The original poster (OP) had guests at her place, including a couple of friends, a cousin and OP’s sister who tagged along with a friend. OP had met her sister’s friend a few times before, and they were all cool. But that was not going to be the case for this visit.
But I Am a Teacher…
So during the visit, OP went to the bathroom and left all the guests having wine in the living room. When she came from the bathroom, she found her sister’s friend arguing with OP’s son in the kitchen.
OP asked her sister’s friend what was going on. She said she saw the little boy go to the kitchen to get himself food, so she went ahead and told him to wait for OP to come from the bathroom so he could get permission.
Shocked, OP stared at her for a second and then asked, “Who the {heck} are you? You don’t live here. He does. Who are you to tell him he can’t go in his own kitchen?”
It’s My Kitchen
OP’s sister’s friend looked shocked and said she was only trying to help. OP went ahead and repeated the question of why she thought it was okay to tell someone not to get food from their own kitchen, yet she was the guest in the house.
She dodged the question and said she was a teacher trying to help because sometimes kids try to get around rules. OP says she found the teaching profession argument irrelevant in this scenario.
He Lives Here
OP went ahead and asked her who gave her permission to go into the kitchen. OP’s sister’s friend said she saw OP’s son enter the kitchen, so she followed him.
OP then told her, “So you think my son needs permission to go in his own kitchen, but you can go wherever you like in my house without invitation? So you have more rights here than he does?”
She said she did not feel welcome anymore, so she went into the living room, grabbed her bag, and left.
Justified or Unnecessarily Hostile?
OP’s sister asked OP what had happened, so OP narrated what had transpired. The whole ordeal divided the guests into two. Some thought it was strange that she followed OP’s son into the kitchen and tried to prevent him from getting food in their own house.
However, OP’s sister and a few other guests thought OP had been unnecessarily hostile to her.
After going back and forth for some time, everyone moved on, and OP thought that was it. She was wrong; her sister later confronted her privately, asking why OP “chased off” her friend. OP’s sister said she liked her friend, and how OP handled things was over the top.
Op admits that she can go over the top when defending her son. But was she the jerk in this case?
Redditors Give Their Thoughts
One commenter said, “NTA. This lady was WAY overstepped, and you corrected her like most parents would when their child is being attacked. And he was. You should sleep well knowing you did the right thing, and your son will sleep better knowing his parents 100% have his back. Your sister can be upset that a confrontation happened between a friend and her sibling, but her friend was way out of line.”
“NTA – I don’t know who this lady thinks she is, but that’s ridiculous. She has no idea what the rules are in your home. Your sister is out of line for being upset about this; she should be upset with this woman for talking to your child this way,” another chimed in.
She Sounds Controlling
Many users did not understand why the woman would try to control OP’s child, especially because the child was trying to get food. However, one person seemed to understand where the woman came from, “I had parents like this. We had to ask for everything, and food was heavily controlled. We didn’t have much money for food, so you asked if you were getting something in case it was bought for dinner. However, It sounds like this lady is incredibly controlling. Not normal at all, and I would be furious if anyone tried this with my kids.”
No Right to Parent Your Child
And lastly, “NTA. That friend is way out of line. She was in your house trying to boss around your son. If she was so concerned, she could have asked his aunt or, I don’t know, knocked on the bathroom door and asked you. She has no right to parent your child.”
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This article was produced and syndicated by A Dime Saved.
A Dime Saved
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