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?

A 5 year old should know not to draw on something that doesn't belong to them surely?! Or am I expecting too much... My daughter wouldn't dream of doing that and she's just turned 4!

OP I'd be fuming too and want it replaced, I definitely wouldn't be giving it to her either 😅

Not an accident in the slightest.

Good for you!

It's happened many times 🤣 I will never unsee the vagina phone case

Mum still hasn't text me, which is worrying 😅 unless my sister has realised she's in the wrong, and not told her

She's angry, asking me to reconsider, to still babysit for them this weekend, promising a replacement... feeling really pissed off to be honest

^

Oh god, no, no, no

Do not babysit

I bet she hasn't. Will you show us the Frozen recorder set as soon as it arrives? I am whistling with anticipation.

Well done for standing up for yourself! And do not babysit this weekend!!

@losingweightandgainingconfidence you sound like a lovely person and your sister sounds awful. Isn’t it funny how two siblings raised in the same home can turn out!

My daughter is also 5, she knows not to touch other people’s property and most definitely NOT to scribble/draw all over someone else’s things. If she ever destroyed someone’s property I would pay for a replacement there and then. It’s what you do as a decent parent. Your kid fucked up, you fix it and we would be having a discussion about it at home. Doesn’t matter if the item is £5 or £500. I would find the money and figure it out.

It’s not “girly things” by allowing your child to be a menace and destroy things. Even with my makeup which she loves, she will always ask if she can play with it. You set boundaries and expectations when they are young so that they understand and respect not only their toys/things, but other people’s belongings too.

Good for you for standing up for yourself and ignore the judgy comments about your taste in phone cases 😄

😂😂 that gave me a good laugh

Send it Bach and get yourself a new phone case

There's a whole long Liszt of things OP could treat herself to.

If I was your mother I wouldn't be getting involved. It's nothing to do with her and sticking an oar in and looking as though she's taking sides will just make things worse. This needs an apology, a replacement case and some water under the bridge. There isn’t a role for your mother apart from keeping out of it and listening to her daughters if they want to talk to her about it.

😁

Good for you! Your money is yours to spend as you wish. Just because they don’t agree with you spending that on a phone case it doesn’t mean that their child should be allowed to destroy your property. Your sister is really rude. Well done for sending the Barbie back and telling them you won’t babysit. Your sister and her dd need to respect other people’s property.

Well she has been Chopin

Next time you visit your DSis I would sneak in a hoard of permanent markers and suggest your neice redecorate the walls of the entire house while you keep her mum occupied. When they discover the damage congratulate them on having such a creative child.

No need. They can be her Christmas present. Those massive packs of Sharpies maybe so she can colour the rainbow.

Ooohhhh....I'd being going round with the fattest bingo marker I could find and writing my name across the bonnet of their car..........

Well done for standing your ground. I'd get the kid a harmonica and a packet of permanent markers for Christmas and tell sister that her and BIL present was returned to make up cost of the ruined case, and additionally that there will be no more free babysitting owing to their child-centric entitled attitude.

Arghh all the puns. I can't get a Handel on it

ETA: @losingweightandgainingconfidence you are my hero. We'll done

And I love the message you sent your sister!! 🎉🎉🎉

That text was 👌 go grey rock, they all need a wake up call and start treating you with respect.

True, though if the pens are sneaked in it could be weeks or months before DSis finds them all. Planned correctly, so the neice finds pens periodically, just as her parents have repainted (again) this gift could be giving well into the New Year and even all the way to Easter!

Yes, parents should absolutely replace. It won't be so funny and 'cute' when in 10 years she is stealing and ruining her mothers fancy make-up or mums fancy belongings because her parents haven't taught her any better.