Parent throws out Happy Meal their mom bought for the kids, 'I’m looking at nursing homes.' AITA?

"AITA for throwing out my kid’s food?"

When I was a child my mother had no concept of what is healthy food. If it said diet on the box, it was ok. She would serve me cereal for breakfast. Dinners was often processed ready to eat junk or McDonalds. After school snacks was cookies and Little Debbie.

My mom was almost 300 lbs when I graduated high school. It was only after I moved out that I realized how unhealthy I was and it took me years to lose that childhood weight and establish good eating habits. My wife has always had them and was brought up by a family that didn’t trust processed foods.

My family and I know follow a whole food diet for ourselves. My mom had a heart attack and is almost 400 lbs. This is her 3rd heart attack and she wasn’t able to make rent so now she is living with me and recovering at my home.

She has been to a nutritionist multiple times for her weight and acts like she is too stupid to understand what they are saying or acts like no one really eats like that or the doctors and nurses are bullying her because of her weight.

She has been ordering junk food and take out on apps like instant cart and Uber Eats. She has been feeding my kids the same junk food. Even after I have told her to stop. I hear the ring camera go off and my youngest child gets my mom’s latest McDonalds order. My mom got both of my kids a happy meal. This was the 3rd time she has done this week.

I took my kids' happy meal and tossed them in the trash and poured cleaner on top of them. I told my mom if wants to eat herself to death that’s ok with me, but do not kill my children like you almost killed me as a child with this trash.

Things got heated because my mom was crying saying she doesn’t know any better and one Happy Meal will not hurt my children. I told her this is the 3rd one this week and if she gives my children junk again she will find herself in a nursing home. My mom cried and cried saying I was mean to her and all the doctors do is bully her.

She just wants to live her life. I told her she’s not living her best life she’s eating herself to death. My mom called me a bully and told my children I was a bully and not to act like me in school. I told my mom I’m fed up with her and I’m looking at nursing homes later that week and I’m not having her bring this lifestyle into my home around my children.

Here's what top commenters had to say about this one:

FrancyCat92 said:

Absolutely NTA - your house, your kids, your rules. What was your kids' reaction to all this? In an age appropriate way I'd be honest with them and explain why that food isn't healthy food and that yes maybe it can be a sometimes food, but if you eat sometimes food too much, you can get sick like grandma.

I feel bad for how intentionally ignorant your mom is being and risking her relationship with her grandkids for McDonald's. It sounds like she has some mental disorder that's causing her to blame literally everyone and everything else for her problems and never takes responsibility- I'd keep on the track of getting her in a home because I wouldn't want that attitude rubbing off on my kids.

hazelowl said:

ESH. It's perfectly within your rights to not have your kids eat junk all the time. But I think both you AND your mom have issues with food and you probably both need therapy to address this and manage it.

TheGoodJeans said:

While you could've handled this more tactfully, definitely NTA. Your children are your responsibility to raise. If you set a boundary, then it should be respected. It wasn't. Now, there are consequences. You're doing what you have to do.

stallion8426 said:

ESH. She should be respecting your boundaries but holy sh$% do you have so much hate and anger around the existence of unhealthy food. It is never acceptable to pour cleaner on food to ruin it. That is so wasteful. You clearly have an unhealthy relationship with food and should work through that with a therapist before you give it to your kids.

1962Michael said:

NTA. There's no reason for your mother to buy junk food for your kids in your own home. If she can't follow that rule then indeed you need to find her another place to live. Clearly she wants other people to eat the same as her so she can continue claiming her diet is normal. You and your wife know better so she's trying to corrupt your kids.

Dangerous_Abalone528 said:

NTA. She can live her life but she can NOT impose that life on your kids. You are their parent.