"Kids will be kids," as the saying goes.
Indeed, children need to cherish their youth, which sometimes means allowing children to misbehave from time to time.
That being said, children won't know they are misbehaving or stepping out of line unless they are told, making it all the more important for adults in their lives to lead by example.
For brushing off poor behavior too often, simply because they are "being kids," could have disastrous consequences down the line.
Redditor Ximenaria12 had a much younger sister.
A sister she realized had damaged some of her personal property.
When the original poster (OP) brought this up to her mother, she was stunned to find her mother chose to defend her younger sister.
A response the OP could not accept, eventually leading her to take matters into her own hands.
After being accused of "overreacting" by her mother, the OP took to the subReddit "Am I The A**hole" (AITA), where she asked fellow Redditors:
"AITA for banning my sister (f8) from board game night?"
The OP explained why she made her younger sister persona non grata at family game nights:
"I am 23 F[emale]."
"I have a younger sister (8 F[emale])."
"The problem started after board game night ended."
"I was cleaning up when I realized that most of my cards had been chewed on."
"It is a brand new game I unwrapped this afternoon and only my sister and I were playing."
"This board game cost me about forty bucks."
"So I felt very upset about this."
"My younger sister is old enough to know better than to chew on people’s things."
"I asked her if she had chewed my cards and she denied it."
'So I went to my mom and she said that my sister is just ‘overexcited’ and that is why she chewed on the cards."
"I think that is a very stupid response."
"I feel upset because this cost me money, it’s a new game, and now it is ruined."
"It’s got teeth marks all over it."
"My mom says I am ‘overreacting’ and that I’ll find it funny."
"But I don’t find it funny."
"I am upset that this behavior is being allowed and being excused."
"I told my sister she can’t play board games with me or my friends and that she is not allowed to touch any of the board games I buy."
"I want to play board games that are still in good condition and that have all the pieces intact."
'I personally don’t want to play games with cards that have been chewed and bitten on."
"Mom says I am being an A-hole, but I think I am justified."
"AITA?"
Fellow Redditors weighed in on where they believed the OP fell in this particular situation by declaring:
- NTA – Not The A**hole
- YTA – You're The A**hole
- NAH – No A**holes Here
- ESH – Everyone Sucks Here
The Reddit community unanimously agreed that the OP was not the a**Hole for banning her sister from playing with her board games anymore.
Everyone agreed that the OP's mother was enabling her younger sister's bad behavior, which they agreed would only get worse unless she was taught a lesson:
"NTA."
"Your mom is excusing behavior rather than dealing with it.'
"Eight years old is old enough to know not to chew on board game pieces (or otherwise destroy them)."
"It's time someone gave your sister a consequence for her actions."- wanderingstorm
"NTA."
"If this is a regular problem your sister has of chewing on things, they actually make sensory necklaces and bracelets for this exact reason."- Donutsmell
"It was just you two playing, and you don’t notice her chewing on cards?"
"NTA."- Sensitive-Inside-250
"NTA."
"Your sister is old enough to learn actions have consequences."
"Chewing on cards gets access to said cards revoked."
"Tbh even if she wasn't old enough to understand consequences, removing access to things she can destroy is still a wise move."- Aenthralled
"NTA."
"You're an adult and you bought the game with your own money, so you could ban your sister from touching your games even without a reason and you wouldn't be the AH."
"The fact she damaged your property only makes it worse."- Curdling_Milk
"NTA."
"Your sister is old enough to learn actions have consequences."
"Chewing on cards gets access to said cards revoked."
"Tbh even if she wasn't old enough to understand consequences, removing access to things she can destroy is still a wise move."-Aenthralled
"NTA."
"Does your mom not believe in bubble gum or Polly Pockets?"- CheezwizOfficial
"NTA."
"That’s a lot of money you’re out."
"Sorry your mom isn’t being supportive."- Plenty_Kangaroo5224
"NTA."
"But buy a used copy of Candyland from eBay and she can go ham on the Duke of Licorice or whatever."- vorpal_wombat
"NTA."
"These are consequences."
"8 is old enough to know better."
"However I would put some boundaries on it."
"Get a pack of cards to play games with her."
"Tell her when she can prove she can treat the cards right then she can move back to board games."- toobasic2care
"NTA."
"It’s a perfectly reasonable consequence & punishment to not let a 8 yr old can’t play ops board games after damaging them, and by chewing them?"
"They are way too old to be doing that and op gives no other context like behavior or mental developmental delays or something."
"If she’s a normal kid yeah wtf, I wouldn’t just ban her from touching anything else of mine but the game was 40 bucks?"
"Yeah I’d go to mom and dad to get my money back that THEIR child damaged, until it’s paid back I wouldn’t babysit or anything."
"Why is the mom so nonchalant about it like it’s normal?"
"And even if it’s a behavior thing the kid still damaged ops thing, they don’t just get off the hook no sit them down and talk about why it’s not ok and what they’re gunna do to make it right?"
"If OP lives with the parents and sister they need to get good locks for their door or to lock all their stuff up, I’d lock up anything important I don’t want her ruining."- Ill-Lingonberry5053
"Definitely NTA."
"An 8 year old who chews the cards of a game belonging to someone else needs to either see a shrink or get some sharp education on expected behavior."
"It is not normal behavior."- kiwimuz
"NTA."
"8 is old enough to know better."- HillBillyMadman
"Your obviously NTA."- TheOneWithSkillz
"NTA."
"You can’t play cards when they are chewed on."
"Your mother should be working with your sister to replace your damaged cards because that damage will make the cards identifiable in the game before they are revealed."
"So yes, they are ruined. We have an uno game where one card got stained and we always know what that card is if the person is left with it as Uno."
"Even if your sister has some type of sensory disorder that causes her to chew subconsciously (my kids friend is ADHD and chewed t shirt collars until they got her diagnosed) she is 8 and can find other things to chew on."
"Until she can handle your things with care and respect she doesn’t need to play the games."
"Tell your mom to get her a chew necklace, there are literally dozens of styles online."- Sweetsmyle
"NTA."
"Congrats on your mom for raising a feral hamster child."- cydril
"Major NTA."
"She doesn't need to be playing games with you and your friends anyway."
"Outside of this disaster, it sounds like they're too advanced for her."
"Your mom owes you a new game."
"Tell her you'll give your sister the damaged one to snack on."
"And no, you don't need to buy her any kind of fidget or chew toy."
"Even if your mom won't acknowledge autism, she can't deny what she's doing."
"If she keeps having to pay up to replace things, she might decide taking preventative action is worth it."- sheerpoetry
"You are NTA: your stuff: your rules."
"Also, your sister needs to learn to treat others' possessions with care."
"Your mom shouldn't be ignoring your sister's chewing problem."
"You'll find it funny eventually, but just not right now with the injury being so fresh."- Background_Hat_3252
"NTA."
"Guarantee she doesn’t do that at school when she plays games with her friends because that would be embarrassing for an 8 year old."
"If you’re the one who pays for it, you get to decide who uses it."- AcceptableNothing907
"NTA."
"but I misread the title and was confused as to why the hell an 18-year-old was chewing on board game cards."- smallparadoxes
It would be one thing if the OP's sister damaged her game genuinely by accident, which was not the case.
Even then, the OP's mother needs to teach this child to learn how to respect the property of others.
Something the OP's mother will likely feel more inclined to do when the seemingly inevitable moment comes when her daughter damages something of her own...
