A woman has revealed how her whole family turned against her, after she called out her mum for demanding lavish gifts on her children's birthdays.
The 25-year-old says how she and her three siblings, who are aged 10, 16 and 18, are always expected to buy gifts for their mum on their own birthdays, as well as their siblings', to celebrate the fact their mum gave birth.
"Every year on every single one of our birthday, we're expected to celebrate my mom as well. We've done it since we were little. It was taught to me as 'giving thanks for carrying and giving birth to us,' which I'm all for, I am grateful as we wouldn't be here without her. The issue is though, it becomes less of our birthday and more-so an anniversary for the day our mom gave birth," she wrote on Reddit's AITA forum.
"Every year on our birthday our mom gets gifts too. As we got older, we're now expected to get her monetary gifts (and not cards, or homemade stuff). Just recently was my birthday and I was gifted some much needed clothes and dishware for my new apartment. My dad however got my mom a new macbook."
The woman's siblings all bought their mum gifts too, and this year her 16-year-old sister pulled her aside to apologise for not being able to buy much as she'd spent all her money on an expensive necklace for her their mum, which she'd been dropping hints about for months.
"My sister was worried our mom would be upset and feel underappreciated if she didn't get it. I asked how much it was, and my sister said it was $300. I honestly lost it on our mom and chewed into her later that afternoon when my mom opened her gifts after me," she continued.
"I think she's ridiculous for even wanting my sister to spend so much on a gift! Mom started crying and my dad kicked me out. Mom won't answer calls but my aunt mom's sister called and said I was a piece of s*** for not respecting my mother and that I'm a selfish, narcissist child for being jealous of the gifts mom got."
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At first the woman was convinced she was in the right, but since then she's started questioning things as her mum hasn't returned her calls for two weeks now,
"She's been posting on Facebook inspiration quotes about letting go of the toxicity in your life, how blood doesn't equal family, and how hard it is to be a mother. Several family members - aunt, grandma, uncle, and two of my cousins - are replying to the posts and are very obviously directing vague comments at me about being a horrible daughter," she continued.
The woman then turned to Reddit to question whether others felt she was justified in kicking off at her mum, and she was met with resounding support.
"It was her choice to carry four children and give birth to them. Your mother sounds self-centred and selfish," one user commented. "As far as toxicity in one's life and how blood doesn't equal family, I think you should apply that to your mother, not to you."
Another agreed: "I've never in my life heard of such a ridiculous thing as gifts for the mother or father for a kids birthday. That is some narcissistic nonsense. Shouldn't your father get them too? On Mother's Day and Father's Day are they expected to give you guys gifts since you are the reason they are parents?
"Maybe you should stop trying to contact them and distance yourself for a while without any contact with your parents (siblings clearly need your level head). Seriously, what a load of crap behaviour."
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