This mom wants the community to validate her actions after her family thought she was an a**hole for kicking her niece out, even though she believes what she did was completely justifiable!
Her Whole World
OP (Original Poster) is a 48-year-old mom with a beautiful 17-year-old daughter, Amelia. She mentioned she was a single mom because her daughter’s father abandoned them before she was born.
Though it was hard, OP considered her daughter to be her whole world.
Being a Teen Mom
OP says that her daughter is a teen mom to her grandson, Owen, who is a one-year-old. She explained that she wasn’t proud that her daughter had a child so early in her life, but she was incredibly proud of how she handled everything.
Living a Balanced Life
She mentioned Amelia is a very good mom to her son, and she’s also doing great in school. Owen’s dad is also in the picture.
His name is Raymond, and he’s a 17-year-old boy who’s also very lovely.
Family Situation
OP shares that they all live with her at her home. She said that she was grateful she could support them all financially with some help from Raymond’s parents.
Thankful for Her Work-From-Home Situation
She also says she’s fortunate to be a lawyer who can work from home most of the time. Because of this, she could take care of her grandson while his parents were in school.
Raymond’s parents then take over for OP whenever she needs to come into the office for work.
Sister’s SOS
One day, OP’s sister called her up and asked her if it was possible for her daughter, OP’s niece, to stay with her for a while. Her name is Stephanie, and she’s currently 19 years old.
Because OP knew how hard it was to find a place to live in their area, she immediately agreed.
Family Always Comes First
She knew how difficult life was, so she allowed her niece to move in rent-free. One of OP’s values is the importance of always caring for family, so she didn’t want to make it hard for her sister or niece by charging her for rent.
Cousinly Love?
Amelia and Stephanie were close in age, but instead of hitting it off, OP immediately noticed something was off in their relationship. To her, it seemed like Stephanie was being weird about Amelia being a teen mom.
Tasteless Jokes
When OP realized that Stephanie was making tasteless jokes and comments about her daughter, she pulled her aside to talk to her. She mentioned she wouldn’t tolerate anything of the sort in her household—especially if it were directed at her daughter.
Pushing the Boundaries
Even with their talk, it seems Stephanie couldn’t help making her judgment. OP hired a tutor for Amelia and Ramond, and immediately after finding out, Stephanie started giving unsolicited comments.
She said, “They wouldn’t need one if they had just been responsible.”
Is She Rewarding Bad Behavior?
Stephanie didn’t stop her hurtful words there. She even confronted her aunt, OP, and said she was rewarding bad behavior.
However, OP wouldn’t stand for it, and she explained that it was important for her to help her family out—just like she allowed her to move in with them rent-free.
Little Thief
Soon after, OP also discovered that her niece was taking some of Amelia’s clothes without her permission. She was annoyed when she found out because one of the rules she explicitly mentioned when Stephanie moved in was that they should first ask for permission whenever someone wanted to borrow something.
She blatantly disregarded her rule, which irritated OP.
Obvious Bullying
Amelia then asked Stephanie to return one of the shirts she got from her. However, instead of apologizing for taking it without permission, she refused to return it.
She also bullied Amelia and said she wouldn’t need the shirt back since she didn’t fit into it.
A Piece of Motivation
OP knew the truth about her daughter’s shirt. She knew that Amelia currently didn’t fit into it because of the weight she gained while she was pregnant and while she was breastfeeding.
However, Amelia used the shirt as a source of motivation to help her get her pre-baby body back.
Stepping In
Angry at Stephanie’s refusal, OP confronted her and asked her to return her daughter’s shirt and apologize. Unfortunately, Stephanie still refused to do the right thing.
Get Out of My House!
For OP, it was the last straw. She and her niece got into a big argument, ending with her packing Stephanie’s bags.
She wanted to kick her out of the house and called her sister to pick up her daughter.
Family Turning On Her
After everything that had happened, family members left and right have been contacting OP and calling her out for what she has done. Because of everyone’s opinions, OP is now second-guessing her decision.
She asks whether what she did was too much and whether they would have been able to solve the issue by talking things out before they got out of hand.
You’re Right to Get Rid of Freeloaders
Even though OP’s feeling guilty, the Reddit community wants her to know that she did the right thing.
A top commenter said, “So your freeloading niece comes into your rent-free home, bullies your daughter, steals her things, and your family thinks you are the bad guy for packing her bags? They’re having a laugh; tell them to feel free to take her in if they feel that strongly.”
Family Versus Leeches
People also understand OP’s good heart that wants to take care of her family. However, Redditors wish to remind her to be mindful of her boundaries.
One person said, “There’s family, and there’s leeches. A little bit of salt will get rid of the ones that are stuck on your back.”
Congratulations, You’re a Good Mom!
Some people from the community commended OP for being a good mother and raising a daughter who knows how to be responsible for her actions.
On the other hand, they remind her that her niece was the one who was entitled and in the wrong.
Bullying Should Never Be Tolerated
Bullying, in any form or place, should never be accepted. So as Redditors put it, why should she have to put up with bullying in her own home—especially bullying targeted toward her daughter?
What would you say to OP to help her calm her mind?
This post first appeared as She Kicked Her Ungrateful Niece Out of the House After She Bullied and Stole Clothes From Her Teen Daughter While She Was Living With Them Rent-Free on Quote Ambition.
