So, here’s the lowdown – my 8-year-old stepdaughter has this grand vision of turning our home into Sleepover Heaven for her birthday, complete with four friends in tow. Sounds delightful, right?

But wait, it gets juicier! Her mother, my husband’s charming ex-wife, point-blank refused, moaning about her house being “too small.” Classic escapism, don’t you think?

You heard it right. That leaves yours truly to pick up the slack. And let’s just say, I am NOT volunteering for this circus. Yeah, I said it. Look, weekends are my sacred downtime. I have a demanding job, which means by Friday, I become one with my couch. Add four overexcited kids to the mix, and that spells disaster.

Shouldn’t the honorary title of Sleepover Hostess include some kind of responsibility? Like, coming from the actual mom perhaps? Skipping this part wouldn’t make the least sense to me.

Let’s bring my husband into the frame. Mr. Comedian says, “Well, you can go and sleep at your mom’s house, and we will have my ex-wife over here for the entire weekend, taking care of the kids.” Oh, he really went there. Spicy!

Look, I showed some backbone and said a big, fat NO. The thought of a full weekend with four tireless kids is more terrifying than relaxing. But oh, my husband had a riveting counteroffer. “Forget about us hosting your parents every Sunday for lunch,” he said, raising his eyebrows triumphantly. “If my own daughter can’t host whoever she wants, then neither should you!”

I stood there, bewildered. Where did Sunday lunches come from? And why am I, again, the villain for wanting peace and sanity in my own house?

Think about it. You bust your hump all week, dreaming of your peaceful, blissful weekend. Then, bam! You’re blindsided, thrust into pre-teen drama, complete with sugar highs and Friday night fever. Am I supposed to feel thrilled?

Also, let’s address the elephant in the room – the ex-wife’s “too small” house excuse. This ‘cunningly convenient’ rationale isn’t cutting it for me. A mum’s responsibility doesn’t shrivel with square footage. Crazy notion, I know!

So, here I plant my flag. I love support and provide for my family, but hosting a sleepover circus? Not my cup of tea. But now you tell me, am I wrong for sticking to my guns?