Trusting anyone to take care of your baby is a big step, even when it’s family. And for one woman on Reddit, things got super dramatic when her brother’s fiancée left her newborn on a park bench while babysitting. So much so that she now refuses to go to their upcoming wedding.
The Original Poster (OP), who goes by Amelia_6661 on the site, was understandably upset with her future sister-in-law, but she wasn’t sure about how she handled things. So she went to the AITA (Am I The A**hole) subReddit for input.
She asked:
“AITA for refusing to attend my brother’s wedding after my SIL left my 2 month old on a park bench”
She explained:
“Me and my sister in law have always been close, her and my brother met when they were 15 (I was 12) and I’m now 21. She was always really nice to me and we bonded over the fact that my parents don’t like either of us.”
“A few weeks ago I got called into work and my SIL said that I shouldn’t waste money on a babysitter when I could just let her take them for a bit (my husband was also at work).”
“I guess at some point she decided to take her and her dog for a walk, she says they were walking through the park and the leash slipped out of her hand, without thinking she put my daughter on a near by bench (she was in a little carrier) and she ran after the dog.”
“She didn’t catch even the dog, and it wasn’t until 2 hours later that she even realized that she was missing.”
“When I came to pick up my daughter she broke down and told me everything. I was livid, but I was so thankful no one kidnapped her. My husband was so mad he stormed down to their house just to yell at her.”
“She recently messaged me details about her wedding, I told her I would not be attending.
“She called me, sobbing saying that I’m a petty b*tch and she wishes someone had’ve kidnapped my daughter.”
“I hung up on her and she apologized and said she needs me there. My friends and family have called me saying I’m petty and that she was stressed and it was an accident. AITA?”
People on Reddit were then asked to judge who was in the wrong in this conflict based on the following categories:
- NTA – Not The A**hole
- YTA – You’re The A**hole
- ESH – Everyone Sucks Here
- NAH – No A**holes Here
Unsurprisingly, they found leaving a newborn on a park bench a pretty open-and-shut a**hole move.
“NTA. This is nuts. She ‘wishes someone had kidnapped your daughter’? Never talk to this woman again.” —vercingetafix
“This!!! What she did was bad enough, but to follow up with this is crazy!!!”
“OP: You are NTA. You are NOT being petty. What you are doing is being a mother and ensuring the safety and well being of your child.”
“This woman is clearly not in her right mind if she forgot about your child for 2 HOURS!!! Let alone her disgusting comment.” —Ok-Mode-2038
“As soon as she made that comment, it was time for scorched earth. OP needs to tell the entire world why they fell out and what that ‘friend’ said about your daughter.”
“Babies are not generally stolen for good reasons. That she would wish those things on your daughter because her pweshus widdle fee fees were hurt makes it clear that the woman is a gaping, oozing anus.” —ClothDiaperAddicts
“Who says THAT even if they are upset???? NTA but the SIL is a monster and does not get to send flying monkeys-she is completely at fault and is reaping the consequences of her words/actions.” —Bookworm75
“Agreed – NTA.”
“Forgetting the child while chasing a dog was a mistake, not an accident.”
“Telling OP that she ‘wishes someone had kidnapped your daughter’ is simply evil (and also, not an accident).”
“One could argue that after a little while OP should forgive SIL about leaving the baby because it was unintentional (although she should never be trusted with any children again)…”
“…but there is no argument against OP going NC with SiL (and all friends defending her) for the comment.”
“There are simply some things that, once said, cannot be walked back.” —pcnauta
“Depending on where OP is, it might be hot enough that the baby could have had heat stroke and died in those two hours, and those carriers have a suffocation risk.”
“Edit: also, getting the baby out of the carrier/getting the carrier off, especially one as floppy as a 2 month old isn’t really a quick process? The dog would have been long gone by then anyway.”
“Maybe SIL should train her dog better so a dropped leash isn’t a panic inducing moment, but realistically, I would never really interact with SIL or her dog again after this.” —Dragon34
“1. left daughter on park bench”
“2. FORGOT daughter on park bench”
“3. Says she WISHES SOMEONE HAD KIDNAPPED YOUR DAUGHTER!!”
“Not only are you NTA but she is such a flaming psychotic a**hole that if I were you, I wouldn’t just skip the wedding I would actively try to stop my brother from marrying her.” —Imperburbable
“We are human and we all make mistakes. Sometimes BIG and STUPID ones.”
“But if she had just been sincerely apologetic after the fact and owned up to the fact that she majorly f*cked up, I could see someone forgiving that. But of course, never letting this person be alone with the child again.”
“But when you follow up a mistake YOU MADE with ‘I wish something HORRIBLE happens to you or a loved one’ um…. yeah, that sh*t is batsh*t crazy and needs to be avoided at all costs.” —Darkman101
“NTA, even setting her down to chase after the dog is pretty bad, but leaving her there for 2 hours??! She’s definitely the AH, especially after her response to you not coming” —StefiLew
Hopefully OP’s sister-in-law can learn from this how NOT to handle crisis and conflict.