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This story just sounds plain weird and plain RUDE.
But that’s just my opinion…
And now it’s up to YOU to see how you feel about this story that someone shared on the “Am I the A**hole?” page on Reddit.
Read on to see what happened.
AITA for no longer speaking around my niece?
“English is my third language. I’m an immigrant, married into a predominantly white family. I think I’m fluent enough. I still have an accent and likely will for the rest of my life, and sometimes I lost handle on grammar when speaking too quickly or when I’m stressed.
My in-laws are for the most part neutral about me, at least when I’m around. However, there has been a few instances of them showing disappointment in their son for marrying not only another man, but an immigrant one. Listing them would take too much space and isn’t completely relevant. Just their existence is.
Husband’s sister, my sister-in-law, had her first daughter last year. Now that the economy is stabilizing, she wants to go back to the workforce to help her family get back on track (BIL was laid off and had to find lower paying job). In-laws has been taking turn babysitting her daughter while she’s job-hunting, including husband and I. We usually have her on Thursday afternoon, right before her nap.
Three weeks ago, while babysitting, MIL and FIL came over to visit. Niece was being fussy, so I rocked her in my arm and sang her a lullaby in one of my native tongues as I usually do while she’s being fussy in my care. MIL didn’t exactly snatch her out of my arms, but it was a close thing. She told me off for using “foreign languages that will mess up her language development.”
Like I said, this was the last of a long list of passive-aggressive behavior from her part, so when husband’s “mom!” did absolutely nothing as usual, I said that it’s alright, and that I just won’t speak around her so she doesn’t pick up my accent and mispronunciation and wrong stressings.
That’s exactly what I’ve been doing since then. Whenever we have her over or if we’re visiting SIL or we met on a get-together, I only respond with a nod, a shrug, or a head shake, sometimes hum or other such noises. Husband is upset, of course, but when I point out that MIL has nothing to complain about since I did that, he always shuts up.
A couple of days ago, SIL’s friend was visiting when we came over for dinner. As usual, I became nonverbal while in my niece’s vicinity. SIL’s friend noticed and (very politely) asked if it would be helpful if she signs while speaking.
I was honest, and told her quietly that I have an accent and don’t want to affect my niece’s speech. Things were very awkward afterwards, rightfully so, and when we got back home, husband and I got into a very big fight over this. He said I’m being childish, which I was… under the orders of his mother. We haven’t spoken to each other since.
AITA?”
Now take a look at what Reddit users said about this.
One person shared their experience and said their husband is an a**hole for allowing this to happen.
Photo Credit: Reddit
And another reader said they’re NTA and that they seem to have a spouse problem.
Photo Credit: Reddit
This individual made a good point about how hearing different languages is actually GOOD for kids.
Photo Credit: Reddit
What do you think?
Talk to us in the comments and let us know.
We look forward to it!
