"AITA for telling my brother's wife that she is a bad mom?"
So I live in my brother's house, as I'm currently finishing my college, which is in the same city as my brother, and he suggested I should stay in his house until I finish my college so I can save up the money which would have gone for rent instead. I told him that I will be a headache for his family, but he insisted on staying with them.
Now, he has 2 daughters; one's 6 months and one's 6 years old. The older daughter is a huge trouble-maker; she goes inside my room and steals things, tears up my books, eats my snacks, etc., and her mom blames it on me for why I keep these things within her reach even if it's in my room.
She doesn't even allow me to eat junk food at home, as her daughter then starts to cry for her to eat some too, which her mom doesn't like. However, one day I found her daughter coloring my college books, and I snatched it from her, and she started crying; however, her mom started to scold me, asking why I was making her cry.
That's when I snapped and scolded her back, telling her how she can't even discipline a small child and she should have learned parenting before deciding to have kids. After this argument we haven't spoken with each other since, but I felt that I should have done that. Am I the ahole?
Here's what people had to say to OP:
kitty_giaba said:
NTA. 6yo is way too old to mess with other people's belongings, that's a first grader! I feel like this "free" living is becoming pretty expensive and would recommend finding your own place.
SnooChipmunks770 said:
NTA. Not enough bad parents are getting called out on their bad parenting lately. Six is definitely old enough to know that you don't steal things or color on other people's stuff. It has nothing to do with rent, it has everything to do with being respected as a person that lives in that place. Just because you don't pay rent doesn't mean they can treat you like crap and mess up your belongings.
Trilobyte141 said:
I think NTA but your brother is, not his wife. It seems he invited you to stay without clarifying the rules for you or getting his wife on board with the boundaries you need as a long term guest. Does she even want you to be there? Regardless of who the ahole is, I think it's time you found your own place, before this situation gets even nastier.
uhhheyyou said:
NTA, yes they are BOTH bad parents because 6 is old enough to understand boundaries and you need to move ASAP.
slayerchick said:
Your brother's wife isn't the only bad parent in the house. Your brother clearly isn't disciplining either. It sounds like you should just let him know it isn't working out and find your own place. NTA.
PuddingOld8221 said:
NTA, but you need to find your own place.