Doing the right thing feels a lot harder when someone treats your kindness like an insult.

What would you do if you noticed two kids coming to your house in freezing weather without proper winter coats? Would you mind your own business?

Or would you go through your child’s old clothes and share with them?

In the following story, a mother meets two little girls in this situation and tries to help. Here’s how it played out.

AITA for donating some winter coats to two cold little girls?

It’s gotten very, very cold recently where I (46F) live in the Midwest. My son (13M) has two friends, twin girls (13F), who moved here in September from California. They hang out at our house a lot, one more than the other.

Yesterday, my oldest daughter (20F) was home for winter break. She came into the kitchen where I was and told me she doesn’t think the twins own good winter clothes.

When I looked, one was in a hoodie, and the other was wearing a jean jacket. My daughter asked if we had any of her old clothes in the attic that we might be saving for my youngest, so we went up to look.

Her daughter gave them the clothes, and they took them home.

I found lots of nice clothes from when my oldest was younger. Some good quality coats, long-sleeved shirts, and even a solid pair of snow boots.

I decided that the twins needed those clothes a lot more than my youngest, who hasn’t grown into them yet; I can always buy her new things, but these girls are poor. My son says they already share one wardrobe.

My daughter took the clothes to the twins and told them they were theirs or we were going to throw them out. They’re pretty stubborn girls, but they accepted the donation and seemed subtly overjoyed about it. I expected that to be the end of it.

The next day, she got a knock at her door.

Instead, this morning I heard knocking on my door. When I opened it, it was the twins’ stepdad. He had the box of clothes we sent home with them. He told me, “We don’t take donations in this house,” and to keep my nose out of his business. He acted like I had ruined his day and really put him out.

I asked him if the twins already had their own winter coats and just weren’t wearing them, and he said they’re tough, as if that means they don’t get cold.

My husband thinks I should have expected that reaction. I tried to call their mother but couldn’t get a hold of her.

AITA?

Yikes! That stepdad sounds like a real piece of work.

Let’s check out what the folks over at Reddit have to say about what happened here.

This reader thinks his pride was hurt.

Now, that’s cold!

Here’s someone who would’ve welcomed the gift.

For this reader, it may be time to take the next step.

That was a nice gesture, and he really shouldn’t have acted like that.

It’s always best to choose kindness.

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.