“[Am I The Jerk] For Refusing To Pay For My MIL’s Broken Phone Screen After My Toddler Threw It?”

Picture this: You hand your phone to a toddler— what could possibly go wrong? You’ve probably been there, or maybe you haven’t, but we all know toddlers can be human wrecking balls with adorable faces.

Today’s Original Poster (OP) found themselves in a rather messy situation involving their 18-month-old, a cracked phone screen, and a mother-in-law who wasn’t thrilled about footing a repair bill. The twist? The mother-in-law was the one who handed over the phone to the toddler in the first place.

More info: Reddit

Giving your phone to a toddler is basically saying goodbye to your screen and hello to chaos

Toddler playing with a smartphone, capturing the curiosity and potential risk as the child holds it close to their face.

Image credits: George Pak / Pexels (not the actual photo)

The author’s mother-in-law was babysitting their child and gave the 18-month-old her phone, but when she was done, the little one threw it to the floor

Mother-in-law gives toddler phone; demands parents fix it after child breaks it.

Text description discussing MIL wanting parents to pay after toddler breaks phone.

Image credits: Super_Spud_Eire

Broken smartphone screen held in a hand after toddler damage.

Image credits: vecstock / Pexels (not the actual photo)

The screen of her phone was shattered, and the mother-in-law demanded that the author and her partner pay for the damage

Text discussing accountability when a toddler smashes a phone.

Text explaining MIL's decision to give their child a phone against parental advice.

Image credits: Super_Spud_Eire

Mother and daughter arguing over a broken phone, emphasizing parental advice conflict.

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

The author gave the mother-in-law reasons as to why they can’t pay for the damage, but she wasn’t happy about it

Text discussing the financial impact of phone repair costs compared to income.

Text discussing MIL giving toddler a phone, parents' disagreement over fixing it.

Image credits: Super_Spud_Eire

They finally asked the mother-in-law to pay for the damage while they pay back in installments, but she said it was their problem

The OP’s 18-month-old was being watched by the mother-in-law for a bit. She took a chance and handed over her phone to the toddler so she could enjoy some YouTube time. If you’ve ever given a phone to a little one, you know how quickly things can escalate.

The toddler, naturally, got bored and threw the phone from the high chair, leading to a shattered screen. Now, no one can argue that toddlers don’t make questionable decisions—they’ll eat dirt, chew on electrical cords, and apparently, launch phones into oblivion.

The mother-in-law, who’s doing quite well financially, demanded that the OP and her partner foot the repair bill, which was no small amount. To make matters worse, this was right before Christmas, and for the parents, that repair cost would be a significant burden.

It’s important to note that the couple doesn’t allow their child to use phones in the first place, and the mother-in-law knew this when she made the decision to hand over her device. Now, the OP had some strong points in their defense.

First, they weren’t there when the incident occurred. Second, they were not the ones who gave the phone to the toddler. And third, there’s the money issue. For the mother-in-law, it would be a drop in the bucket, but for the parents, it means scraping together extra cash they don’t have.

Despite all of this, she wasn’t willing to compromise. The OP and her partner offered to pay her back in installments, but she refused, claiming that it was their responsibility to handle the situation.

Counting money at a desk with a notebook and pen nearby.

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

The OP and her partner did a good job by trying to negotiate on the payment. According to Stitt Feld Handy Group, conversations with family can be often frustrating, so it is essential to be able to discuss and negotiate effectively to resolve conflict.

Therefore, the keys to having seamless conversations and reaching satisfying conclusions include entering the discussion with the goal of finding a workable solution for everyone as well as “keeping emotions in check” and “active listening”.

Research from Greater Good reveals that wealth can significantly impact how people think, feel, and behave, often without them realizing it. Wealthier individuals may struggle with empathy and compassion, while those with fewer resources tend to develop greater emotional intelligence due to their need for social support and understanding.

Take the mother-in-law, for example: her wealth might be influencing her inability to empathize with the OP and her partner’s financial strain. They go further to highlight that wealth can also cloud moral judgment, which could have led her to feel entitled to have the phone repaired without considering the situation.

The majority of commenters strongly agreed that the OP was not at fault, with many emphasizing that the mother-in-law’s decision to hand over an expensive phone to an 18-month-old was quite reckless.

However, a few netizens suggested that while the mother-in-law made a mistake, the OP and her partner should consider offering to pay a portion of the repair cost as the mother-in-law also did them a favor by babysitting their child.

What would you do if you were in the OP’s shoes? Would you pay for the repair or stand your ground? Please let us know your thoughts!

The general consensus from netizens is that the mother-in-law should not have given a baby her phone in the first place

Reddit discussion about MIL giving toddler phone, resulting in broken phone dilemma.

Text conversation discussing toddler breaking a phone.

Reddit comments discussing a smashed phone situation involving a toddler and a MIL.

Comment exchange discussing phone protection after toddler damage.

Comment criticizing MIL for giving toddler a phone, blaming irresponsibility.

Reddit comment criticizing giving a toddler a phone, saying it's unnecessary.

Text exchange about MIL giving toddler phone.

Reddit comment criticizing a grandmother giving a phone to a toddler.

Comment asking the meaning of "LO" with user and points displayed.

Reddit comment about MIL phone repair after toddler incident.

Comment discussing mistake of giving phone to toddler, suggesting the MIL take responsibility.

Text screenshot discussing MIL giving a toddler a phone and it getting broken.

Text exchange about MIL giving toddler a phone against advice, resulting in broken phone.

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