Vacationing with germy family

[Anonymous]

Help! We're renting a house for the first time at the beach with my parents, brother and brother's wife and elementary-school kids.
I love my brother and his family BUT THEY ARE SO DIRTY and the prospect of sharing space with them is making me CRINGE. I am doing it because it's so important to my parents and they are getting older and we haven't seen everyone altogether since COVID. But, examples of behavior include:

Going to the bathroom and not washing hands, then foraging around in fridge or in a bag of chips; double-dipping; kids don't usually cover their mouth when they sneeze; they just have way different standards of cleanliness. They are super messy. We will be eating/cooking meals together, so it's impossible to avoid the kid who coughs on the steak. I don't know what to do!! AHHHHHHHH Anyone been there with advice on how to mitigate it?

[Anonymous]

Not washing hands after bathroom and then going for food is pretty bad. I was thinking I’d put up with it just to get away- that one would be too much, though. I’d say something. Better yet, have your parents do it!

[Anonymous]

Since you know this already and still booked the place, you can do 2 things. 1—ask everyone to be better about washing hands after bathroom and before you eat because of COVID and then 2–relax and let it go, if you’re uptight about it the whole time you’ll be miserable.

[Anonymous]

Rent another house for your family nearby.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rent another house for your family nearby.

That would probably cause a mega rift.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rent another house for your family nearby.

That would probably cause a mega rift.

That's what I do. They have no choice but to accept it. We spend a lot of time in the bigger home and then it's glorious to go to my own spot and decompress. I told them I do it for their benefit (I'm high maintenance and don't drink, so I'm not "fun" company).

[Anonymous]

I don’t understand why people get into these beach house rental situations and then complain about them.

[Anonymous]

Be that person who has a family meeting when everyone gets there. Everyone, including kids, attends. And set everyone up for success by putting hand sanitizer and wipes in the bathroom and kitchen counter.

Put it on your parents: “So we’re all going to be together. Because we want everyone to stay healthy, especially Granny & Grandpa, it’s important that we wash our hands and keep the space clean. I’ve put a bottle of hand sanitizer in each of the bathrooms and next to the fridge. Let’s all agree to either wash hands or use the hand sanitizer.”

Saying nothing will crank up your anxiety and make you miserable. Saying something increases the probability that they will work to stay cleaner. You have to decide that coming off as a slightly biotchy/intense is worth it. Sounds like it might be.

[Anonymous]

It has been over a year since you have seen them, plus a pandemic tossed in there. Guessing they have grown up a bit since you have seen them last, and have had the hand washing lecture at least a million times this past year or so.

[Anonymous]

Hand sanitizer - mandatory

No shared snacks. Individual bags of chips, cheese, etc.

Serve the kids food, do not let them self serve anything.

[Anonymous]

No way.
I’m a hand grabber. You did not wash your hands, you go for the chips, I grab your hands,’uh, no go wash your hands’
And I’m talking about adults, because if you bad and big enough and bold enough to use the toilet and not wash your hands, you are big enough to get called out.
Nasty A**!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why people get into these beach house rental situations and then complain about them.

Same. I cant see how renting a house with others would be a pleasant experience. I prefer to staying at the same hotel in separate rooms.

[Anonymous]

Use the pandemic to demand hand washing. Bring several containers of sanitizer to put in the kitchen, bathrooms, etc. and when you do not hear water running you make them at least use sanitizer. If it’s bad enough, offer to cook the meals and suggest, again use covid, to suggest you sit with space between you when eating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Use the pandemic to demand hand washing. Bring several containers of sanitizer to put in the kitchen, bathrooms, etc. and when you do not hear water running you make them at least use sanitizer. If it’s bad enough, offer to cook the meals and suggest, again use covid, to suggest you sit with space between you when eating.

Yes. And next time, rent something close by, don't share a house.

[Anonymous]

Just kick people out of the kitchen when you're prepping/cooking food. Then plate all the food so nobody is touching anything but their own. Shame the hell out of your brother about not washing hands after using the bathroom.