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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Or ... as Dd1 thinks, over-reacting?

158 replies

NewYearNewLife53 · 14/07/2017 19:42

So, I work really really hard in quite a stressful job. Recently had to shift careers later in life due to separation from (d)h. Work full time and have pretty much fulltime responsibility for dd1(16) and dd2(12).

A few months ago, a friend, recognising how hard I worked, how I got such little time for me, etc, treated me to a lovely box of chocolates. Few days later I came home to fond half of them had disappeared (they were in my bedroom). Dd1 had gone into my room and helped herself. I was a bit upset - not cause of the chocolates per se but that she'd taken something of mine that had been a gift for me (she knew this). I explained my upset. Next day she said sorry and bought me some chocolates. Okay - all forgotten.

Two days ago, I was bought chocolates again (it was to celebrate an achievement). Returned home from work thjs evening to find dd1 bad been at it again! Granted, it was just the one chocolate but yet again, had entered my bedroom, saw the present and helped herself.

I was really upset. Look, it's not the chocolate (if she's asked, O'd happily have given her some). It's the lack of respect for my gift, for all that I do which had been recognised by the giver, for her 'couldn't give a toss' attitude that she'd upset me first time around and did it again. She's 16 - not 6.

AIBU? When I verbalised my annoyance this time, she rolled her eyes as though I was making a mountain out if a molehill. I work so hard, had to retrain in an entirely different area in my 50s to pay for holidays and clothes and activities for the 2 kids as a single parent. I thought I'd brought her up not to steal, not to take something that didn't belong to her; to recognise others and their space- to respect that.

AIBU?

OP posts:
Oliversmumsarmy · 16/07/2017 13:41

No but the rules that the OP makes that are obviously not working are and the idea of my this and my that in a family setting is leading to resentment and bad feeling

BackforGood · 16/07/2017 13:45

You need to be open to what other people are trying to explain to you on their post OliversMummy.
The OP is NOT "so upset over chocolate" - that has been explained over and over.
The OP is upset because her teenager has not respected boundaries. Those boundaries which - although they might be alien to you - are very normal boundaries to have as demonstrated by all the replies on this thread, and, even if they were odd in some way, they had clearly been explained to her dd the last time she did it.

FrancisCrawford · 16/07/2017 13:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BackforGood · 16/07/2017 13:47

x posted.
No, the daughter going in to the OP's private space and taking things that don't belong to her is what is causing the upset and bad feeling.

Bluntness100 · 16/07/2017 13:51

And before anyone piles on me to tell me how harsh and vindictive I am sounding

Well I cont think anyone needs to tell me, you recognise your own harshness and vidictiveness.

I do not think you are being unreasonable. I would tempted to find her handbag and remove her fave mascara... and when she asks where it is, then say, "I fancied using it, I used it up and it's gone now. And I know you won't make a fuss because it's just like my chocolates... So now do you understand how I felt?"

That's only the same if the daughter has thirty mascaras. She took one chocolate from a box of many, she didn't eat the whole box and sat there is none left.

Lurkedforever1 · 16/07/2017 14:00

olivers but our own personal parenting style, and why we believe it is superior isn't relevant to the thread or helpful to op. Except for extremes, most of us do things differently, and just because something is right for ourselves it doesn't mean anyone doing it differently is wrong.

Eg I have one child and neither of us have a sweet tooth. So eg age 3 she could help herself to crap whenever she wanted as it was rare she bothered. And I've never enforced mealtimes either. It doesn't mean that I believe my way is the best way for every other family.

More importantly, the issue isn't about either chocolate or a teen being a bit thoughtless. Imo it's about the fact op has had a lot to cope with recently and isn't giving herself credit for how well she's done it. So I'm even more confused as to why you would respond to tell her that her parenting style is wrong and your parenting philosophy is better.

RebelRogue · 16/07/2017 16:26

Some people seem intent to argue just for the sake of it and that's why they cling to the "it's only (one) chocolate ", when it's pretty obvious this post is not about bloody chocolate

QuackPorridgeBacon · 17/07/2017 11:00

So those justifying it by constantly banging on about it only being one chocolate, what is your view in the half a box her daughter took the last time? Who's to say this one chocolate wasn't also going to turn into half a box?

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