Aunt Tells 'Entitled Brat' Nephew That 'No One In The Family Likes Him,' And Some Think He Deserved It
Her words were harsh, but some say the kid needed to hear them.
fizkes/Shutterstock.com When it comes to some little kids, their behavior can be incredibly difficult to tolerate, and sometimes it feels like tough love is the only solution. But of course just because it feels like it, doesn't make it so.
A woman on Reddit is caught in this dilemma after a day of babysitting her poorly-behaved nephew.
In a post to the "r/AmITheA--hole" (AITA) subReddit, where people go to figure out if they were in the wrong in a situation, she described what happened.
And she detailed why her response to the conflict has divided her family between those who think she did the right thing, and those who think she owes the kid a major apology.
An aunt told her misbehaving nephew the harsh truth that 'no one in the family likes him.'
The incident happened while she was babysitting her sister Diana's 10-year-old son Darius after she unexpectedly got called into work.
Diana's usual babysitter was not available, so he ended up going to his aunt's house.
The boy is such an 'entitled brat' that even his own grandparents refuse to allow him in their home.
While the woman is close to her sister, she writes that she can't "pretend I like Darius."
"I don't think Diana has ever reprimanded him," she writes, "and every time the little sh-t acts up Diana makes excuses for him."
Darius has also been suspended from school multiple times for stealing and bullying his cousins constantly.
Even his grandma and grandpa don't like him. "My mother, a woman who could find the love in her heart to babysit a honey badger," she writes, "refuses to watch Darius at all because of his behavior."
The kid's grandfather feels even more strongly. "My father will take all of the grandkids out to fish every few months, except for Darius because he's too tempted to throw him out into the lake and drive off (his words not mine.)"
Babysitting the nephew was 'a nightmare.'
"He refused to do anything I offered," the woman writes, "made a mess in my bathroom, harassed my dog, and had a tantrum because I would not let him use my work computer to play games."
Even lunch became a battle—when she made him mac and cheese, he demanded to be taken to Wendy's.
When she refused, he dumped the macaroni and cheese onto the floor.
"I just kinda lost it," she said. While she didn't yell or "get aggressive," she did level with the child in the bluntest possible way.
The woman told her nephew that 'everyone in the family literally despised him.'
"I explained that he was at my house because grandma and grandpa cannot stand him," she writes, "and in fact refuse to let him come to their house because he acts like a little sh-t."
She went on to call her own words "brutal," and that Darius started crying and locked himself in the bathroom for quite some time.
When Diana came to pick him up, she explained what happened, and they got into a massive argument.
Her sister called her "cruel," while she retorted that "she's to blame and he would have learned eventually."
Her family is split on the issue.
Some, like her father, think "the little sh-t deserved it," especially because the family has repeatedly talked to Diana about Darius' behavior and his bullying of his cousins, and she has refused to do anything about it.
Some of the woman's siblings, however, agree with Diana that she was way out of line and her words were cruel.
Commenters on Reddit were similarly divided, and many felt like everyone involved was in the wrong.
One user wrote a lengthy comment that pretty perfectly sums up all sides of the issue.
"He's 10. He's been raised badly. He didn't just wake up one day and decide 'You know what, I'm gonna be a total [a-shole] to everyone.' This is your sister's failure...it's not entirely his fault..."
"...Did he need a serious talking to? Yes. Was your way the right way to do it? Not really..."
"...[A kid's] family is their whole world and all the people they rely on, and you told him that basically everyone in his world loathes his very being."
Several other users wholeheartedly agreed, especially those who had similar upbringings.
One user wrote, "Correct his actions, tell him is behavior is sh-tty but god don’t tell him everyone in his family hates him."
"As someone who was raised with no boundaries/rules and had to figure that stuff out on my own later in life, you internalize a lot of the shit people say to you."
Others were more focused on solutions and suggested ways the aunt might be able to help her nephew.
One person commented, "You CAN fix this. Or at least try."
"Sit down with your nephew and say 'hey, I was wrong to say that stuff to you and I'm sorry. I was overwhelmed and wasn't thinking about how hurtful my words were...'"
"...I'd like to start over if you'll give me a chance, but if you need a little time to be upset first that's ok too."
John Sundholm is a news and entertainment writer who covers pop culture, social justice and human interest topics.