My Mum is being very harsh on my brother over a broken phone. What should I do?

[BritBoy]

My 15 yo brother’s just come home with a smashed screen on his phone. Complete accident. Don’t know how it happened but somehow his girlfriend and his friend are both responsible. My Mum is livid with him. She’s getting him a flip up phone and said he can keep that until he can be trusted, and she’s getting his girlfriend’s and his friend’s parents to pay for the broken one to be repaired. I feel really sorry and embarrassed for him, just imagine being that age and having to have that conversation with your girlfriend. He won’t be able to speak to his friends outside of school. I think she’s being very harsh. Do I say that or just keep quiet and hope someone else does?

Does your mum have house insurance, iphone damage may be covered?
How will she compel the girlfriend parents to pony up?
I can see why your mum is cross but no I’d not involve anyone else or request they pay

@HeelsHandbagPerfumeCoffee

Does your mum have house insurance, iphone damage may be covered? How will she compel the girlfriend parents to pony up? I can see why your mum is cross but no I’d not involve anyone else or request they pay

No, I'm afraid we don't have house insurance. Part of me wants to pay for the damage myself. I don't know, but she's saying that she's going to ask her to pay for it as if she has a problem with her. I think she may be jealous as his girlfriend's mum seems to have a very good relationship with him.

Is this about an iPhone or are you leading up to a reveal about the GF mother and your mum
If there are funny dynamics then this isn’t really about the phone is it...
If yiu can afford it pay for the broken screen to be repaired, no drama

Op how does your mum treat your dbro in general

Erm at that age he should look after things better and if his friend and gf are responsible for the damage they should be financially responsible. Your not the parent and massively undermining her. Of course he should have a flip phone if he can't look after his phone.

@HeelsHandbagPerfumeCoffee

Is this about an iPhone or are you leading up to a reveal about the GF mother and your mum If there are funny dynamics then this isn’t really about the phone is it... If yiu can afford it pay for the broken screen to be repaired, no drama

They don't even know each other, nor have they ever met. My brother just seems talk about her quite often, more so than his girlfriend actually.

You need to grow up, if DS broke someone else phone of course he would have to pay for the damage why on earth wouldn't he.

Sure thing

All very overdramatic for a £35 replacement screen

@Motnight

Op how does your mum treat your dbro in general

Erm…I think it's fair to say that their relationship is very temperamental (I think that's the word). I find that whenever they have conversation between the two of them it's never really about anything exciting. She always seems to be looking for things to tell him off for, my stepdad does this too. But when all the family are together, everything's great.

Gosh ..
So your brother fancies his girlfriend’s mum

@SummerSazz

All very overdramatic for a £35 replacement screen

That's exactly what I thought. I didn't think it was that big of a deal. I came home with a ruined pair of £100 trainers when I was around his age and she was pretty chilled out about that. Just said "oh well, accidents happen", and bought me a new pair

Could you offer to lend him the money to get the screen replaced? It's possible your mum doesn't realise quite how critical smartphones are to teens in keeping in touch. So you could try taking to her to explain how an old flip up phone won't allow him to keep in touch the way it might have done 10-15 years ago.

@nimbuscloud

Gosh .. So your brother fancies his girlfriend’s mum

I think so, but to be honest I don't blame him if he does. She's a very attractive lady. I think it's perfectly normal to have crushes on older women at that age, as long as he knows where the line is

boom and they we are the obvious milf reference
So fucking obvious

This is a wind up

Yup and an obvious one too

I promise you, it's no wind up. Sorry if it feels like I've wasted your time

If this has just happened this evening, give her time, it's probably the straw that broke the camel's back. Talk to her when shes calmed down.

@DioneTheDiabolist

If this has just happened this evening, give her time, it's probably the straw that broke the camel's back. Talk to her when shes calmed down.

Her and my Dad only recently agreed to pay half each to buy him a bike, as all his friends have one and he doesn't. Maybe I should ask my Dad to suggest that he can either have the screen repaired or still have the bike, and let him have the choice. I don't want it to seem to them like I'm trying to take over, I just know how it feels to be in a situation like that at his age, and it's not very nice at all

Screens cost money, and your mum is probably pissed off at having to spend it (especially if it was damaged by another person, but only your brother knows that).

It's not really your business, unless you want to offer to pay yourself. That's up to you.

Do you know anyone with an old phone they might be willing to give your brother?

Cool story bro