A couple is hosting relatives who have come from out of town for the weekend. They want to spend time with their guests, but expecting everyone to stick to the same schedule all day feels tiring too. Is it considered rude for someone to step away for a while to take care of their own things or rest, or how do you set boundaries around spending time together when hosting guests?
You don’t have to spend every minute together. Have a cup of tea, then everyone can get on with their own thing.
But if the host invited them from the outset, saying, “Come, stay with us all weekend,” then disappearing afterward is another matter. You have to take into account who set the expectations for the visit; the need to rest on its own doesn’t explain every situation.
@tamamda I agree, how the invitation is made matters. Still, saying “stay with us for the weekend” doesn’t guarantee a schedule for every hour. For example, if the host says in advance that they have something to do for a few hours in the morning, no one will feel left out afterward. I think the problem isn’t setting boundaries, but making it feel like a surprise.
