She Kept a Caterpillar as a Pet Because Her Toddler Wanted It. Her Sister Is Afraid of It and Asked Her to Get Rid of It
Pexels/Reddit
Living with family often means learning to tolerate each other’s quirks and fears.
The following story is about a woman who kept a caterpillar as a pet because her toddler wanted it.
But her sister found out about it and refused to stay overnight because she was afraid of the insect.
She thinks her sister was overreacting because she believes the small insect was harmless and she could simply avoid it.
Whoa! Who knew a small caterpillar could cause this big of an argument? Let’s take a closer look!
AITA for keeping a caterpillar as a pet when my sister is afraid of them?
My (37F) sister’s (40F) kids (14F and 15F) live with my husband and me, along with our toddler.
My toddler found a caterpillar at the farmer’s market almost a week ago.
And wanted to keep it as a pet instead of feeding it to our chickens.
My nieces live with us during the week so they can attend our neighborhood school.
Their mom visits them and often sleeps over for about 2 to 3 nights.
This woman’s sister asked her to get rid of the caterpillar.
This week, my sister found out we have a caterpillar pet in the house and refuses to stay here overnight.
She asked us to get rid of the caterpillar.
For context, my sister is afraid of caterpillars.
She would wear disposable gloves when picking veggies from the garden and when prepping veggies that might have caterpillars.
They can exist on the same planet, but she just doesn’t want to touch them.
She teases her sister for being a hypocrite.
I will sometimes send her a picture of a caterpillar to mess with her.
One of her kids is afraid of spiders, to the point that she can’t take a shower if there’s a spider in the bathroom.
My sister doesn’t acknowledge or understand her kid’s fear of spiders and would tell her kid to “just get over it.”
Hence, I constantly tease my sister with caterpillars for being a hypocrite.
Now, she’s wondering if she should keep the caterpillar or give in to her sister’s request.
The caterpillar is currently in a bowl in the living room.
My sister usually hangs out in the dining room or her kids’ room and sleeps in her kids’ room.
So, AITA for keeping the caterpillar?
By the way, my toddler absolutely adores the caterpillar.
Yes, all fears are valid. But I don’t think OP should have to get rid of a harmless caterpillar that makes her toddler happy.
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Her sister can simply avoid the living room where it’s kept if she’s truly uncomfortable with it.
On the other hand, OP should also respect her sister’s fears and stop teasing her about it.
Let’s check out the comments of other people on this story.
This person makes a suggestion.
This user shares their personal thoughts.
Here’s a valid point.
If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a mom who has to explain to her kids why they can’t keep the baby snake they found as a pet.
This one thinks the caterpillar should be released.
Finally, another honest opinion.
Sometimes, the smallest houseguest causes the biggest drama in the family. Lol.
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