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AIBU?

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AIBU to think my sister overreacted to my 11 year old's attitude?

152 replies

samwiggle9 · 21/08/2026 01:11

I've just got off a holiday with my sister and her family... For context my son is 11 and he is currently going through an attitudey pedantic stage and I'm in no way saying he's a angel. But occasion he can be snappy and barky and a bit of a no it all...as the back story on our last day we were on the beach and he had a snorkel on and he jumped in the sea (I told him not to do it with the snorkle on but he did it anyway) anyway after he jumped in he panicked and couldn't breath properly. Obviously everything was fine but he was upset there were tears but I consoled him explained why it happened and he wasn't going to do it again.
When we were leaving her son laughed at him about it. My son said it wasn't funny..... now he did have attitude in his voice like I said he's no angel so I went round to tell him to calm down.. my sister stepped in front of me and screamed in my son's face that her son was just making a joke and he's not going to get far with an attitude like that... I took my son away from the situation and told him to calm down (I'm more of a explainer and reasoner when trying to teach him) as I was walking away I heard my sister telling her son to stay away from mine. I did say to her look he is still just 11 years old. Your being ridiculous and then she went in a mood and the kids say on there tablets for the rest of the day.... As I've got back off holiday I've been thinking about other moments on the holiday where they've full on over reacted about his attitude. Like I said he's no angel but her and her husband literally have created there own narrative... Like when we're waiting to get on the plane my son said I want the window seat... Her husband was muttering about being spoke to like a piece of shit and he'll fing sit where he sits, fin telling me where I'm sitting... Or when we were taking off my son and her husband were bickering over whether we were on the run way or the taxi way, and instead of her husband just explaining why he was wrong it turned into the it is, it isn't, it is, it isn't argument and then he was just like why isn't he listening to me... In hindsight I just think what's wrong with explaining?
Now I'm sat at home ive barely slept for 2 days because I feel like I've let my son down and should of stepped in more?
Personally for me I don't feel like you need to shout at a child for her them to understand the situation and why as a fully grown adult they can't control there anger and shout/moan and get attitudey while screaming at a child for having attitude? I know I'm not wrong here but I feel like I needed some validation that they took it too far.
Also I have had a word with my son that while he does need to work on his tone of voice and the way he's speaking and that wasn't ok it was also not ok for her to do that.

OP posts:
samwiggle9 · 21/08/2026 01:41

So what I'm hearing is despite that when I take an explaining tactic 9 times out 10 he does actually take on board what I'm saying but now when he has attitude I should scream in his face instead and that should do the trick?

Just to clarify I can tell you the 6 times in the span of a week he had attitude and why.... But I could also point out the multiple times a day her children playing up, hit adults, threw tantrums, cried when the didn't get there way and said no when asked to behave multiple times however this wasn't a post asking for parenting advice it was a post to ask is it acceptable for a grown adult to scream in a child's face because they have attitude because to me that is not sending the correct message on how to regulate your emotions?

And as for the window seat thing. There was actually no attitude when this was taking place there was 4 kids and 2 window seat and they all wanted the window seat. They all said I want the window seat

OP posts:
SpinningThePlates247 · 21/08/2026 01:21

Your son sounds like hard work. They were not enjoying his company and had had enough by that point. Your ‘explaining’ technique doesn’t seem to be working, he’s rude, entitled and ignores your requests to behave.

Your DSis’s son didn’t make a joke he laughed to get the reaction he did. He likes the drama. He needs pulling up on his behaviour too.

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