Ask Amy: Saying ‘no’ to pushy house guests is seasonal
My overall advice is to issue a solid “no” attached to a vague rationale, because pushy houseguests have a talent for driving right through specific explanations, excuses, and details.
For instance, You: “I’m sorry but I can’t host you. I have a conference that week.”
Them: “I’ll switch my dates to the following week.”
You: “My cat Thomas is allergic to people.”
Them: “That’s OK – you can put Thomas in a kennel.”
You: “The floor in my guest bedroom is being refinished.”
Them: “No problem – I’ll just stay in your room. You can sleep on the kitchen floor.”
Because you are clearly not going to confront this person, try saying, “Sorry, but I’m not going to host this summer.”
If they press you for a reason, you can say, “There are a lot of reasons. Mainly, I just don’t feel up to it.”
Surely the only silver lining to this lengthy tragedy of a global pandemic is the altered perspective we’ve gained from the experience.
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