How do I handle this difference with my boyfriend about living with his mom after marriage?
Hi everyone, I’m a 25F Hindu and my boyfriend is 25M Christian. We’ve been together for 5 years and recently started discussing marriage — not immediately, but maybe in 4–5 years. Both our families live in Dubai. I stay with my parents, and he stays with his mom, aunt, uncle, and cousins (a joint family setup).
He’s an only child and very close to his mom, who’s a single parent. After marriage, he wants his mom to live with us in Dubai. She’s healthy and independent, but he feels she’ll need emotional support and shouldn’t be alone when we move out into our own place.
I love him deeply — he’s honestly the best person I’ve met and we’re very compatible. But I had a difficult childhood and value personal space and independence. The idea of living with his mom after marriage makes me anxious because I’m worried it could affect our privacy and relationship dynamics.
I don’t want to sound selfish or inconsiderate — I just want to find a balance between supporting his mom and having space for our own relationship. How do couples handle this kind of difference before marriage?
TL;DR: My boyfriend (25M) wants his mom to live with us after marriage, but I (25F) want space and privacy for just us as a couple. How do we navigate this without hurting each other?