Overbearing Neighbor Tries To Offer Parenting Tips, So New Mom Dishes Out A Harsh Reality Check
by Diana Whelan
Picture this: Your neighbor thinks she’s a parenting guru but rarely parents her own kids. And yet! This woman still is hellbent on giving a new mom advice. One day she’s met with a snappy retort.
Was the new mom in the wrong, or did she have it coming? Read on for the full story!
AITA for telling my neighbor I don’t need parenting advice from someone that doesn’t parent her own kids
My across the street neighbor, Danielle, has 4 kids, 2 boys (12 and 10) and 2 girls (3 and 7). Their dad pops in and out of their lives, he shows up for a few months to a year then leaves for a year or two.
Danielle’s kids are cute and well behaved but she doesn’t take care of her own kids. Our other neighbors, Barbara and John (mid-late 70’s) watch the kids so much that the kids think they’re their grandparents.
Must be nice.
I had a son a few months ago and Danielle has been offering unsolicited parenting advice since before he was born.
I’ve tried telling her I don’t need any help and she said something about all new moms needing some help even if we don’t realize it.
I finally told her I don’t need any advice from someone that doesn’t parent her own kids and if I need advice I’ll go to the neighbors since they seem to have the kids most of the time anyways.
Coldddd.
Now she’s got my mom (I live with her) and the neighbors saying I was rude, I don’t understand her situation, and she was just trying to help.
Am I the a**hole for telling her I don’t need parenting advice from someone that doesn’t parent her own kids?
Oooh, she isn’t sorry for her snappy response.
Sometimes it’s best to just smile and nod. Was our new mom wrong to be so honest? Reddit says yes.
This person says her response is s super uncalled for.
This person says she’s being way too judgy.
Another person said she could’ve declined the help, but not have been so rude about it.
This person recommends putting herself in her neighbor’s shoes.
Looks like this new mom might need some advice on how to handle unsolicited advice.
If you thought that was an interesting story, check out what happened when a family gave their in-laws a free place to stay in exchange for babysitting, but things changed when they don’t hold up their end of the bargain.
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