'AITA for demanding my sister return my daughter's dolls after her kids took them?'
"AITA for demanding my sister return my daughter's dolls after her kids took them?"
My (33F) 11-year-old daughter is really into dolls, specifically Cry Baby and Baby Alive dolls. She's not an age regressor, she just genuinely enjoys playing with them. Last Christmas, my sister (38F) and her kids came over for a sleepover to open some presents with us since their dad was out of town.
My daughter was really excited about the dolls she received, but her younger cousins weren’t happy about it and tried to take them from her. Instead of telling them to stop, my sister told me that my daughter was "too old" for dolls and that her kids deserved them more.
I refused to give the dolls away and put them in my daughter’s room to keep them safe. That night, while my daughter was asleep, her cousins snuck into her room and took the dolls. When my daughter woke up and noticed they were missing, she was upset. I called my sister, and she again said my daughter was "too old" for them and that her kids had a better right to the dolls.
I told my daughter to stay at home, and I left to go to my sister’s house by myself. When I arrived, I demanded that she tell me where the dolls were, or I would report it as theft. After some back-and-forth, I got the dolls back, went home, and gave them to my daughter. My sister was calling me a horrible person, and I ended up blocking her. So, AITA for going this far to get my daughter’s dolls back?
The internet did not hold back their opinions.
Significant_Topic297 wrote:
NTA, but your sister is one. Not only is she teaching her children to be thieves she is also condoning thieves. What is she going to do when, not if, she sees those children in metal bracelets?
Sparklingwine23 wrote:
NTA, your sister knew she was in the wrong by not asking to take them or saying she knew her kids had them, she just flat out stole them.
Numerous-Author9553 wrote:
NTA!! Your sister is a thief. It's none of her business whether or not your child is too old to be playing with the dolls. That's between you and your kid. It has nothing to do with her and it certainly doesn't make it okay to steal property from her niece.
kittyyyteen wrote:
You're definitely NTA. Your sister had no right to take your daughter's dolls, especially after you told her not to. It's your daughter's stuff, and no one should be messing with that. You did what you had to do to protect her things.
No-Function223 wrote:
NTA. Are 11-year-olds not allowed to play with dolls anymore? That’s all we did when I was that age...that & ride bikes.
Naranghim wrote:
NTA. The only horrible person here is your sister. She allowed her children to steal from your daughter. She's a failure as a parent.
CrocheterGMa wrote:
I caused a scene at church ( not during service) with a mom who knew her daughter took my daughters favorite Barbie ( a present from her distant aunt) that was a distinctive Barbie. My daughter got it back, and we never had her daughter over for a playdate again. The mom knew it wasn't hers and was a user that thought since we had a little more money than her, her daughter should have it.
ihatelego wrote:
NTA- they belonged to your daughter. When did 11-year-olds become too old for dolls? Last Christmas an elderly woman who lived next to my grandmother told me when she was 12 and her sister was 11 they got their very first doll to share. She said it was one of the best toys she ever had, how sad that 11 years old is now deemed too old to feel that kind of joy.
thesuperlibrarygirl wrote:
You don't have to preface that an 11 year old isn't an age regressor. If your sister said or insinuated that about your child then she's the one who is being inappropriate. Eleven is a perfectly normal age to be playing with dolls. NTA and make sure your daughter knows she's done nothing wrong or inappropriate in any way.
Longjumping_desk3205 wrote:
NTA and good for you having enough backbone to stand up for your child. I'd not let those people near me or my daughter again. What they did was criminal and a serious breach of trust. Also, your sister had no right to decide what toys are suitable for your child.
MrLizardBusiness wrote:
Idk, she's 11, she should probably be out with her friends smoking weed and tagging buildings... /s
Who steals from a child? I played with Barbies until I was in high school, honestly, I just did it secretly in my closet. Lol. Let kids be kids. NTA.
tinakane51 wrote:
NTA. Again, entitled people are multiplying like rabbits. It's theft. She is teaching her children that the basic rules of life don't apply to her or her children. I'm so glad you drove over and retrieved them right away instead of text/call/involving family.
I'm 74 and am pretty much done with society.
ieya404 wrote:
You were in fact quite generous in not reporting the t--ft to the police.
Trying to gatekeep what ages a child can enjoy various toys at is absolute nonsense, especially as adults can enjoy collecting and owning all manner of things too. NTA.
Fluffy-Pollution998 wrote:
She hurt your kid and destroyed your trust. You should have went over her house and called the cops, reported the theft and have ALL her neighbors out on their porch being nosy and fascinated by the flashing blue lights. I wouldn’t have blocked her on anything, keep all the text messages and phone voicemails as evidence for har-ssment.