Ex-wife move in as a roommate? Bad idea?

Does the downstairs have its own kitchen and bathroom, or would she need to share with you ?

The less you have to interact, the better. I can say from experience, however, that living under the same roof as an ex doesn't hafta be all hostlilty, all the time. You CAN make it work, as long as there are SPECIFIC ground rules that are followed.

Who owns the tri-level ? If you own it, and you are landlord, then she HAS to respect that position, and your word has to be the one that is followed regarding stuff pertaining to the house. If you don't want the walls painted, then she can't paint them .. stuff like that.

The thing that concerns me most is ... your kids. They would be with you, but it might be confusing to them that mom and dad live in the same house, but they're not really mommy and daddy together ... u know what I mean ?

I need more information, to tell you the truth ... but I'm right now firmly on the fence right in the middle. Dunno if it's the best idea, but it can work if you're clear and if she can keep her mouth shut.

Best of luck !

for starters, you have to worry about confusing your kids. they may get their hopes up that mom and dad are going to get back together if you go through with this. also, if you couldn't live with your ex before, what makes you think that it will work this time?

on the other hand, it is hard to find someone that you trust to move in as a roommate. i think that the best thing to do is to sit down and make out some rules about the dos and donts if this were to happen. also, sit down and explain to the kids the situation and let them know that this is not a reconcilliation, it is just being roommates. kids are smarter than we think they are, so be completely honest with them.

If you do end up doing hits, you guys need to set some very strong ground rules. Depending on the age of the kids, this could also be extremely confusing for them seeing their parents under the one roof.

If you feel like she will enter the house the same way when you were married then yes it would be a bad idea. If she can enter the house as a third party then I would say do it. Set some boundaries and rules with her.

Renting to your ex-wife is totally a bad idea...you got divorced for a reason. Better to rent to a friend.

the chances of her being very selfish and mean if you let her move in..are way to high to even consider it. if you couldn't manage to stay married to her why would you want to live under the same roof as her? you're better off having a friend move in!

first things first ask your kids they're more important than both of your financial situations. im not saying its a bad idea just that making sure your kids are ok with it and how it would effect them. and not letting them think it would be permanent and that you and your ex getting back together. it could really mess with they're heads and they may not understand

I wouldn't do it. It could give you more opportunities to have friction/arguments that would be bad for you and your kids.

Also, if you're planning to date again, do realize that "I'm divorced, but I live with my ex wife" is not likely to go over too well.

It would be smarter to work 10 jobs over letting an ex move in.

Let me just say this, if you were to meet another woman and told her of your living situation (ex-wife living in the basement), don't expect to go out on many second dates.