Having kids and living in a neighborhood can be a stressful road to navigate sometimes.
Kids want to play together, but adults sometimes end up with more responsibility than they bargained for.
This woman’s kids happily invited their young neighbor to play, but things went a little sideways.
AITA for sending the neighbor kid home?
This afternoon my 3 kids (6, 4, 1.5) were playing outside when the neighbor girl (7) asked to come over and play.
We know that her grandma (our neighbor) is immunocompromised so the whole family is playing it safe right now, so I let her come in.
Everyone was having fun, but when she had to go inside to change a diaper, she instructed everyone to stay in the yard.
The kids all played really well together for several hours.
Near hour 3, I needed to change the baby’s diaper.
Instead of making them all come in, I told none of them to go out of the fence (we have a 6ft tall, wrought iron fence along the front of our property) while I changed a diaper.
The neighbor kid ran out to greet her father, so she sent her home for the day (but said she could come back tomorrow).
I changed the baby’s diaper from the diaper bag in our living room with the front door open, but as I was redressing him, I heard the gate open.
I ran out to see the neighbor girl bolting out the fence to hug her dad who had just come back to his mom’s place (girl’s grandma, my neighbor).
When she went to come back in, I told her it was time to leave and made sure she got all the toys she had brought with her and invited her back over tomorrow.
The dad reacted very strongly to this show of discipline.
Dad heard the exchange and asked why she couldn’t play as we were obviously not going back inside or leaving.
I told him it was because she didn’t follow my rule of not leaving the yard while I was inside.
He called me a b**** and said it was cruel to not let her hug her dad.
I explained that this is my way of keeping my kids safe when I have to have my eyes off of them…hearing the gate open puts me in “fight or flight” mode as I’m assuming my children followed my direction and a stranger is entering my yard.
I had run out leaving a half-dressed child in the doorway to make sure all 3 kids outside were safe.
He says then that if I can’t supervise children I shouldn’t have had so many and I asked if he would rather I send her home anytime I need to change a diaper or find a bandaid, or just not have her over again?
It didn’t matter. He had his mind made up.
He just mumbled “b****” and walked away.
I told my husband about the encounter and he thinks I may have been too harsh considering it was her dad, not a stranger, and she is not my child to discipline, but I still feel justified.
So reddit AITA for sending the neighbor girl home?
Does Reddit think she did anything wrong?
Let’s find out!
The top comment says he didn’t have the right to say anything.
In fact, his behavior was pretty bonkers.
Rules are usually there for a reason.
Your house your rules.
Some people thought she could have been more clear up front, though.
This dad was so far out of line.
It sounds like this is exactly the sort of mom you’d want next door.
If you liked that post, check this one about a guy who got revenge on his condo by making his own Christmas light rules.