Teenager Screams at Her Disabled Cousin For Cutting Up All of Her Dresses With Scissors

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Senior Editor
Sep 18, 2023 4:00 PM EDT

When you're a teenager, it can be super difficult to regulate your emotions, especially when a genuine injustice against you occurs. You can get so angry that you can't help but snap at the people around you, even if they are not wholly to blame. You can do the opposite, where you sit back and allow bad things to happen to you without standing up for yourself because you just don't believe that your words will mean anything. Dealing with conflict is tough at any age, but when you know you can get in trouble for raising your voice against unfair happenings, it's so much worse. 

A 16-year-old girl recently went viral on Reddit after sharing her story of yelling at her disabled 13-year-old cousin after he cut up and ruined 30 of her dresses. Worse than that, she paid for most of them with her own money, and her aunt didn't even offer to pay to replace them.

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  • 01
    Human body - r/AmltheAsshole u/_SoftAndMushy_. 1d AITA for yelling at my mentally handicapped cousin for cutting up all my dresses?
    via u/_SoftAndMushy_
  • 02
    Handwriting - So, recently my aunt (F41) and her son (M13) came home to my country from Sweden. We have a spare room where my dresses are hung since my room is a little small. They're sort of hidden away on a rack in the corner so you have to pull them out to see them.
    via u/_SoftAndMushy_
  • 03
    Font - My aunt and my cousin were going to sleep in there which I didn't have a problem with. He's mentally handicapped (I don't really know what it is) and practically acts like a 7-year-old (which is a little annoying but I don't blame him or anything.)
    via u/_SoftAndMushy_
  • 04
    Organism - When I woke up in the morning it was really hot and everyone was down stairs so I walked into the spare room to find a dress, only to find practically every single one with cuts and parts on the floor. I basically freaked out and instantly knew who it was since my aunt and mom wouldn't do something like that.
    via u/_SoftAndMushy_
  • 05
    Font - I stormed down the stairs and screamed at him, which attracted my aunt and mom to come immediately. I couldn't be calmed down at all, since I bought most of the dresses with my own money. He started crying and my aunt hugged him, trying to console him whilst my mom started yelling at me for making him cry. He even admitted to it after a while and even then they consoled him!
    via u/_SoftAndMushy_
  • 06
    Font - My mom offered to pay for some but it's only enough to for like ten dresses and I had over thirty, besides I can't find some of my favorites in stores since we're getting closer to winter and the fact that I was proud that I paid for it myself. Some of my family (including my mom & aunt) are all telling me I'm in the wrong and to apologize to him, but I really don't think I'm wrong. AITA?
    via u/_SoftAndMushy_
  • 07
    Font - Some context: I am a 16-year-old cis woman and haven't seen my aunt and cousin for a little over two years. We have a shared desk besides the dresses that have a few scissors here and there, we (my mom & 1) forgot about them when they came so we didn't hide anything away.
    via u/_SoftAndMushy_
  • 08
    Font - DolwantToKnow6417 1d Professor Emeritass [71] <practically acts like a 7-year-old> Even a 7 year old wouldn't do such a thing. And if he's prone on destroying things, your AUNT shouldn't have left him out of her sight. So you are probably barking against the wrong tree. Make your aunt pay for your dresses. ALL OF THEM. How long did she leave him unsupervised for him to destroy all your dresses? ΝΤΑ ... Reply 16.2k
    via u/DolwantToKnow6417
  • 09
    Font - Notsospinningplates 22h Neither would my 4 year old. But then whatever his numerological issues are, they're likely to be more complex than a simple developmental delay. ... 1.8k
    via u/Notsospinningplates
  • 10
    Font - SpaceJesusls Here • 23h "Dear Mom and Aunt, if my cousin is incapable of bearing responsibility for his behavior, then he is incapable of being left alone without parental supervision. As the adults in the situation, it is your responsibility to fully replace the property that was lost when you left someone unsupervised who you know should not be left alone. Here is a list of what was lost along with a total price." If they complain about the price, you can remind them how many hours of y
    via u/SpaceJesuslsHere
  • 11
    Font - Leifang666 23h Partassipant [2] Given the time taken to cut even once into 30 dresses, your cousin had been left unattended for quite some time to do that. Your aunt needs to replace the dresses and give an appropriate punishment to her son. No judgement here as I don't know what you said to him or how long you were screaming at him for. Could be an E S H situation. Could have been N T A. Reply 1.9k
    via u/Leifang666
  • 12
    Font - JinxyMagee . 23h Cut up her clothes. See how she likes it. I know you can't do that. I am a little grumpy There is no way she didn't see this happen. If she claims she didn't, then she is neglectful as a parent. He obviously had access to something sharp. Your aunt should pay for the dresses. Ask your mother how she would like all her clothes cut up. Then hand your cousin a scissor and show him to her closet. Yup, still grumpy. So sorry your dresses were ruined. That was so preventable an
    via u/JinxyMagee
  • 13
    Rectangle - Bagelstein 23h ● NTA "I am sorry I yelled, I know he can't control himself and its not his fault, however I will need all of my clothing replaced." ... Reply 530
    via u/Bagelstein
  • 14
    Font - Lavender Marsh • 22h NTA I'll say first that my son is developmentally and physically disabled. He is seventeen. He has known since he was known boundaries from a young age. He knows what he is and is not allowed to do. He has always been appropriately disciplined with guidance from therapists and doctors.
    via u/LavenderMarsh
  • 15
    Font - If your cousin is capable of admitting he did it after the fact he's capable of knowing it was wrong. He's being coddled. His mother likely feels bad or guilty, which is reinforced by a lot of doctors, that she's to blame for him being disabled. As a result she doesn't discipline him. I see this all the time in my son's peers. It's something all of his therapists have complained about regarding kids they treat. It raises entitled kids that think the world owes them for being disabled. The
    via u/LavenderMarsh
  • 16
    Font - swillshop 21h : Aficionado [12] OP, You are right to be upset, but you yelled at the wrong person. In your shoes, I would have called the aunt and your mom up to the room, so that they could see the destruction. I know I would have been so mad that it would be hard to speak calmly, so I won't pretend that's a reasonable thing to expect of you. (Though it would be an awesome thing to be able to do!)
    via u/swillshop
  • 17
    Font - Maybe I would have said, "You need to make this right." then left to calm down. I would make it clear that I expected aunt to reimburse me for the full purchase price of each dress. If she couldn't cover all of it, then I would have asked your mom to cover the difference. (I know that still doesn't mean you can replace every dress, but you replace what you can and use the remaining money to find new dresses to replace the ones that were completely lost.)
    via u/swillshop
  • 18
    Font - By yelling at a mentally handicapped child, you made yourself the target of some outrage. I think it would be fine for you to apologize for yelling at your cousin (and sincerely to him) but to also tell your mom and aunt that given his challenges, it was on them to supervise him at all times and it's on them to make you whole for the damage that he did to your dresses. ... Reply 51
    via u/swillshop

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dresses aita destructive handicapped disability handicap bad parenting reddit story disabled aunt scissors clothes dress reddit thread cousins cousin
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