Parenting is hard enough as is without having your in-laws cause problems where there don’t need to be any.

How would you handle your MIL calling your small kid a brat? When you know for sure it was undeserved?

One mother took to Reddit recently for insight on exactly this.

Here are the details.

AITA I told my MIL that’s all on her?

My 5-year-old son’s birthday is coming up, and he wants a chocolate cake with chocolate icing.

A kid with great taste early on in life!

It’s his birthday, so I said yes.

And a great mom to boot!

My MIL can be a selfish cow sometimes…

I see she’s not mincing words.

…and my son was telling her how’s he getting chocolate cake and chocolate ice cream.

Already don’t like where this is going…

My MIL said she didn’t like that, and told my son we should get something we all like.

A very bizarre thing to say to a five year old.

My son said: “It’s not your birthday, so you don’t get a say”.

Oof! Sick burn coming from a kid that young.

This would be normally disrespectful, but I recently said this to my son when went to his friend’s party…

Ah, so it all comes back around.

When my son didn’t like the cake flavor, we had a discussion about how the birthday person gets to choose their cake flavor because it’s their special day.

Logic that everyone, adults and kids alike, should be able to comprehend!

My MIL was shocked, and I told her the same thing I told my son: “When it’s your birthday you can get whatever flavor of cake you want”.

Again, fairly simple concept.

My MIL called me a b**** and my son a spoiled brat.

I guess simple for kids, but not this adult!

So I told her: “With that attitude you won’t be coming to the party”.

How crazy do you have to act to get disinvited from a kid’s party?

My Husband was like wtf and tried to talk me into ordering his mom a cake she would enjoy after our son and I were “rude” to her.

Sounds like the husband isn’t really grasping the situation here.

I said no, it isn’t her day, and that just teaches our son to act entitled at other peoples parties if we don’t stick to the rules and etiquette that we had explained to him and that it will just make him confused, entitled, and spoiled.

Fair enough! Good for this mom for standing her ground.

My husband saw the truth in that because our son was excited about his birthday cake for his birthday, and now understands that not everything is about him.

An important lesson to impart on kids early!

Other people get to enjoy their special event how they want to.

You would think this would be common knowledge at this point.

In return, my son gets to enjoy his special events and occasions how he wants to.

Sounds like the poster and her husband are good parents for this!

My MIL doesn’t seem to get that and wants my som to write her a “sorry note” for what he did wrong.

Seems a little excessive. Not to mention counterproductive.

My husband and I don’t feel like my son did anything wrong by repeating what his parents told him.

Doesn’t sound like he did.

My MIL said she’s not coming to the birthday party or getting him a gift without the apology note.

Very bizarre hill to die on.

I told my MIL that’s all on her.

I think the fact that this post didn’t end with “AITA” shows that the original poster knows deep down she is in the right. Let’s see if the comments agree.

Most commended the original poster, and the child as well for sticking up for himself at such a young age!

And across the board, validation was provided at how she handled the confrontation with her MIL.

One person even took the time to write out a response for her to send to her mother-in-law regarding the party.

Another shared an alarmingly similar story from their own childhood.

Though while the original poster was left unscathed, her husband can’t say the same.

Doesn’t seem like anyone here knows how to act their age.

What a thing to say to a child – and your daughter-in-law.

If you liked this post, you might want to read this story about a teacher who taught the school’s administration a lesson after they made a sick kid take a final exam.