The Ramsey Show Highlights
Episode: My Mom Is Destroying My AirBinB
Date: November 27, 2025
Host/Experts: (C) Dr. John Delony, (D) Jade Warshaw
Caller: (B) Aubrey
Episode Overview
This episode addresses a heartfelt and complex family and financial dilemma. Aubrey calls in seeking advice about her mother, who is living in a family-owned home at a reduced rent. Due to her mother’s hoarding habits, the property now suffers a cockroach infestation, leading to lost Airbnb income and emotional turmoil. The hosts, Dr. John Delony and Jade Warshaw, offer strategies for setting boundaries, having difficult conversations, and balancing compassion with responsibility.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
Aubrey’s Situation
- Aubrey and her husband have worked hard to get ahead financially and want to help family, particularly her single mother and 11-year-old sister.
- They own two houses; her mother and sister live in one at a reduced rent, with the basement used as an Airbnb.
- Over time, hoarding led to a cockroach infestation and poor Airbnb reviews, forcing them to suspend their rental side-income.
- Aubrey feels torn between wanting to help her mom and the negative personal consequences.
The Problem: Hoarding & Home Damage
- Hoarding has escalated to the point of property damage and lost income.
- Attempts to ignore the problem have only allowed it to worsen.
Navigating the Conversation (02:07 - 03:52)
- Dr. Delony: “Remember this line, the tension is the path.” (02:07)
He advises Aubrey that avoidance is not a solution: the only way forward is a direct, uncomfortable conversation. - Aubrey recognizes how difficult it will be, sharing, “Yeah, unfortunately,” she’s played out similar scenarios her whole life. (03:00)
- The conversation needs to move from “we’d like you to…” to “this is what’s going to happen next.” (03:08)
- Dr. Delony: “Choose guilt over resentment. Choose the guilt of the hard conversation... If you let her live there and just destroy this house from the inside out... I'm going to put that back in your court because you didn’t want to have hard conversations.” (03:52–04:27)
Setting Boundaries & Consequences (04:44 - 06:13)
- Aubrey is worried her mother will agree to rules and then not follow them.
- Dr. Delony suggests implementing enforceable support systems:
- Cleaning crew visits every two weeks (explicitly part of rent or at their cost)
- Additional trash service
- Mandatory check-ins
- Jade Warshaw: “If for some reason it’s just unmanageable and the cleaners are like, we can't even get in the door, then... that's her then breaking the boundary that you guys set... she has, in that sense, displaced herself." (05:39)
- They discuss her mother's rental history and prior landlord disputes, reinforcing the need for clear, contractual boundaries.
Compassionate Help: Support Beyond Housing (06:33 - 07:28)
- Dr. Delony: “Maybe another thing to put on the table... we're going to pay for six months for you to go see somebody finally.” (06:33)
- This provides help for underlying mental health challenges that contribute to hoarding.
- Maintains dignity by making counseling a condition, not a favor.
- Dr. Delony emphasizes: “I've never met a hoarder who wants to be in that situation.” (07:09)
- The importance of clear boundaries: “It’s going to come down to you having some really clear, firm, here’s the boundary and here’s the exit strategy if and when this happens.” (07:15–07:28)
Family Dynamics: Marital Stress & Taking Initiative (07:28 - 08:29)
- Aubrey admits she's made her husband the mediator due to her fraught relationship with her mother, but he is very supportive and frustrated.
- Jade Warshaw: “You have to relieve him of that. You gotta... You have to be the one.” (08:06)
- Dr. Delony: “My rule of thumb is the child of the parent needs to go first.” (08:09)
- Both hosts empathize with the difficulty of “parenting your parents”—a reversal that’s emotionally challenging but sometimes necessary.
- They affirm Aubrey's motivation: “Your generosity... wanting to help her in life and for your sister... is just so beautiful.” (08:37–08:58)
Exploring Solutions for the Sister (09:00 - 09:04)
- Delony: “Is there a chance your sister can move in with you?”
- Aubrey wishes it were possible but doesn’t see it as likely.
Planning the Next Steps (09:08 - 09:20)
- Write all expectations and boundaries down.
- Sit down as a team (with her husband) and prepare for a direct, structured conversation.
- Reiterate: “The tension is the path here.” (09:18)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “The tension is the path.” (Dr. John Delony, 02:07, 09:18)
- “Choose guilt over resentment.” (Dr. John Delony, 03:52)
- “If you let her live there and just destroy this house from the inside out... I'm going to put that back in your court.” (Dr. John Delony, 04:27)
- “It’s her then breaking the boundary that you guys set. And that's on her at that point, not you.” (Jade Warshaw, 05:40)
- “You have to relieve him of that. You have to be the one [to talk to your mom].” (Jade Warshaw, 08:06)
- “Parenting your parents… that’s really, really hard.” (Jade Warshaw, 08:29)
Timestamps: Key Segments
- 02:07 – The necessity for direct conversation: “The tension is the path.”
- 03:52 – Guilt versus resentment and the cost of avoidance
- 05:07 – Enforceable boundaries and practical safeguards
- 06:33 – Suggestion for mental health/counseling support
- 08:06 – Aubrey should be the one to lead the conversation with her mom
- 08:29 – Navigating the emotional toll of parenting one’s own parent
- 09:08 – Planning, writing out boundaries, next steps
Summary Flow & Tone
The tone is empathetic, direct, and practical, blending compassion for Aubrey’s family situation with the need for firm, healthy boundaries and proactive solutions. The hosts validate the emotional difficulty but consistently urge action, not avoidance: uncomfortable decisions in the present prevent deeper harm and resentment in the future. Their advice balances financial wisdom, mental health awareness, and family dynamics, providing Aubrey—and listeners—with a roadmap for tackling similar tough circumstances.