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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Lifestyle
Eleanor Gordon-Smith

My daughter visits daily since her partner left her. How can I reclaim my space without offending her?

Eleanor GordonSmith
Painting: Mother, Daughter and Granddaughter Knitting by Georg Nicolai Achen
‘In the dust clouds just after a crisis, we go to the relationships that feel maximally familiar and minimally taxing.’ Painting: Mother, Daughter and Granddaughter Knitting by Georg Nicolai Achen. Illustration: Artepics/Alamy

My daughter’s partner has left her and their seven-year-old. Since then she has wanted to be at our house every day as she cannot be alone. She often stays overnight. My husband and I are finding this exhausting, with no time to ourselves. We are in our late 60s.

We love our daughter and grandchild very much and want to support them as much as possible but the last time I spoke to my daughter about this she heard it as if we didn’t love her and we were rejecting her. Help!

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