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Dad Stands Up To His Sister After She Says His Girls Made Their Cousin Feel Poor
Woman with long brown hair speaking passionately, illustrating the concept of keeping daughters in line during family discussions.

Dad Stands Up To His Sister After She Says His Girls Made Their Cousin Feel Poor

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One mom turned to Reddit after an Easter egg hunt sparked a full-blown family conflict.

It all started when her daughters excitedly told their cousin about the candy and gifts they had received.

Her sister-in-law accused the kids of flaunting their privilege. This led to a heated argument between both mothers and fathers, and the drama spilled onto social media, where her in-laws publicly criticized the woman’s parenting.

Now, the mom has turned to the internet to ask whether she handled the situation wrong or was unfairly blamed for simply giving her kids a happy Easter.

RELATED:

    Family holidays can bring joy or total chaos

    Young girl holding Easter gifts wrapped in red and white paper, reflecting family tensions about keeping daughters in line.

    Image credits: cottonbro studio/Pexels (not the actual photo)

    And oftentimes, it all depends on the in-laws

    Text post discussing a past family conversation about children flaunting presents and Easter gifts.

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    Text excerpt discussing economic differences between families and reactions related to kids and Easter gifts.

    Text discussing financial success and jealousy, relating to family dynamics and Easter gifts controversies.

    Text excerpt discussing SIL conflict after kids talk about Easter gifts during a family egg hunt at the MIL’s house.

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    Kids excitedly discussing Easter gifts and egg hunts while their SIL reacts strongly to the conversation about daughters.

    Text excerpt showing a sister-in-law upset about keeping daughters in line and kids discussing Easter gifts.

    Woman expressing frustration while discussing with children about Easter gifts and keeping daughters in line.

    Image credits: SHVETS production/Pexels (not the actual photo)

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    Kids excitedly discussing Easter gifts while SIL reacts to keeping daughters in line and gift fairness concerns.

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    Screenshot of a text conversation about SIL exploding after kids discuss Easter gifts and family tensions over gift choices.

    Text excerpt about SIL conflict over Easter gifts and daughters, highlighting family tension and social media posts.

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    Text discussing kids and Easter gifts, with a sister-in-law reacting strongly over daughters' gift rules.

    Text expressing frustration about keeping daughters' Easter gifts secret from husband's family and gift buying fairness.

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    Text discussing a mother explaining her daughters' ages and addressing comments about Easter gifts and her sister-in-law.

    Image credits: anon

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    Children from poor families grow up at a disadvantage compared to their richer peers

    Image credits: Ivan Samkov/Pexels (not the actual photo)

    The sad truth is that children from wealthier families have less stress and longer life expectancies than poorer kids.

    A study published earlier this year, which included 1,160 5- to 12-year-olds from the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Norway, Lithuania, and Greece, was the largest done on the associations between wealth, cortisol, and telomeres, the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that determine biological age.

    The results showed that low-income kids produce as much as 23% more cortisol — the “stress hormone” — than their wealthier peers, aging their cells a whopping 10 years.

    They also had telomeres of up to 5% shorter than their peers.

    “For some children, their economic background may put them at a biological disadvantage compared to those who have a better start in life,” said Dr. Oliver Robinson, one of the study’s authors.

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    It might be that children from less affluent backgrounds are experiencing greater psychosocial stress, for instance, they may be sharing a bedroom with family members, or they may not have the resources they need for school, like access to a computer for homework.

    But different socioeconomic conditions between cousins aren’t necessarily a bad thing

    Image credits: Kaboompics.com/Pexels (not the actual photo)

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    Compared to siblings, cousins have larger gaps in socioeconomic status and might grow up in different home environments.

    However, if the families manage to keep things civil, their bond can bring more positives than negatives.

    In childhood, that can make them good role models and in adulthood, given that many people find friends who are similar to them, extended family can provide a rare opportunity to have your opinions challenged, Diego Alburez-Gutierrez, who studies kinship dynamics at the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Germany, told The Atlantic.

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    Cousins are pretty much your peers who can stretch your assumptions, without that much danger of the relationship ending if debates get heated.

    So, hopefully, the parents will find a way out of this conflict that would allow the kids to stay in touch and learn from each other.

    Most of the people who read the story agreed that neither the mom nor her husband did anything wrong

    Comment on SIL conflict after kids discuss Easter gifts, highlighting the need to teach daughters empathy and humility.

    Screenshot of a Reddit comment discussing sibling dynamics and putting sisters in their place after kids talk about Easter gifts.

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    Reddit comment discussing parenting challenges and family conflicts related to SIL after kids talk about Easter gifts.

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    Comment discussing daughters, SIL anger, and children’s Easter gifts in a family dispute on a parenting forum.

    Comment discussing kids talking about Easter gifts and a SIL’s strong reaction over keeping daughters in line.

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    Comment discussing children excited about Easter gifts and family dynamics after SIL's reaction explodes.

    A Reddit comment discussing kids and gifts, related to SIL exploding after kids talk about Easter gifts.

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    Comment discussing keeping daughters in line after kids talk about Easter gifts and family gift expectations.

    Screenshot of a forum comment discussing keeping daughters in line after kids talk about Easter gifts and family tensions.

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    Some, however, said the couple—and especially the husband—could have handled the conflict better

    Comment discussing parenting and teaching kids manners after SIL explodes over kids talking about Easter gifts.

    Screenshot of an online comment discussing family conflict about daughters and Easter gifts involving in-law tensions.

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    Text excerpt explaining the impact of teaching daughters about flaunting gifts and being sensitive to others’ circumstances.

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    Text conversation discussing SIL’s anger over kids talking about Easter gifts and family tensions about upbringing and gifts.

    Text comment discussing family tensions and resentment around Easter gifts and keeping daughters in line.

    Comment on SIL exploding after kids talk about Easter gifts, discussing parenting and family dynamics.

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    Screenshot of an online comment about keeping daughters in line and kids discussing Easter gifts with a strong opinion.

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    Rokas Laurinavičius

    Rokas Laurinavičius

    Writer, Senior Writer

    Read more »

    Rokas is a writer at Bored Panda with a BA in Communication. After working for a sculptor, he fell in love with visual storytelling and enjoys covering everything from TV shows (any Sopranos fans out there?) to photography. Throughout his years in Bored Panda, over 300 million people have read the posts he's written, which is probably more than he could count to.

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    Rokas Laurinavičius

    Rokas Laurinavičius

    Writer, Senior Writer

    Rokas is a writer at Bored Panda with a BA in Communication. After working for a sculptor, he fell in love with visual storytelling and enjoys covering everything from TV shows (any Sopranos fans out there?) to photography. Throughout his years in Bored Panda, over 300 million people have read the posts he's written, which is probably more than he could count to.

    What do you think ?
    lenka
    Community Member
    2 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is a hard one. I grew up very poor so I am mindful of the 'present gap' and I teach my kids to be aware of their privilege and mindful of others. At 4 years old a kid barely understands what money is let alone that some people have more than others, and at 4 they are just excited about what the easter bunny bought - that's not 'bragging' that's just childish enthusiasm. The 6 year old *might* be able to grasp these concepts and display some restraint. So yes, I will teach my children in age appropriate ways to be mindful, but I wont curb the magic of their childhood and I wont shame them for having more.

    KatSaidWhat
    Community Member
    2 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I came to a horrible realisation the other day that my mother was not poor, she kept the liquor store in the black...

    Load More Replies...
    R Dennis
    Community Member
    2 months ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    As an adult, I casually mentioned to some coworkers/employees (I was a quickserve assistant manager) about my trip to Mexico to escape the cold. Later that day, I overhear one employee talk about trying to get aid because their heat was off. I felt like garbage though I did nothing wrong. But in the future, I didn't talk so much about what I had or did out of courtesy for those struggling. I had grown up with utilities being shut off and very little food at times. When you can barely survive, you aren't necessarily jealous of what others have, it just kind of hurts and makes you feel like s**t.

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    DrBronxx
    Community Member
    2 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's hard for parents who aren't well off to have to explain to their kids why they can't have the same things their (the kids') friends have. OP is NTA, but hopefully her kids learn more about their privilege as they grow older.

    Load More Comments
    lenka
    Community Member
    2 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is a hard one. I grew up very poor so I am mindful of the 'present gap' and I teach my kids to be aware of their privilege and mindful of others. At 4 years old a kid barely understands what money is let alone that some people have more than others, and at 4 they are just excited about what the easter bunny bought - that's not 'bragging' that's just childish enthusiasm. The 6 year old *might* be able to grasp these concepts and display some restraint. So yes, I will teach my children in age appropriate ways to be mindful, but I wont curb the magic of their childhood and I wont shame them for having more.

    KatSaidWhat
    Community Member
    2 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I came to a horrible realisation the other day that my mother was not poor, she kept the liquor store in the black...

    Load More Replies...
    R Dennis
    Community Member
    2 months ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    As an adult, I casually mentioned to some coworkers/employees (I was a quickserve assistant manager) about my trip to Mexico to escape the cold. Later that day, I overhear one employee talk about trying to get aid because their heat was off. I felt like garbage though I did nothing wrong. But in the future, I didn't talk so much about what I had or did out of courtesy for those struggling. I had grown up with utilities being shut off and very little food at times. When you can barely survive, you aren't necessarily jealous of what others have, it just kind of hurts and makes you feel like s**t.

    ADVERTISEMENT
    DrBronxx
    Community Member
    2 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's hard for parents who aren't well off to have to explain to their kids why they can't have the same things their (the kids') friends have. OP is NTA, but hopefully her kids learn more about their privilege as they grow older.

    Load More Comments
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