Last weekend my sister (29F) came over to my place with her two kids, i don’t mind hosting, I love my niece and nephew but my apartment is small so when they are over things get a little out of hand so before they arrived, I told her one thing, I had just bought a new lamp for my living room. It wasn’t super expensive and it was something I saved for and I asked if she could please keep the kids away from that corner. She said okay, no problem. About an hour into the visit, the kids were playing tag inside the house which I had asked them not to do, My sister was on her phone not paying attention, One of the kids bumped into the lamp and knocked it to the floor, It shattered instantly, My sister just sighed and said Well accidents happen, I stayed calm, but I told her that I had specifically talked about the lamp and asked for her help watching the children, She rolled her eyes and said I was overreacting, that it wasn’t that deep and that if something is that precious to me, I shouldn’t have it in the open when the children visit, i just walked away without saying anything, Later that night, I texted her and asked if she could contribute to replacing it not the whole amount just half. She blew up. She said I was punishing her children for being children and she’s family and family shouldn’t pay family for things like that and that i was been silly, I said it wasn’t about money, it was about respect for my space and belongings, If I broke something of hers while being careless, I would absolutely offer to replace it. The issue got to the family and now the family group chat is mixed up, Some say she should pay because she wasn’t watching her own kids, others say I’m making too big a deal out of a lamp, My sister is still angry and hasn’t talked to me since then, So AITA for asking her to replace something she broke, even if it was an accident?
NTA. It being an accident doesn’t keep it from being her responsibility.
Thank you, I really needed to hear that
Your sister is the asshole. Her kids; her responsibility. Furthermore, you specifically asked her to keep the kids away from your new lamp!
Your sister isn’t having it because if she paid for your lamp, that would be her essentially admitting that she is in the wrong for being a neglectful parent.
I love how people say ” it’s an accident” as though that absolves them of making it right. When people get into car accidents they don’t get out and say, ” oh it was an accident so we don’t have to exchange insurance but if I T-Bone you on purpose, then you’ll get my info.”
NTA