28-year-old goes no contact with her parents after they cut off her 8-year-old daughter's eyelashes while babysitting, chaos ensues when the stepmom calls the child a liar: ‘Marie woke up with pink eye’

Author image for Jesse Kessenheimer
Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Aug 8, 2025 6:00 PM EDT

Grandparents make excellent free babysitters, but for this 28-year-old, who thought she could always count on Mom and Dad for some much-needed childcare, a bridge was burned. Parents, as expected, are naturally protective of their kids, but you'd think that ever-present grandparent figures would cherish their 8-year-old granddaughter with equal fervor. But this family dynamic went completely sideways after a weekend at grandma's, turning a steadfast babysitting setup into a nightmare. 

Add as a preferred
source on Google
Advertisement
  • Woman hugging her daughter
    via dimaberlinphotos

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • AITA for cutting my family off after my step mom cut my daughters eyelashes? I (28F) have a daughter (8) who we'll call Marie. Marie spent every other weekend with my dad (60) and my step mom (70). They
    via Electrical-Pass460
  • were extremely close as I was a single mom who worked 2 jobs and they watched her so every day so I didn't have to pay for daycare. The last time she stayed over there she came back the next day with her eyelashes cut off. Marie had pink eye that
    via Electrical-Pass460
  • developed overnight according to step mom and Marie woke up with the sticky stuff on her eye unable to open it. Stepmom claims she used a warm wash cloth but Marie came home with her eyelashes cut on one eye with a completely different story.
    via Electrical-Pass460

  • I had pink eye once, and the whole experience sent me into turmoil. Already in my 20s, I was staying in a hostel in Eastern Europe (I know, I should have seen it coming), and I contracted a terrible case of conjunctivitis. My eyes were swollen and sealed shut, everything was itchy, and I was totally creeped out. Desperate to improve my claustrophobic state, I considered many desperate maneuvers, including trimming my eyelashes away. In hindsight, I know it made no sense, but in the heat of the moment, the panic set in—just like it did with these grandparents. 

    While their granddaughter was staying over, things went awry when pink eye came into play, but with poor reactions from literally everyone involved, this misunderstanding spiraled into an all-out nightmare scenario. 

  • According to Marie, step mom got frustrated when the wash cloth wasn't working so she cut them. Marie said she told her not to do that and step mom didn't listen. Also told me she didn't push stepmom anymore because
    via Electrical-Pass460
  • she had scissors to her face and was scared. I immediately called step mom and she didn't answer so i texted her to call me when she had time, thinking i would just have an adult conversation with her. I called my dad to see if
    via Electrical-Pass460
  • he could shed some light on the situation. He had no idea and was furious. She ends up calling me back and instead of talking to me she starts screaming at both me and Marie. Proceeds to call my daughter a liar, a terrible person,
    via Electrical-Pass460
  • and delusional. I don't like her reaction so I hang up the phone. But i do question Marie if her story was 100% true. She didn't back down or change her story so I believed her (still do) and stood up for her. During the fit
    via Electrical-Pass460
  • stepmom is throwing, she starts sending texts about how Marie should have blamed it on someone else and how awful of a child she is. I tell her i'm standing up for Marie and eventually block her number because she wouldn't leave me alone.
    via Electrical-Pass460
  • The next day stepmom shows up at my house unannounced demanding that i force my daughter to talk to her alone and I didn't think it was a good idea but I ask Marie if she would like to speak to her. She says no so I don't force her. Step mom
    via Electrical-Pass460
  • proceeded to start screaming about how I need to tell her she "has" to and I told her no. I told her that she had no right to show up to my house unannounced demanding anything and to leave. After this she sends me a message on Facebook (I don't
    via Electrical-Pass460
  • get on there much so i forgot about blocking her there) saying she was just going to tell her to change the story and say someone else did it and she would back her up to keep her from getting in trouble. Pretty
    via Electrical-Pass460
  • much admitted she was going to tell her to lie. I call my dad to tell him about this and he ignores me. After this I decided she was no longer welcome in or around my home or Marie.
    via Electrical-Pass460
  • I end up having another conversation with my dad to tell him all of this, and I guess he believes stepmom even after I sent him screenshots with proof of everything. I tell him he can still come see Marie but stepmom wasn't welcome in my home
    via Electrical-Pass460
  • anymore. He says no and says he wont see Marie if stepmom cant but is now running around to everyone saying I wont let him see Marie and started another fight with me over that which resulted in me having to
    via Electrical-Pass460
  • block him too. Now that they cant reach me, they are both reaching out to the rest of the family and my in- laws to say im overreacting and I wont let them see Marie. AITA?
    via Electrical-Pass460
  • neinneinballons ⚫ NTA. Try to see if you can get authorities involved, because your stepmom's behavior is beyond worrying and you might need her actions documented if she escalates. Your approach to parenting, asking your kid, believing her and supporting her decision is remarkable.
    via neinneinballons
  • Sea-Championship4017 ⚫ Your daughter gets pink eye, stepmom's solution? Snip snip, problem solved
    via Sea-Championship4017

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

family drama dads famiies drama kids brother siblings moms parenting babysitting dad story family sibling sister stories parent mom cousins parents
Scroll Down For The Next Article