AITA For telling my parents that they’re overzealous and they need to teach my precious half-sister to mind her own business?
A Redditor shared frustration about their younger half-sister Maddie, who often instigates social drama at school and relies on their parents’ support to shift blame.
When Maddie accused another girl, Nora, of harassing her, the school presented witnesses who confirmed Maddie was the instigator. Despite this, the Redditor’s parents are now threatening to sue the school, even enlisting the help of their uncle, a law student.
Fed up with the situation, the Redditor expressed their opinion that Maddie needs to be taught to mind her own business rather than involving their parents in unnecessary disputes. This response led to a confrontation, grounding, and confiscation of their phone for “disrespect.” Read the original story below…
‘ AITA For telling my parents that they’re overzealous and they need to teach my precious half-sister to mind her own business?’
(This is about me and my “half-sister Maddie” who is 14). Maddie constantly instigates social dramas at her school and then cries wolf if people stand up to her. My parents are the main part of the problem. They feed into Maddie’s antics completely, and always push the narrative that it’s all somebody else’s fault.
The latest claim from Maddie was that a girl “Nora” was harassing her and calling her u**y/b**lying her for body in the locker rooms. Obviously, my parents came to the school guns blazing and revving to get Nora expelled for what she did to precious Maddie.
The school was prepared for this meeting and had two other girls there who were both witnesses to the incident. My parents parroted Maddie’s story about Nora b**lying and harassing her, and both the girls who were witnesses explained that wasn’t what happened.
The girls both said Maddie accused Nora of checking her out. Nora just said that she wasn’t checking Maddie out or attracted to Maddie at all and to leave her alone. Nora only spoke in self-defense of herself after Maddie went up to her first and didn’t say anything else to Maddie.
If I were our parents, would have apologized for what happened, made Maddie apologize, then grounded Maddie for being a l**r and instigator in the first place. Nope.
Now my parents claim it was still b**lying and are bluffing about wanting to sue the school for not defending Maddie, punishing Nora, and disciplining the two witnesses for not “intervening.”
My “Uncle Daniel” is a paralegal and currently in law school. On Sunday, my parents told me to text Uncle Daniel and ask why he’s not responding to them because he has the connections to help them sue the school.
I got fed up and told my parents that Uncle Daniel’s probably ignoring them because this situation is just so stupid. I also said that instead of being overzealous and fighting with the school, they should tell precious Maddie to just mind her own business.
I guarantee that most of her social dramas will go away if she does that. I got grounded and had my phone confiscated for being disrespectful. So now I’m writing this on a school computer. My parents said I was acting like a b**t and a 16-year-old who’s never paid bills has no place to dictate what they do.
In my opinion, that’s true to an extent. But if Uncle Daniel and our other relatives won’t tell them, they need to hear from somebody else that suing the school is a dumb idea and Maddie should quit being an instigator. AITA?
See what others had to share with OP:
GamesDontStop − NTA. But you may want to talk to Uncle Daniel. He may come to your aid with your parents, or at a minimum, give you some good advice. I’m guessing he’s dealt with your parents before.
ironchef8000 − Spoiler alert: “Uncle Daniel” knows to steer clear of 1) family drama, 2) needless litigation, and 3) repercussions for unlicensed practice of law. NTA. Your parents need to grow up.
PaganCHICK720 − On Sunday, my parents told me to text Uncle Daniel and ask why he’s not responding to them because he has the connections to help them sue the school.
“Dear Uncle Daniel, will you please reply to my parents explaining how delusional they sound? And how trying to sue the school is only going to backfire because all of Maddie’s bad behavior will be brought out into the public and humiliate all of them?”
Confused_Squish − Nta. Sounds like a bad case of golden child to me. Your uncle has the right idea. I know its hard, but youre definitely going to. You may not pay bills but that doesnt mean you dont get to voice your concerns.
Id say maybe talk to your uncle. Ask for his advice, maybe look into some part time work if you can to save up a bit of funds, and keep it in either a sole bank account or a secure place that only you know about. Just incase.
Haunting_Green_1786 − NTA but I suggest you pick fights that matter a LOT to you. Let Maddie destroy her own reputation amongst peers. You just need to distance yourself from this l**r.
Excel in school for full scholarship so it will enable you to have mental & physical distance from immediate family. Remember to select job also out of state. Keep career & financial plans a secret so they cannot bug you to guide/help Maddie, etc.
hubertburnette − NTA. Any chance that your uncle will tell them they’re delusional?
Billie_is_tripping − NTA. I think at 16 you just need to bide your time before you can get out of the house. Stay out of the drama, ignore it as much as possible. Focus on school and try to get a good education and a good job so you can distance yourself from them in the future if necessary.
Your sister will be unhappy in life since she’s used to getting her way so be prepared. Financial freedom is the best solution when your family is annoying!
TheDarkHelmet1985 − As a lawyer who has been in situations with “family” trying to get me to give free or significantly discounted legal work, I 100% get this and agree that the Unc is clearly and smartly avoiding insanity from these parents.
He knows they will treat him poorly for telling them their precious Maddie is wrong. All they are doing is creating a monster in Maddie and treating their other child poorly for pointing out the obvious.
Gamecat93 − NTA but Maddie and your parents are. People like Maddie are the problem and so are your parents. Nora was clearly doing nothing wrong and Maddie did what she did because she is a mean girl training to be her school’s Regina George.
Maybe you should let Uncle Daniel know about this situation and give your parents a wake up call that Maddie is the real problem. They were being disrespectful to the real victim, Nora.
And the thing is if they even try to sue the school Nora’s family and the school could countersue your family for defamation and get Maddie expelled instead.
Ask your uncle about it, trust me, knowingly lying about someone to destroy their character and get them expelled or fired is defamation. And if she continues this, your family will get sued.
Even_Budget2078 − NTA
“On Sunday, my parents told me to text Uncle Daniel and ask why he’s not responding to them because he has the connections to help them sue the school.” Yeesh, OP, your parents are really something.
Fittingly given Maddie’s behavior, this is some weird middle school stuff. Why are your parents asking you to text Uncle Daniel? They are adults. They can ask him themselves why he is not responding. Or deal like adults with his non-response.
Asking you, their child, to intervene because they’re being ignored is just….soo childish and ugh. Sorry they’re behaving this way. From what you’ve written, it doesn’t sound like you were disrespectful, more so just delivering some much needed truths on the situation.
Clearly not appreciated, but I don’t think you overstepped in what you said. The fact that you don’t pay rent or have a job is more bizarre behavior from your parents. That has nothing to do with you as a member of the family having an opinion on a social conflict your half-sister is facing.
You’re NTA for being 16 years old and having an opinion. My suggestion would be to not involve yourself anymore with their parenting of Maddie. Just decline to discuss or be involved. Don’t give advice, don’t correct their false versions of what is happening.
Just let it be. They clearly don’t want your actual opinion and it will just create more headache for you to say anything except “yes, you are 100% right”, so just leave it.
Your parents are bigtime AHs for punishing you. I’m sorry that happened. You don’t deserve it, but all the more reason to refuse to be a part of Maddie’s circus with them.
Do you think the Redditor crossed a line by speaking out, or was it justified given the situation? Should parents address instigative behavior differently, or did they do the right thing defending Maddie? Share your thoughts below!
