Man builds dollhouse for 28-year-old wife, brother gets offended when he won't give it to his 13-year-old niece for her birthday: 'He told me that I was teasing her'

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    DDD M MIL
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    AITA for not giving the 'dollhouse' I built to my niece, but to my wife as a gift?

    (It's NOT a dollhouse, but I didn't want anyone to think I was being misleading on purpose by saying I built a house) I (28M) made my wife (28f) a replica of a house that's known to fans of a musician, but wouldn't mean much to others. It's about 2 feet tall and wasn't very complicated to build, but my wife had said a few times over last year that she thought it would be cool to have for little trinkets. She's like a crow with her trinkets, I love it. She didn't know I was making it for her, but
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    I was excited, so I showed a picture to my brother. He told me it was cool, but didn't get the purpose. He showed it to my niece Ava (13f) who knew what it was and said she wanted one too. My brother asked if I would give it to Ava for her birthday.
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    I said no, it's for my wife, but I could make one with Ava. It would help teach her some basic woodworking skills which they don't do in schools here anymore. I'd like that. Brother said if it was so easy then I could make a second one for my wife and just give this one to Ava since her bday is the end of the month. Again I said no, this was done specifically for my wife. He seemed to accept that but then came back to me and said "Isn't it a little weird to make a dollhouse for an adult woman?"
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    He must have gone to complain to mom about it (he is the younger brother) because mom called me to tell me that it was "stupid" to give my wife a dollhouse. I tried to explain that it's not a dollhouse but she just kept saying "that's stupid." This weekend I was at their house and Ava kept bringing up the house and laying it on thick with statements like "I've alway wanted one just like it." She kept asking why my wife wanted a dollhouse. I said it's not a dollhouse, but she kept asking why she
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    I told my brother that he was encouraging his kid to be manipulative and I really didn't like it, so I was going to leave. He told me that I was dangling the house over her head like McDonald's and teasing her and that it made me a bad uncle. Being a good uncle is important to me and I do feel for the girl because she's a big fan too. I admit I have a blind spot for this because I don't have kids and maybe I shouldn't have shared the picture with my brother to begin with. Am I really the a hole
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    Unsurprisingly, everyone was on his side.

    amoamareamaviamatus I'm guessing the "dollhouse" is a replica of the Lover House? If it's anything like I'm imagining or what I've seen online, it is more like a fancy storage display for her Taylor Swift memorabilia rather than a toy anyway. NTA in either case, OP. It's your creation that you get to gift to whoever you want.
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    JustSomeUncleGuy OP Yeah it's the Lover house! Lol I didn't know if I said that directly if it was going to affect what people said because of how weird people are about her
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    prettyminotaur I think it's an awesome present for your wife, and your brother is being an entitled j who's raising his daughter to also be an entitled j . NTA!
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    opelan NTA, very clearly. because Ava would actually "play" with it. Also I really doubt that Ava would use that house to play with her dolls in it. She is 13. At that age girls generally don't play with dolls anymore. I do feel for the girl because she's a big fan too And that is the real reason why she wants the house. She is the fan of the same musician as OP's wife. She is just using the dollhouse argument and that she wants to play with it to manipulate OP and because her father and grandmo
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    JustSomeUncleGuy OP Yeah that's what I think too, that she's a fan of Taylor Swift and she wants the Taylor Swift related item. I wonder if she's even still going to be interested in her a year since the big tour is over.
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    NorCalJP This all goes back to your brother. He was the one who decided to tell his daughter, then was the one to ask you to change the purpose for the item, then told his daughter about her getting it, as evidenced by her behavior when you visited. Your brother is using a 13 year old to manipulate you so he can be the hero. I would inform him that this he created the problem, his behavior caused it and he needs to resolve it. I would tell him that there was never a chance you would change the i
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    blueyejan I wouldn't be surprised if your brother told Ava "of course you can have it"
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    JustSomeUncleGuy OP I'm a little worried that he did that and told her that
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    blueyejan This whole thing of crying to Mommy and her getting involved is really strange to me. It's really not her concern. I can't imagine getting in the middle of my sons disagreements. Did she baby younger bwother?
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    JustSomeUncleGuy OP Oh yeah he's the baby of the family and always will be, he's mom's favorite because he was planned lol
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    lihzee NTA. Your brother is being weirdly entitled and he's encouraged Ava to act like a nuisance about it too. Your solution to make one with your niece sounded like a really nice idea. At this rate, I wouldn't be willing to help her make one or make one for her at all. This is ridiculous behavior from your brother, and now his daughter is being influenced. Unacceptable. Do not cave in on this.
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    buttercupgrump NTA He told me that I was dangling the house over her head like McDonald's and teasing her and that it made me a bad uncle. You're not the one teasing Ava. Your brother is. He's put the idea in her head that she deserves that specific item and that you're being mean by not just giving it to her. The truth is, you're actually being a great uncle. You're trying to teach her that she doesn't always get what she wants.
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    jjrobinson73 ΝΤΑ First, I will admit I am NOT a TS fan, so I don't know what the house looks like, h l it could be the house from the "Best Little W***e House in Texas", the point is, it's a house YOU created, not your brother. He can ASK for you to make your niece one, but it is up to you to say yes or no. I honestly don't get this whole "you owe me because of...(insert reason)." This narcissistic attitude needs to stop along with the guilt tripping. No one owes anyone anything. You handled it
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    UndyingCattoo NTA. Jeweller speaking here. Think of it this way: If I made my partner a ring, pendant, etc. Exactly to her specifications (especially cute because you've also kept it a secret!) Then someone else comes along and says to you "Oh I love it and I want it and you must give it to me. And why would you give it to your partner? They won't use it like I will!" Quite frankly it doesn't matter if they are family (Family don't end in bld boy) They are just being selfish and manipulative ars
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    handbelle Since when do 13 year olds want a doll house? Something is weird here
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    JustSomeUncleGuy OP So I don't think it's because it looks like it's a dollhouse, I think it's because the musician is super popular right now and she would get some points on tiktok and instagram from her friends for having it.
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    GOTfangirl In a year, she will only look at her iPhone and the house will be under a pile of dirty clothes.
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    Big Flamingo4061 NTA, especially since you offered to gift her the experience of making one with you and decorating it herself. Your wife is allowed to have nice things, even if kids around you want the same thing. Full stop. They are definitely TAH, especially your brother who is clearly sharing his AH tendencies with his daughter.
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