This woman’s sister accused her of being a jerk because the Christmas presents she bought for her brother’s kids were better and more expensive than the ones she bought for HER kids.
The woman said it was only fair because she’d already paid for her sister’s kids to attend summer camp.
Here’s her side of the story.
The woman has two siblings, an older brother with two kids aged 12 and 10 and a younger sister with three kids aged 10, 8, and 5. All the families live in New York City, so the cost of living is high.
But this woman and her husband have tech/doctor incomes and no kids, so they’re very generous when buying gifts. Plus, they have enough disposable income to help their family when needed.
So when her sister was laid off from work last year and struggled to find another job before burning through her savings, she was happy to provide some financial assistance.
“She asked to borrow money around June, partially to send her children to a summer camp they’ve been begging to go to, and partially to float her until she found a job again,” shared the woman on Reddit.
The woman’s sister struggled to find a well-paying job; her part-time gig barely covers childcare costs.
So when Christmas came around, the woman had an extra special gift for her sister and her kids. Amazingly, she told her sister to forget about the $25,000 she lent her; instead, it was a gift. She also bought her boys nice new winter coats and gifted their daughter with a makeup palette and lipsticks.
The woman’s sister was so happy. It was a beautiful gift and a sign that her sister really cared about her and her family.
But the feel-good factor didn’t last long. In fact, it turned to anger and bitterness when she discovered what her sister had bought her brother’s kids for Christmas.
“Since I’d essentially paid for their summer camp too, I thought it would be only fair that I spend a similar amount on my brother’s kids,” shared the woman. “And so for Christmas, I booked my brother, sister-in-law, and their two kids a week-long trip to Disney world for their upcoming spring break.”
The sister was so mad. She said her kids are too young to understand the value of their presents or the gifted 25K loan. Instead, they feel jealous and upset that their cousins are going to Disney World – and they’re not.
This woman appreciated her sister’s point of view. So she came up with a compromise.
“I told her if she paid me back the money for their summer camp ($9k), I’d pay to add her and her kids to the Disney trip,” said the woman.
The sister refused, which kicked off a huge family drama. Both sisters said some pretty hurtful things in the heat of the moment.
“I was angry she was so unappreciative of what she already got from me,” said the woman. “In my pettiness, I said it was her failure as a parent not to teach her kids why they can’t go. She keeps saying it was unfair and her kids will feel left out.”
She asked her parents for advice, and they agreed with her sister. They said she was being too harsh on her sister. They said summer camp is a “normal activity,” while Disney World is a “special experience.”
The woman can easily afford it, so now she thinks she should just include her sister and her kids.
So she recently asked Reddit members for their thoughts.
“Not the jerk. You gave your sibling $25000, and they are complaining about you? What world are they living in?” posted one person.
“Good lord, what entitlement,” reads a similar comment. “You are being extremely generous, and I think the way you divided things up was fair. It is outrageous that she would complain about this.
Do you agree? Is the sister expecting too much here?
Source: Reddit
