January 27, 2025 at 5:49 pm

Mom Told Her Daughter She Needed To Donate Three Toys In Order To Buy Three Toys, And Now The Mom’s Sister And Mother Are Bashing Her Parenting Decision

by Jayne Elliott

Source: Reddit/AITA/Shutterstock

Christmas is a great time to give to charity and to encourage kids to give away toys they don’t really play with anymore.

In today’s story, a mom encourages her daughter to donate some of her toys, but the mom’s mother and sister are making her think this was a very bad idea.

Let’s see how the drama escalates.

AITA I(31f) had my daughter(5f) donate her toys before Christmas

This year my daughter wanted to participate in our country’s version of “Angel tree.”

I agreed with the condition that she would need to donate the amount of gifts from her toy collection we would be buying for the child.

The toys my child donated would NOT be going to the child who’s list we picked, but to the local day care who had asked the community for used toy donations to their playroom.

My daughter happily agreed to this condition and chose her 3 “least favorite” toys to donate.

It sounds like a fun time!

We purchased the toys and other asks on the child’s list and wrapped them together.

We made a time of it and played carols as well as had Christmas snacks.

I wanted this to be a positive experience for my daughter.

The grandma doesn’t like the mom’s parenting decision.

Yesterday we had my families Christmas celebration.

My daughter was telling my mother(52f) about her donating her toys and getting to buy toys for another child that needs them.

My mother was outraged that I “forced” my daughter to donate toys and that I was being harmful to my child, by instilling dislike for charity in my daughter.

My sister piped up and agreed with my mother saying I wasn’t being fair by forcing my child to donate her own things to participate in charity.

Christmas was not a happy day for the mom.

I tried to explain to them I was teaching my child that donation costs us personally but feeling of doing good for others is the pay-off.

My child doesn’t want for anything, she has had more than 3 toys given to her already for Christmas, toys she preferred over the toys she gave away.

I have left the family gathering feeling very emotional and upset.

The mom’s sister turned against her too.

My daughter is confused because she thought she was doing the right thing by donating her toys and is upset that I was crying on the way home.

I’m pretty sure I did the right thing, but I was berated by my mother and sister for nearly an hour about my parenting choices.

What is wrong with this woman’s family?

Encouraging a child to donate toys she doesn’t even like is a good thing not a bad thing.

Let’s see how Reddit reacted to this story.

Her family needs to mind their own business.

Source: Reddit/AITA

This reader thinks the mom was partly wrong but also calls her “a wonderful person.”

Source: Reddit/AITA

It really depends how the daughter feels about it.

Source: Reddit/AITA

This is a good point.

Source: Reddit/AITA

This reader thinks the mom’s idea was very sweet.

Source: Reddit/AITA

You shouldn’t feel bad about encouraging a child to donate to charity.

Her family is weird for having that take.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check this one out about a man who created a points system for his inheritance, and a family friend ends up getting almost all of it.