Re: Giving, giving and GIVING
I've often heard that we show people, oftentimes unconsciously, how we want to be treated.
If you constantly put yourself out there - helping out, taking people in, being the excellent hostess that you are, cooking, cleaning, etc. - well...this shows people that this is how you roll and a lot of times, unfortunately, they'll take advantage of it.
I think maybe some firmness is in order...talk to your hubby and ask him to talk to nephew about sharing responsibilities as other people have suggested. And your guests should definitely enjoy themselves because that's what we do when we visit friends and family...but that doesn't mean they can't pitch in small ways to make your life easier (bringing dirty dishes to the sink, putting laundry in the hamper, not flooding the bathroom after use, etc.). Those aren't outrageous requests considering most of us in the states don't have any servants (unlike in Pakistan where that's the norm) and most of us, I'm pretty sure, have been taught since childhood that being a guest isn't a license to do absolutely nothing when the host is running around like nuts doing all the work. I have been a houseguest many times in several different countries and I can't remember ONE visit where I didn't help out with cooking, cleaning, running errands or whatever needed doing because that's what my parents taught me. And I'm pretty sure most others are taught the same...