Animals Today

09/28/2026

09/28/2026

WIBTA to stop hosting Christmas for my VERY fussy eater in-laws? (r/AmItheAsshole)

Hi,

Needing some advice about how to (hopefully) make Christmas less stressful.

My family consists of me (35F), husband (35M) and our two toddler daughters. We’ve been together nearly 10 years and have always alternated Christmases with my family and then his the next year and so on. Christmas with my family is always at my mum’s and I get a relatively decent break, although I do still help out with cooking and prep and we contribute to the meal etc (usually bring the turkey, a gammon joint, some treats etc). Christmas with his family means hosting at our house with his mum and dad for the day and his brother and SIL coming to stay for \~10 days because they live abroad. BIL and SIL don’t contribute anything to the stay and are honestly a lot of work to host because they expect us to drive them everywhere, are pretty rude and don’t bring basics like toiletries, shampoo etc because they expect to just use mine. Note, mine - not husbands and they don’t ask, they just take. It drives me crazy.

Now, here’s the thing. SIL has an orange allergy - easy enough to manage right? Well, MIL is the fussiest eater ever. She doesn’t like any spice - even a tiny bit of ground pepper is enough to blow her socks off. You can’t season anything. FIL is low salt for health reasons, so that’s out too. I have to keep a list of everything MIL won’t eat; sausages, Yorkshire puddings, no spices, no cranberries, no stuffing, no cucumber, no tomatoes, no liver, no black pudding, no onion, no sweetcorn it goes on and on. To add, FIL has been diagnosed with diabetes this year, so they now need low carb too and I honestly just am done with the whole thing. I already have to think about making it kid-friendly for my 2 toddlers and they’re honestly less fussy than MIL!

None of them bring anything to the day, except MIL brings a Christmas pudding because she knows I hate it and so won’t buy one. That’s it. Meanwhile, I’m cooking and hosting BIL and SIL for 10 days, cooking a 3 course Christmas lunch for everyone AND trying to look after and make Christmas magic for my twin girls. I want to stop hosting his family at all. Say no to BIL and SIL staying and say, if they want to keep alternating Christmases then MIL and FIL can host for a change - they only live an hour from us and we can drive over there for the day. They also have space for BIL and SIL to stay, and I just don’t want them in my house this time around.

WIBTA to say that all these dietary restrictions are too much to plan for and remember and that they need to try hosting instead? It already costs an avail fortune and plain, unseasoned food isn’t how I would choose to have my Christmas, so why am I doing all the work? Eurgh, smh.

09/28/2026

Highly embarrassing moment with my neighbor this morning (r/stories)

This morning I was taking out the trash in my sweatpants and an old stretched-out t-shirt that says “I ❤️ BO**S” (it was a gag gift from friends, I swear I don’t wear it outside normally… usually).

I open the building door and boom — my hot neighbor from the 5th floor is standing right there waiting for the elevator. First eye contact in like 6 months. She smiles politely. I pa**c-smile back way too wide.

Then I realize my shoelace is untied. I bend down super fast to tie it… and rip the loudest, longest fart of my entire life. Like, cartoon-level, echoing in the stairwell “BRRRRRRRRRRRRRAPPPPP”.
D**d silence.

I slowly stand up, face bu***g, pretending it didn’t happen. She’s staring at the floor, lips pressed together so hard they’re white, clearly trying not to laugh/cry/d**.

Elevator dings. We both step in. 10 seconds of pure awkward silence while going up.
At her floor she gets out, turns around and very quietly says:
“Nice shirt, by the way.”
Then the doors close.
I rode the rest of the way to my floor with my forehead against the wall.
Now I’m seriously considering moving to another country. Or at least never taking out the trash before 3 a.m. again.
No biggie, I can just never leave my apartment ever again. 😭

09/27/2026

AITA for telling my parents they can't meet their first grandchild unless they apologize to my wife? (r/AmItheAsshole)

My wife gave birth to our first child three weeks ago.

My parents were very excited about becoming grandparents, but they've had a weird relationship with my wife for years.

The main issue is that my mom constantly gives her unsolicited advice.

During the pregnancy, it was things like what she should eat, how she should sleep, what she should wear, etc.

My wife usually ignored it.

About a month before the baby was born, my mom started sending her messages almost every day telling her what she was doing wrong.

My wife finally told her, politely, that she appreciated the concern but needed some space.

My mom responded, "I'm just trying to make sure you don't hurt my grandchild."

That really upset my wife. So I told my mom to back off.

She said I was being manipulated and that my wife was trying to keep her away from the baby.

After our son was born, my parents asked when they could visit.

I told them they could come over the following weekend. My mom immediately replied that she wanted to be there sooner. I said we weren't ready for visitors yet. And she showed up at our house anyway.

She had brought clothes, toys, and a bunch of baby supplies.

My wife was exhausted and had barely slept.

My mom walked in, picked up the baby, and started telling my wife that she looked tired and needed to "get herself together" because the baby needed a healthy mother.

My wife started crying. So I took the baby from my mom and told my parents to leave.

My dad said I was overreacting, and my mom said she was only trying to help.

After they left, my wife told me she didn't want them around the baby until they apologized.

I agreed.

I texted my parents and told them they were welcome to see their grandson once they apologized to my wife and agreed to respect our boundaries, and my mom responded that she wasn't apologizing for "loving her grandson."

My dad called me and said I'm keeping their first grandchild away from them over one stupid comment.

It's now been three weeks. They haven't apologized.

Several relatives have contacted me telling me I'm being cruel.

I don't want to keep my parents from their grandson permanently.

I just don't think my wife should have to tolerate being insulted in her own home because my parents are grandparents.

AITA?

09/27/2026

AITAH for telling my parents they are ruining my autistic sister’s social life? (r/AITAH)

I,25A have long stopped talking to my parents. I still visit them to check on my sister,my dog,family events.
A few days ago,I introduced my girlfriend’s sister to mine(both 13F) at my parent’s home. They bonded instantly. I was glad to see them get along,it was lovely. Though,things started going south later on.
I asked my parents about how things are going for my sister. They began complaining about her mood and attitude. "That’s fair",I thought before they went into detail. They complained about crying spells,chronic irritation,loss of appetite,and overall isolation. She just goes to school and shuts herself in her room. Repeat,every single day. I told them that they should check on her or try helping her somehow. Yet they tell me it will fix itself. I found that to be complete bo****ks and told them I’d talk to her instead. What she said told me all I needed to know.
When I went to her room,I found my girlfriend’s sister comforting my crying sister,not quite knowing what to do. I told her she could leave for a moment for us to talk.
I spoke to my sister and asked her what’s been up with her lately. I know being 13 years old can be very though. She began explaining that she had lost all her friends because of my parents. She explained that she had made friends perfectly fine,which she struggles alot with already. But as time went by,they got closer and with that came hangouts outside of school. Taking the bus to go to shops,going to food places,going to their house,ect. Perfectly fine. But my parents…do not like that. They told her she cannot go to their house,invite them to our house,meet them outside of school,or do anything with them whatsoever until she is 17. My sister told me that somewhere along the line,she had trouble connecting with the little time they have,missed references from hangouts she couldn’t go to,and friendships were overall declining. Even worse? My parents explicitely told her they hated her friends and refused to get to know them or their parents. Not a single effort in sight.
In a fit of anger,I told my parents that they were setting her up for social fallout and that a 15 minute break and 2 hour lunch weren’t enough. Extremely when at her age where groups and friendships are central and enourmously essential to her and her developememt. They told me that they were looking out for her since she should only study and come back home,that’s it. Even worst,they told me that she would turn out like me otherwise,a cursed conduct disorder child who had the same rules but frequently ran away from home or became sneaky.

09/27/2026

AITA for telling my parents I'm not going to be my sister's caregiver after they d**? (r/AmItheAsshole)

AITA? ​I (20F) have a sister with Down Syndrome. She can walk and feed herself, but she still needs daily help with personal hygiene, getting dressed, and meal prep.

​Over the years, my parents have made it clear they expect me to take her in and become her full-time caregiver after they d**. I haven’t explicitly sat them down yet to tell them they need to figure out alternative long-term care for her, but the pressure is already heavy. My parents have made guilt-tripping comments like, "If you don't care for your sister full-time and you put her in the hands of someone else, we're going to haunt you."

​I love my sister, but I absolutely do not want her living with me. I want to get married, have my own kids, and build my own life. I feel like it is unfair of my parents to expect me to sacrifice my future and take on the full burden of daily caregiving.

​I am willing to be involved as an advocate, manage her estate, or oversee her living arrangements in a supportive facility, but I will not be her live-in caregiver. I feel so guilty even thinking this, and my parents' comments make me feel like a monster.

​AITA for not wanting to take on full-time care for my sister?

09/27/2026

AITA for not wanting to take care of my disabled brother? (r/AmItheAsshole)

Older brother left his wife and kids 15 years ago for some bimbo, creating a big riff in the family. He has since has a kid with the bimbo, but lately suffered a stroke and is now disabled. Bimbo calls me up saying she can no longer take care of my brother and says she will have the hospital bring him to my house after he is discharged. Currently I am unemployed, 3 kids of my own and only the wife has a job.

AITA here for not wanting to take care of my brother who tore our family apart all those years ago???

09/27/2026

AITAH for refusing to go to my mum's 70th because my wife won't be invited. (r/AITAH)

We are getting married in a week and my mum, dad and brother are going to Italy for a weekend the week after for my mum's birthday.

There's been all sorts of issues in the lead up to our wedding with my mum feeling more should have been done to consider what she / my side of the family want to happen at a wedding. Though the way I've mostly seen it is it's our wedding and we want to do things our way.

Anyway my mum feels like she'll and my dad have not gotten to know my fiancée well enough in the past 5 years we've been seeing each other and I admit that maybe I haven't made enough effort to facilitate that. I see that it's not been said to be an issue until all sorts of other thighs related to wedding and stuff were brought up as negatives, such as both Nigerian and British food being served at the wedding being seen as one sided as there was a Nigerian wedding in Lagos that essentially my fiancée's family organised (there was British food also served). Lots of other concerns raised around wedding stuff but maybe not too relevant to this specifically.

Anyway as my wife isn't invited to my mum's 70th celebration I've essentially said I won't go as feel she should have been invited.

My mum claims it's because she doesn't know her well enough but my view is that my wife at that point is part of the family and should be included. My mum dislikes my fiancée though claims that's also not why she's not invited...

My mum also makes the point that she rarely celebrates her birthday and this being her 70th is quite special so she wants it the way she wants it. I feel I can say no to attending as my wife isn't invited.

It's even right after the wedding so I feel that almost makes it worse to be excluding my wife.

AITAH?

09/27/2026

AITA for saying we went to our cottage when asked what we did this weekend (r/AmItheAsshole)

My wife and I are mid/late 30s and bought a cottage a couple years ago. Some Americans refer to this as a lake house or cabin.

We go most weekends in the summer and usually take an additional 1-2 weeks vacation there throughout the summer as well. And still go through the fall-winter-spring. So it's frequent.

I go into work afterwards. How was your weekend? Good. What did you do? We were up at the cottage. Then I'll get an eye roll or similar expression from one lady in my department. Yesterday a one of the guys said sarcastically "oh a cottage, must be such a burden maintaining TWO properties". The person who asked the quest looked at him like: w**?

So I guess I just won't ever mention what I do on weekends. What did you do? Not much just hung out.

I understand the optics given housing and general life affordable, but for Christ sake we all make about the same amount of money and we all know it.