Enabling someone is not going to help them change their behavior.

In today’s story, a young single mom explains that her older brother struggles with alcohol abuse. The problem is that her family keeps taking his side and is even trying to convince her to let him stay at her house.

Find out why she thinks it’s a bad idea to let her brother stay with her…

AITA for Not Letting My Brother Stay at My House?

I’m a 23-year-old single mom going through a divorce, and as you can imagine, it’s been a really stressful time.

I haven’t shared much about the divorce with my family because they didn’t support my decision to leave, thinking I was foolish for walking away from a financially stable marriage.

But honestly, there was more to it than just money, and I made the choice for my well-being and my child’s.

Her brother has a problem with alcohol.

Now, my older brother (28M) has been struggling with alcohol for a while. Every time he drinks, things spiral out of control.

He’s lost several jobs because he often won’t show up after a night of drinking, and whenever he has money, it goes straight to alcohol.

Sadly, he also ends up in bar fights or other reckless situations.

Over the past few years, we’ve had to cover damages, hospital bills, and even bribe officials to get him out of trouble, all without him facing much consequence.

Her family is usually on her brother’s side.

When I try to talk to him about it, he brushes me off, saying I’m too young to understand the stress he’s under.

My family usually takes his side, saying I’m being too pushy and that I should let him deal with things his way.

Recently, he got into another fight, and my sister called me, saying he’d been reported to the police because the other person was injured and pressed charges.

They wanted me to let him stay at my house so he could lay low for a while.

She is not going to take her brother in.

I couldn’t believe it!!

They were expecting me to open my home, with my young son and everything else I’m handling right now!!

When I told them that I just couldn’t do it, my mom said I was heartless, that I’d rather see him rot in jail than offer help.

She tried to explain her perspective to her mother.

I tried to explain that, with my son, my work, and the emotional toll of the divorce, I have too much going on to take responsibility for him too.

I truly believe my brother needs to face the consequences of his actions, not just keep relying on us to bail him out.

I told my mom that he’s a grown man, and if I’m “too young to understand,” then maybe it’s time the “adults” handle it.

She’s wondering if she’s right or if her family is right.

She didn’t take that well, and now my family is angry with me.

So, AITA for not letting my brother stay with me, knowing it might mean he faces some real consequences for his behavior?

I’ll keep y’all updated on whether he ends up in jail coz he is lucky I didn’t call the police myself.

It sounds like he deserves jail time. Maybe that will scare him straight.

Let’s see how Reddit reacted to this story…

She should keep her distance from her brother.

Her brother needs real consequences if he’s ever going to change.

Enabling her brother is not helping him.

A lawyer would be on her side.

She needs to stand her ground!

If you enjoyed that story, read this one about a mom who was forced to bring her three kids with her to apply for government benefits, but ended up getting the job of her dreams.