Every one of us has different memories and feelings when we go back to our childhoods. Some of us had the best time as we could spend the whole day with friends, play outside and not care about anything, while others just want to forget their childhood as soon as possible.
Being bullied in your own house is one of the worst feelings that could happen to a kid. This Reddit user shared a story about her niece, who for years has been miserable at home due to constant bullying from her stepsister, and her mom didn’t do anything until she finally moved in with her grandparents.
More info: Reddit
Being bullied by your stepsister and not receiving support from your mom is one of the worst things for a kid
Image credits: Karolina Grabowska (not the actual photo)
This woman shares that her niece has been miserable at home for years and it started when her mom moved in with her husband and his daughter
Image credits: RDNE Stock project (not the actual photo)
From day one her stepsister was negative towards her, she calling her names, bullying her and simply hating her and wanting her go away
Image credits: Andrea Piacquadio (not the actual photo)
Despite the kid’s mom and stepfather being aware of the situation, they didn’t stress about doing anything
Finally, the teen had enough and her grandparents took custody of her
Image credits: u/Quiet-Gur-1448
Ever since, her mom has been in tears, but nobody comforted her and her sister simply explained to her that she did this to herself
Recently, one Reddit user shared her story online, asking community members if she was being a jerk for telling her sister that she doesn’t feel sorry for her after her daughter moved in with her grandparents. The post received a lot of attention and collected over 9K upvotes in less than 24 hours.
The original poster (OP) starts the story by giving some background about her niece, Annabelle, who is now 15 years old. She shares that Annabelle had been miserable for years now and everything started when she was 4 and her mom moved in with her husband and his daughter. While Annabelle loved her stepsister Jasmine, she had quite the opposite feelings towards her. She would call her names, bully her and over the years, it just kept getting worse.
The worst thing is that nothing was done - Annabelle's mom and stepfather knew about the situation, but they never stopped it, thus the only support the girl had was from extended family. The OP shares that knowing all this, it came as no surprise that her grandparents decided to fight for her custody. She moved in with her grandparents and since then, her mom has been in tears.
However, nobody has confronted her and her family members have pulled back. This led to her coming to OP’s house asking why her family is not there for her, to which OP simply answered that she doesn’t feel sorry for her and it was her fault this happened. Well, she called OP names and stormed off.
Community members backed the woman up in this situation, and gave her ‘Not the A-hole’. Sometimes losing is winning. Fine, Jasmine ‘won’ and Annabelle is out of the house… but now Annabelle is free of her bully and a neglectful mother, safe amongst people who want to see her thrive,” one user shared. “Tell Natasha that she needs to accept that some sisters aren't going to like you. THEN slam the door in her face. NTA,” another added.
Image credits:MART PRODUCTION (not the actual photo)
“I think if my sister and her husband had gotten involved early, things could have been different,” shared the author of the story with Bored Panda. “I especially think if Jasmine's dad had been willing to see about getting her some help and figuring out where all this anger at Annabelle came from, it could have been very different.”
However, she notes that while there are no guarantees, she feels parents’ involvement is important. “The attempts made by myself and my family were no real use because Jasmine did not see us as her family and was not bonded with us in a way that would have made us more influential.”
Luckily, OP shared that now that Annabelle lives with her grandparents, a weight has been lifted off her shoulders. “She looks forward to school now, she doesn't have the stress and worry of not having a safe space at home or school.” She is also more able to open up; even on the phone, she is more open as she no longer has to worry about being overheard. “She also admitted to sleeping way better since she left too.”
Now, considering the possibility of reconciliation between the stepsisters in the future, OP isn’t optimistic. “I don't feel like either girl will ever want it. Jasmine is glad Annabelle is gone and seemed extremely happy when the judge ruled Annabelle could leave,” she shared. “She was smiling and looked almost smug.”
Also, OP adds that Annabelle had wanted to be sisters for a very long time, but she probably would not be open to it now that she has endured more than ten years of bullying and hatred. Even though she knew Jasmine hated her, she acknowledged that they were never sisters or family but she had counted Jasmine as one. “But now she believes they were just two strangers forced to live together.”
“On another note, I do want to say that I feel like this is far more on the adults than on Jasmine herself,” OP shares. She points out that when this started, Jasmine was a very young child, and neither her father nor any other adults helped. She struggled in her own relationship with her mother (and maybe her father too). “I feel like she was a child who was maybe scared and angry and took it out on an innocent person but only because she was allowed to.”
And what do you guys think about this story? Share your thoughts below!
Redditors backed the woman up, assured her she didn't do anything wrong and shamed Annabelle's mom's behavior
