Breakups hurt, but the right distractions can soften the sting.

Knowing her niece had been down for weeks, one aunt planned an afternoon of small joys. But much to her surprise, her niece’s mother decided her efforts were too much of a good thing.

Read on to see how it all played out.

AITAH for giving my niece a special day after her breakup?

My niece (17F) just had a tough breakup with her boyfriend after three years together.

He dumped her because she got into a college he didn’t.

She’s been really down for like three weeks now.

So, I wanted to cheer her up a bit.

So the aunt went all out.

I texted her to “dress to impress,” and when she asked why, I told her I had a surprise.

I took her to Sephora, whipped up a burger on the grill, and got her a little Squishmallow since she collects them.

I let my sister, her mom, know beforehand, and she was cool with it.

But it turns out, she wasn’t actually that cool with it.

But later, my sister called me saying I “spoiled” her too much and that this breakup should be a wake-up call to focus on college and being a successful entrepreneur.

Just because my niece has those goals doesn’t mean I can’t bring her a little joy, right?

AITAH?

Surely a little comfort today won’t stop her niece from future successes.

What did Reddit make of all this?

Clearly there are different ideas on what “spoiling” entails.

Maybe her sister’s reaction is a sign she needs a little spoiling of her own.

Enjoying your life is just as important as hustling – especially at this age!

This commenter is glad her niece was getting some empathy from her, since she clearly wasn’t getting any from her mother.

Sometimes a Squishmallow and a good meal do more than a lecture ever could.

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.