kay so this is kinda dumb but its causing a huge fight.
I have an original Nintendo Switch I bought like the year it came out. Its not even the cool new OLED one. But its special to me cause i saved up for it working a shitty part time job in college and me and my old roommates played smash and zelda on it for literally hundreds of hours. Its got stickers on it and the left joycon drifts a little but it works fine. I don’t really use it much now since i have a PS5 but i keep it on a shelf in my office mostly for nostalgia.
My sister (35f) has a 7 year old son, my nephew. He’s a good kid. Her husband lost his job last year and things have been tight for them, which i know and i help out sometimes like buying the kid cool birthday gifts or taking them out for dinner.
Last weekend they were over and my nephew saw the Switch. He got super excited and asked if he could play. I set it up and he loved Mario Kart. When they were leaving, he didn’t want to stop playing and my sister jokingly said “maybe uncle will let you borrow it!” I just smiled kinda awkwardly and said “we’ll see.”
Yesterday, my sister calls me. She says that her son hasn’t stopped talking about the Switch and that it would mean the world to him, and since I don’t use it, would I just *give* it to him? She said it would be a huge help for them financially because they can’t afford to buy one and all his friends have them and he feels left out.
I felt put on the spot. I told her I was really sorry, but I wasn’t comfortable giving it away. I offered to let him borrow it for a couple weeks at a time whenever he wanted, or that I’d keep an eye out for a good used one for his birthday.
She got quiet and then kinda cold. She said “Its just a console, it’s collecting dust. I thought you’d want to do something nice for your only nephew. We do
Not the asshole. Its the same way some people keep a childhood item forever or a trophy they won as a memory. Be upfront, tell her that your not comfortable giving it away because its something that you worked hard for at a time when you didnt have much. Something you can look back on and go “When I had nothing I worked for this, of the same happens I know I can get through it, because I already did.”
NTA. It’s not your job to “console” your nephew. It is your hard-earned property, and their lack of financial means does not entitle them to your things.
Hi i wheezed at the pun
NTA. The person trying to guilt you into giving up your stuff because they can’t afford stuff of their own is TA. Your reasons for wanting to keep your stuff are your business and yours alone. You don’t owe anyone any explanation nor should you reward their entitled actions.
Why is she insistent on it being your one when you said you would look out for one for him? Also with stick drift in some countries Nintendo offers free repairs no matter how old it is so you might be able to get that fixed
NTA. The Switch can be the cool toy the kid gets to play with when they visit you. I understand your sister asking, but “no” is a complete sentence.
Nta. I wouldn’t let him borrow it. Its gonna end up broken or.missing
She could easily get him one on marketplace for cheap.
NTA
Children need to understand that they cannot get everything they want when they want it. Harsh, but real life.
Is BIL STILL not working?
Sister needs to realize that her feelings about others properly or the value to the owner is irrelevant. It is YOUR property.
NTA
Her husband lost his job last year and things have been tight for them, which i know and i help out sometimes like buying the kid cool birthday gifts or taking them out for dinner.
Sounds like you have been helping with the “extras” since he lost his job. And now it’s expected of you. You need to nip that in the bud.
I would tell the sister that what help you’ve done was because you wanted to. She doesn’t get to demand that you do anything. And since “we do”, I’d tell her to go right ahead, you’re going to sit this WANT OUT.
And step back from giving so much help,because she doesn’t appreciate it.
I gave a niece and nephew my XBox years ago. They played with it for about 2 weeks and sold it to another uncle. It was their plan all along.
Oof, NTA, sister is being a manipulative cow. And I’d wager it’s not just the kid she wants it for.
NTA if it goes to his house it will never come back.
NTA. Don’t loan it. You will never see it again.