By addressing the problem head-on and involving Quinn’s mother, she set a clear example of prioritizing her daughter's emotional safety while giving Quinn the opportunity to reflect on her actions and change. It’s a reminder that teaching empathy starts with holding loved ones accountable for their behavior.
People rally around aunt for turning away 16-year-old niece after she bullied her daughter
A mother sought the internet's opinion on whether she was too harsh for turning away her niece.
Bullying among children is, sadly, all too common, and addressing it requires a delicate balance of empathy and accountability. Reddit user u/TooHardOnMyFamily shared her experience with her teenage niece, Quinn, whose behavior crossed the line into bullying her 6-year-old daughter, Bella. As both an aunt and a concerned parent, she made the difficult decision to set boundaries.
In her post, she explained her once-close relationship with Quinn: "Quinn and I used to be very close when she was younger, and we loved having auntie-niece time together." However, as Quinn entered her teenage years, her attitude shifted. According to the post, Quinn became "snarky and sarcastic in a mean way," often directing her verbal jabs at Bella. After repeated instances of verbal abuse, the aunt confronted the issue directly. She informed her sister, Teresa, about Quinn’s behavior and decided to ban Quinn from visiting her house until she treated Bella with kindness and respect.
Recently, Quinn came to her aunt's house for dinner. Her aunt turned her away, reminding her that she doesn't tolerate Quinn's treatment of Bella. Unless it was an emergency, Quinn was not welcome at her aunt's home anymore. Following this incident, Quinn's mother, Teresa, decided to ring her sister up and give her an earful about how she was being a horrible person and how upset Quinn was. "Teresa has stopped trying to do anything serious about Quinn’s verbal attitude and has justified it in the past with statements along the lines of 'that’s just how some teenagers are' and 'teenagers shouldn’t be treated like young children' or 'Quinn’s almost an adult. It’s not your place to parent her like some child,'" the post revealed.
"I brought up Teresa’s past words and told her she was correct that Quinn is an adult who doesn’t need to be scolded by me. And I have a right to protect my child from an unkind adult. Quinn is already having issues with the school. And it’s time for Teresa to wake up and do something about her daughter. Teresa and I have both given our sides to mutual friends and acquaintances and they are divided. Some are saying that Quinn’s attitude is not okay but I was wrong to turn her away at the door because she’s still sixteen and my niece," the aunt added in the Reddit post. She concluded by asking the online community if she was too hard on her niece and sister and whether she should apologize for behaving coldly to them. The Reddit community sided with the aunt and even provided her with some advice.
u/OpaOpa13 mentioned, "It's unrealistic to expect a teenager never to be snarky or sarcastic but it's good and appropriate to expect them to take responsibility for how they treat others. Actions have consequences. Quinn needs to learn being cruel to a 6-year-old is not acceptable and that being a teenager is not a free pass to be awful." u/Cute-Designer8122 quipped, "A 16-year-old being mean to a 6-year-old is rather extreme. Even the most snarky teenagers are nice to little kids. So it is good that OP brings this to his sister’s attention." u/FredBirdNerd wrote, "I was also a moody teenager. You know what I wasn't as a teenager? Mean to children. Continue to protect your daughter from bullies, whether they're family or not."
u/chaserscarlet added, "Is it possible that she’s jealous of Bella and is acting nasty towards her as a reaction? You mentioned that you used to be close but now you have your daughter who you’d be closer to. Maybe that’s obvious to Quinn and she’s hurt by it. Doesn’t make the behavior justifiable but teenagers are idiots who can’t express themselves. You’re not in the wrong for protecting your baby but at some point, Quinn might have considered herself your baby and raging hormones make those feelings worse. I would suggest talking to Quinn one-on-one, so she feels heard whilst Bella isn’t in the firing line."
This article originally appeared 2 months ago.
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