybe you are not seeing what is really important. Maybe your mother needs help returning to that empty house that holds so many memories. Maybe she needs to consider an apartment in a retirement village where she can be around friends her own age. Your mother is likely feeling lost. If it has only been four days, maybe you should take a look inside yourself to see what the problem might be. If you have always had a good relationship, four days is strange. I used to have friends that would visit for much longer than that before their welcome would wear out.

Its s a challenge to add yet another personality to this overload you already have.
Jessie and Garden have good suggestions. Also, I experienced this with my son. When my husband died I went to stay with him - but I realized after a few days it was not a welcome situation with his wife - I left, unfortunately I had no where to go. After a bit I took an apartment but my feelings are still tender about not being welcomed and doing my grieving with out the comfort ( and you do give her great comfort ) of my family. Try to stick it out with creating a few rules. Maybe mom could find a job or perhaps a volunteer spot - but four days - is barely enough time to get her balance back. You are a great daughter for even suggesting she stay on - perhaps a redo of her old home then she could be there talking to the workers?

It has been only four days. Is there some relative or friend that would stay with her at her home for awhile? Maybe she would like a roommate? Just think of all the things at her home that she has to go through. That is too much for her to do alone. Maybe you would take a week off, go back to her home with her to help with those things.

If Hospice was involved during your dad's illness they will send a social worker to visit with your mom for up to 18 months - and perhaps as mom talks out the grief and PTSD of caring for your dad all the years it will help her get to a level of peace. The talking is just a way of gaining control over her fear and loneliness I think?

I appreciate the comments and suggestions. Yes I know it seems probably heartless for me to being feeling this way after only four days and I can appreciate how that probably comes across. I do want to be here for her and I know that she is hurting deeply. I do have a deep need to have my own personal space. She and I deal with our grief in an opposite way. I deal with things alone and need that space. She deals with things by talking non stop and taking up everyone's personal space. It is not a good combination. She does have an apartment to go to but she doesn't want to be alone and it also is a sad reminder for her of their memories there. I do understand. I really do hurt for her and I am heart broken over my own loss of my father. I literally watched him die. This has been very traumatic for me as well. Normally when I deal with trauma and hardships, I deal with them alone but I am unable to get that anymore. I will not hurt her anymore so I will suck it up and deal with it probably for a while but at some point I will have to have my house back.

Becca, yes, you are right and you are entitled to have your home back. It is sad that mom isn't being respectful of your pain and grief but it sounds like she has always been controlling and perhaps lived away from 'normalcy' too long. Honestly call hospice ask if there is help for the situation, they may even help her get back in her own apartment.

Becca, I am glad to hear you say that. Our greatest satisfaction in life can be to help others gain their feet. A concern I had is that on down the road you would look back with regret. I suspect your mother will need a springboard to help her get into her next phase of life. She's still pretty young, so it may be nice to see her come to enjoy life again after you both have worked through the hardships and grief.

Are your separate needs for space and privacy really so insurmountable? I do understand that you've got 6 kids in the house and that's a challenge for anyone. But where's your husband in all this? Three of the kids are his - what help is he offering? There's no reason why he can't handle some of the childcare chores and allow you to spend some more time alone as well as with your mother.

While you're hurting, so is she. This is a unique event for her, something that's changed her whole life. Whether it's a justified balance or not, you're probably going to have to be the one to make some compromises - you still have your husband, I presume, but she doesn't.

How old are the kids? Personally, I can't help wonder if 6 kids in one house isn't as much of a factor in the need for personal space as anything else.

Perhaps you could try setting aside some specific time for your mother, just the two of you, and let her share her thoughts. If there's a time she can look forward to, that at least helps her structure her interactive time with you.

What about when she returns to her apartment? Can the children stay witih her for say a weekend, just to provide company?

Another thought - enlist the children to help a "support Grandma" project. Ask them to think of toptics to discuss, activities, etc. Perhaps one child can spend an hour or so with her on one evening, another child takes that activity for the next day, etc.

I really do think you need to get the rest of the family involved; I think having 6 kids in a house is one reason why you need your own space ( who wouldn't??) but your mother needs you now. Let the kids learn how to support that need for both of you.

Also- please know I was not intending to kick her out or even discuss this with her after just 4 days. I'm seeking help with setting boundaries for the time she needs to be here....and also trying to find appropriate ways of discussing this with her when the time comes. I really like some of the ideas given so far, especially Garden Artists's ideas, thank you.

I suggest that you and your mom attend a grief support session at a local church or hospital. I think it will be especially helpful to her to meet others who have similar sorrows. You go too, and get her started attending, so she will feel comfortable and then, let her go by herself. You might talk to the counselor there privately about whether or not to encourage her to move out now. Enlist the kids and your husband and other friends to include her, talk to her and give her something to do. Look into grief support groups where she lives, and see if she can transition to moving back to her house. She probably needs help clearing away your dad's things. This is a traumatic transition. It is one all married people will someday make. Be aware and sympathetic.

Yes, the kids are very helpful when they are here. I only have my 3 kids half the time and he has his 3 every other weekend so it's not like they are all here all the time. It's still a lot of kids though! A lot of people need me. I DO NOT want any regrets with my mother, for SURE! I love her so much and I hurt for her so much. I had no regrets with my dad and I don't want to lose her one day and look back and regret how I handle this. Also, garden artist, as far as my husband goes...he has been working open to close..he is a retail store manager..for days. so he is unable to help me much right now. That is very sad. To go through the loss of my father and have him not able to be here. he wants to be here but can't.

One thing we have overlooked is the fact that your Mom was your Dad's prime caregiver for years, according to your original post. That in itself, for someone who is also a senior citizen, can be quite physically and emotionally exhausting.

At 65 one doesn't have the same energy or bounce back ability as someone who is 20+ years younger. Believe me I know, as I am 70 and was trying to oversee the life of my parents who were in their 90's, is not an easy task. In fact I had crashed and burned from all the stress. Being a senior is no picnic.

For someone who was a full time caregiver for many years, such as your Mom, it is hard for her to decompress back to a life she had before. She must miss your Dad dearly, but not miss all the caregiving that was involved. I know my parents never mentioned what was involved with both of them caring for each other, it wasn't until my Mom passed that my Dad said that the two of them were falling down the stairs on a regular basis... oh good grief.

Becca- I get where you're coming from. I don't think you're being hard hearted or a bad daughter. You are being very self aware and in doing so you recognize that having your mom staying with you much longer could cause irreparable damage to your long term relationship- and your mother is relatively young with many years ahead of her when she will need you and you, her. Take a deep breath and suck it up for the two weeks. But at about the 10 - 12 day point try saying something like "It's almost time for us to start thinking about getting you resettled back in your home. It's going to be really hard for you, I know. I've been trying to think about ways to make it easier - things we can do. Have you given it any thought? We don't have to decide right now - but give it some thought and we can talk about it tomorrow night". When tomorrow night comes bring it up - see what her ideas are and go from there. If she has no ideas be prepared with one or two of your own - stuff like clearing up the area/room where your father passed - getting rid of old medications, etc. I wouldn't suggest big steps like moving to a 55+ community just yet - one big adjustment at a time and dealing with lossing her husband is big enough for now. Offer to stay the night at her place for a couple of nights - this may be tough for you to manage with your kids and all - but I think it's important as the first step has to be getting her back under her own roof. I say all of this considering what's best for your mother - period. At 65 your mother hopefully has a long time ahead of her - a lot of living to still do - she is much too young and healthy to be living her life through you.

Before anyone starts throwing cyberstones at me, let me say where I'm coming from. My paternal grandfather died in a commercial airliner plane crash when my grandma was about 60 - grandma lived another 35 years. Grandma became good friends with three other older widows from the plane crash. For many years this group traveled the world together and had very active lives. When grandma got older and slowed down she still wanted her independence. Grandma lived on her own until her early 90's, then lived with her oldest sons family for a couple of years. But then grandma decided she needed more of her own space and moved at her choice into an AL apartment. Grandma would have missed what was a very full and active 1/3 of her life if she had not made the choices she did.

Rainmom, thank you for such understanding suggestions. Many of you are being very thoughtful and caring. Really good ideas. Thank you. I am praying for God to forgive my weaknesses, give me strength, and to not think of myself in this so much.

I get where Becca is coming from. It can be very draining to give and give when your own tank is on empty. I wouldn't let things just set without setting boundaries either. She is grieving, but so are you. You are entitled to what you need in your own home.

You say that your mom talks a lot. Is that just how she is normally? I ask because people who are obsessive talkers are not likely to change and no amount of talking seem to satiate them. I know quite a few people who are that way. Good people, but the talk will go on endlessly. Your only escape is walking out of the room, since these people ignore all ques to cut it off and have no awareness that they have talked too much. IF your mom is like that, then just do the best you can, until she grieves a bit more. And work on getting her to talk to others. I might say, mom, I have a real need for down time for my own mental health. I have to have it, so after 8:00 p.m., I'm retiring my mind to just relax or some other schedule that works for you.

I would encourage her to visit with other family members and friends. Get her to call them as much as possible. Encourage her to write in a journal, join a support group, arrange her transportation to get there, encourage counseling, etc. As a caregiver she likely is still decompressing from her former role. I would gauge what time period that might take to adjust.

I would also set a time to help her return home and clean up the house. Get dad's things out of the house. She may need a lot of hand holding that for that. Do it on her time frame. Also, discuss her plans like if she's going to stay in the home, sell and get an apartment, etc. I'd point out that she's so young and has so much more to offer. Charity work could occupy her time.

Do you have room in your bedroom to set up a Keurig coffee pot, snacks, water, tv? I might set it up so I could close the door and have my down time. If she asks about it, say you value your privacy, so you are valuing hers as well.

Becca, I think I understand. You love your mom, but you feel as though you're being assaulted by the constant conversation. If you could get a little more peace and quiet, the situation would seem much more manageable. When my dad would visit for weekends, years ago, he talked nonstop (and was seemingly impervious to gentle hints that I didn't feel like talking). I was always completely exhausted by the time we took him home. Something that helped during those visits: after lunch I would retreat to my bedroom, ostensibly for a nap, and enjoy an hour or so of silence. But I don't think that occasional "naps" will provide the amount of peace and quiet that you need to recover from the trauma of losing your dad. I also don't think that letting your mom talk constantly, unchecked, will necessarily help her recover from the trauma of losing her beloved spouse. I like Babalou's suggestion of setting particular times to talk--possibly scheduling an hour after dinner to have a conversation about anything your mom wants to discuss. Also, as another poster suggested (I think it was Garden Artist--if I go back to the previous screen to double-check, I'll lose my post) it would probably be a good idea to explain your need for peace and quiet to your mom, presenting it as a personal need rather than a criticism of her. When your mom does return to her home, I certainly wouldn't send her alone. She may be afraid to be alone there for awhile and will probably need to have someone stay there for awhile, possibly even sleeping in the same room with her.

Becca, I know others have said this but it bears repeating: it's *four* *days*. Don't panic. There's nothing you need to do right now except let yourself mourn your father's passing and comfort your mother and kids.

Uh? Not think of yourself? No! Do! And give yourself a break while you're at it!

But God give you strength anyway. Hugs to you, keep updating.

Becca, what does mom talk about? Do you and she talk about memories of your dad? Maybe mom's talking is solely to cover up grief over your dad. It may be too soon for her to even think about. And you the same. A social worker or grief counselor may help both of you.

Yes retreating to my room is basically what I'm doing now but I don't really like having to retreat to my room. Yes she has always been a talker but it is farrrrr worse now that he's gone. She talks about memories of him, her pain she is going through, funeral plans, and her plans of where to live and what to do next. These are all things she needs to talk about so I'm glad she is discussing all the hard stuff. I am just the type of person who...well my brain zones out and I get very drained and tired when I listen for a long period of time. Someone in an earlier comment mentioned it sounds like she has always been controlling. I'm not sure how you picked up on that but bingo! Very very controlling nature. She needs to be in control and she needs to be needed. I am very very independent...always have been. I really think the problem is when she is at my house, I feel out of control of my personal life...she tries to take over. Plus I feel out of control because I have to retreat to my room for quiet.

Since she loves to talk and is talking a lot, I would listen to her for a certain time and then just say, well, I'm glad we went over that. Now, let's let it set in, rest our minds and then tomorrow, we can make some phone calls and explore the things you mentioned. Then do that so that her questions are answered and there's less to discuss. I would work towards helping her get established in her new place if that's what she is wanting to do.

I'm like you with all the talking. I just don't know how people talk so much. My parents and some other family members are BIG on talking. It's nonstop. I excuse myself and have told them repeatedly that I am just not into talking for hours on end. One hour is my limit, unless I'm having a glass of wine. lol Just kidding.

Does she have any friends that she can visit? My mom and her friends can talk for hours. They come and visit and sit and talk from 1:00 p.m. until 6:00 pm. Sometimes, they nap in the recliner a little, but keep on talking. They are all in their 70's.

My dad talks on the phone like crazy. He calls many of his old friends, classmates, colleagues every day to see how they are doing. They love it and thank him profusely for keeping in touch. They say nobody ever calls them, like my dad. lol

This topic came to my mind recently, when I was with my parents and other family members. I tried to say something several times, but each time was interrupted and not allowed to speak, because all of them just can't shut up. It kind of made me laugh. No WONDER I don't like talking with them. I can't get a word in edge wise.lol Is that what is happening with your mother? Does she listen to you?

Not to excuse the over talking - many people I have treated in therapy over-talk because they are not in control of much in their lives, talking and keeping the person/people listening is a form of control over something. Connecting with a therapist can make your mother realize this problem and give her excersises to eliminate the bad habit - which probably has been lifelong.

We are on day 10 now and I am beyond stressed out. I used to take antidepressants and klonipin but was able to come off all meds 2 years ago. I have been more stable than ever especially in the last 6 months. I have tried to talk nicely to my mom about boundaries and how we are opposite in our needs such as her being so extroverted and me being introverted. I even told her I will lose my mind without my space. I really am on the brink...insomnia has kicked in. My nerves are completely shot. She acts like she understands but she continues to not comprehend boundaries. I can tell she is trying but it isn't enough. She can't help but step over boundaries. It's who she is. Then when you stand up to her she acts like she has done nothing wrong and plays the victim. It is to the point that if she stays after the funeral I will need at least valium. I just feel completely out of control of my environment. This is why I was freaking out as soon as she started staying with me. My husband says he is going to talk to her after we get back from the weekend of the funeral and tell her that if she can't follow house rules and boundaries, she needs to find a friend to stay with or go back to her apartment. I don't want to hurt her but this is my sanity at stake and a lot of people need me sane. Any advice??

She needs to go back to her apartment. Supposing staying with you hadn't ever been an option, what could have been done to help and support her in her own place? Maybe it would be best to retrace your steps and do whatever might have been done in that case.

She's got the rest of her life ahead of her. She'll do better if she starts out right on this new part of it. I hope that realising that it's for her good as well as your own sanity will help you feel better about looking for different options as soon as ever you can. It's the right thing to do for everyone.