Niece ruined my phone case, DSis and BIL refusing to replace it

[losingweightandgainingconfidence]

This is possibly the pettiest thing to ever be posted on here but I need to know if I'm going insane.

I (F25) purchased myself a Rhode phone case - it's a phone case that holds your lip balm in the back of it. Absolutely a frivolous and silly purchase, but I'd had my eye on one for ages and wanted one. They're expensive, but I got it as a treat to myself for losing weight. (I've lost a large amount of weight this year and wanted to treat myself)

My niece (5) has been obsessed won't this phone case. She's into all things makeup and girlie, and loves it. over the weekend my DSis, BIL and DN came over for lunch. I'm sat in the lounge chatting to them all, and my niece is off colouring somewhere. I've obviously left my phone on the side somewhere, probably on charge. She walks in grinning from ear to ear, holding my phone.

She's written her name all over the case, she's drawn smiley faces and the like. It won't come off, I've tried soaking it and everything.

My DSis immediately blamed me, because I "know how much she likes it" and my BIL said I may as well give it to her now as she's made it her own. I've said that if that's the case, I expect a replacement. It's not cheap and while yes it may have been seen as a waste of money, I work and I bought myself a treat.

I'm beyond angry, because it's my personal properly. AIBU to expect them to replace it?

This is a really horrible post. Why are you going out of your way to insult the OP like this?

Yeh some folk like to be edgy OP. Mumsnet is generally fab but has some unpleasant tropes, one of which is the head tilt and tinkly laugh at other people's taste. It's an unpleasant trait.

You love your phone case and treated yourself as a nice reward for working so hard, it's quite hurtful that this little madam has no boundaries and I'm glad she's getting the frozen recorder😁

My granddaughter drew all over the photo of my husband and my own newly replaced passports, she was 2 and a half and I'd stupidly left them on a table beside permanent felt tips. My daughter was horrified and wanted to replace them but it was my fault. A 5 year old is completely different and the parents are twots.

Oh well if your niece says it’s pointless and ugly no one should purchase one ever again!

Your sister should have been mortified and ordered a replacement immediately. There's no other appropriate response.

That’s not really lot of money. Put it down to experience. 🙂

@PreciousMahoney For a second I didn't read your post properly and I honestly thought you'd put that your GD had drawn all over your husband so you replaced him!

Who knew a phone case could be so controversial

It is to me and it obviously is to the OP. Maybe you could buy it for her if you've got got £38 you can afford to lose.

The parents are completely out of line, that's appalling. Also, niece is brat. At 5, your kids should know you don't draw on other people's stuff. YANBU!!

However I did Google the case and it looks like a vulva 🙈 but it's YOUR vulva case, you love it, and if your sister isn't buying you a new one after she fucked up, you'd be well within your rights to take back her presents and buy yourself a new vajajay lipgloss holder. So rude of them!!!!

I think a 5 year old knows, or should know, not to draw on other people's things.
And if she has a propensity for doing things like that, she should be more carefully watched by her parents.
They certainly should replace it for you, if they can't be bothered either to minitor their child or train her not to touch other people's belongings then they have to take responsibility for the consequences.

Return her Christmas present, wrap the phone case up and give it as her Christmas present. Problem solved. She wants it, she gets it, it's in lieu of a gift, you don't have to spend money on a Christmas gift, so you effectively have some money back to buy a new one. At age 5 children know what the are doing. The very fact that the dad said you may as well give it to her as she's drawn on it, probably means it's happened before and she knows she gets her own way. I had a cousin like that, would poke all the nice cakes with his grubby hands and was then told he'd have to eat them as he touched them, previously he'd been told no more cake. At 5 my kids knew they touched cake without permission they didn't get anything, they spoiled something that belonged to someone else they'd be apologising and losing privileges. That's is what is required of a parent, you're not their friend, you're their parent.

I would return the Barbie you’ve bought and gift your niece the ruined phone case since she likes it so much.

I’d then use the Barbie money to buy yourself a new case

You and your uni student niece sound like a pair of judgmental twats.

I hope you include the sheet music to "Let it Go"!!!

So @losingweightandgainingconfidence has to take ‘personal responsibility’, @Moonshine5 - what about the child’s actual parents? I notice you don’t seem to think they bear any responsibility for their child’s actions!

@losingweightandgainingconfidence - the Frozen recorder sounds like a perfect present.

Oh fuck off.

She's done that too 🤣

Bless! Maybe she has a bright future as a tattooist ahead of her.

Make sure to pack the present with lots of glitter if they'll open at their house.

Decapitate and disembowel Barbie.

Tell her Santa suffered the same fate due to her destructive behaviour.

And write all over it

For those that think the niece should be given the phone case-what's the reasoning behind that?

@Twothinkthat you are an evil genius 😀

That’s not that expensive. Mine was nearly £100 and is now falling apart (after 3 years, but still!).

If my child did that, regardless of cost, I’d replace it.

You can get it for a tenner on ebay