24-year-old screams at aunt for letting her 5-year-old play with her $2000 laptop like it's a toy, aunt calls her 'selfish' for lashing out: 'My aunt jumped and looked at me like I was the crazy one'

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Feb 21, 2026 10:00 PM EST

When you own something expensive, you're probably doing everything in your power to keep it safe. 

We all have a prized possession. It might be your car, a family heirloom, or your laptop. Most people need laptops to do their job. A lot of people would be out of work if all the laptops in the world suddenly vanished. So you're probably doing your best to keep it out of harm's way. Your laptop is your livelihood. Without it, you couldn't do the things you do to make money. If you've ever had a laptop incident, you know this all too well. You're left stranded for days, weeks, however long it takes for you to get a hold of a new one, or get your old one fixed.

On the other hand, laptops can be finicky devils. You get a little bit of water on them, and it's the end of the world. You drop it at a weird angle, and it never turns on again. You accidentally delete an important app, and suddenly all of your files are corrupted. They have a tendency to go in and out, and you can't be too careful with how you treat them. You certainly don't want to leave them unsupervised around small children. Small children famously love to put stuff into their mouths, break things, and generally have no regard for personal property. And if you're a parent of one of these little ones, you're probably used to keeping an eye on them to make sure they don't run wild.

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  • A woman carries a child across the street
    via Unsplash+ (Jordan González)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • But not all parents are as aware of their children as they should be. Some just assume that everything they do is okay and that they're never harming anything or anyone. You should not assume that. But that's what the mom did in this story, when her 5-year-old was left alone with her cousin's laptop. Instead of looking out for her and making sure that everything was going okay, she turned a blind eye. And when the laptop owner was rightfully miffed at the destruction of property, she got a little too defensive for her own good.

  • Am I in the wrong for screaming at my aunt and kicking her out because she let her toddler use my $2000 work laptop as a toy?

    I (24F) am a freelance graphic designer. My laptop is basically my entire life. I saved up for 2 years to buy this specific machine because i need it for heavy rendering and detailed work. It cost me around $2,000 and it is the most expensive thing i own.
    via u/Lazy_Step4766
  • Last weekend, my aunt came over to visit my parents house where i am currently living to save some money. She brought her 5 year old son, Sean. Sean is a loud kid and gets bored easily, but i usually just try to stay out of their way in my room.
    via u/Lazy_Step4766
  • I went to the bathroom for maybe 5 mins. I made the mistake of leaving my bedroom door slightly cracked open. When i walked back into my room, i froze. My aunt was sitting on my bed scrolling on her phone, and Sean was sitting on the floor with my open laptop. He was smashing the keys with sticky hands (he had just eaten a chocolate bar). I literally watched him drag a greasy finger right across the screen.
    via u/Lazy_Step4766
  • over, I didnt even think. i rushed snatched the laptop away, and shouted, what are you doing?! My aunt jumped and looked at me like i was the crazy one. She said, relax, he was just bored. He wanted to watch cartoons. Its just a computer.
    via u/Lazy_Step4766
  • I checked the screen and there were chocolate smudges all over the trackpad and keys. I turned to her and screamed, this is not a toy! This is my job! if he broke this, you wouldn't be able to pay for it!
    via u/Lazy_Step4766
  • She got offended immediately and started yelling back that i was being a drama queen and scaring her child. She said family should share and that i value objects more than my nephew. My mom heard the yelling and came running in. My aunt demanded an apology, but i told her to get out of my room and leave the house.
    via u/Lazy_Step4766
  • Now my parents are saying i was technically right to be mad, but i shouldn't have screamed or kicked her out because she's family. My aunt is blasting me on facebook saying i'm unstable and selfish. I feel bad for yelling, but she didnt even ask permission to come in, let alone touch my work equipment.
    via u/Lazy_Step4766
  • TL;DR: My aunt went into my room while i was in the bathroom and gave my expensive work laptop to her sticky 5year old to play with. I screamed at her and kicked her out, and now my family is calling me a j
    via u/Lazy_Step4766
  • A mother and her son play with something on a patio outside
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • Commenters gave their takes on the story.

    draetz1 NTJ-calmly tell your parents that you want to put a lock on your door because if anything happens to your WORK computer they'll have to replace it or you'll file a claim against their insurance policy
    via u/draetz1
  • Lazy_Step4766 Original Poster's Reply Honestly, i'm already looking at locks on Amazon. My parents think i'm overreacting, but they dont get that if this breaks, I literally cant work. Its not just a computer to me, its my paycheck. Thanks for the advice, i might actually mention the insurance thing to them so they realize how serious this is.
    via u/Lazy_Step4766
  • Tasty-Adhesiveness66 NTJ, but I would recommend you get your computer chck out and send her the bill, if she refuses to pay for the damages, go to small claims court. do not let that entitled J get away with it, Auntie Jerkie should have give her phone to her kids if he was so bored.
    via u/Tasty-Adhesiveness66
  • Lazy_Step4766 Original Poster's Reply I checked the screen and theres a tiny scratch now, probably from his nails. My parents are telling me to let it go for the sake of peace, but i'm really considering small claims if she doesn't apologize. Shes still posting about me on facebook though, so i doubt she'll pay a cent.
    via u/Lazy_Step4766
  • Aggressive_Bat2489 Not the j !!! Don't feel bad!
    via u/Aggressive_Bat2489
  • Lazy_Step4766 Original Poster's Reply Thank you. i really needed to hear that. My parents are making me feel like i'm the villain here just because shes family but that laptop is literally how i pay my bills!
    via u/Lazy_Step4766
  • ImpatientColon Why was she in your room or sitting on your bed at all?
    via u/ImpatientColon
  • PearllPudding Yeah, exactly. Your laptop is your livelihood, so putting a lock on your door is totally reasonable. If they can't keep people out of your room, they need to understand they'd be responsible if anything happened. Protect your gear.
    via u/PearllPudding
  • ReflectionEterna Honestly, OP just went to use the restroom. They should not have had to expect someone else would walk into their room and go through their things. That is crazy. Sure, get a lock, but this should never have happened in the first place.
    via u/ReflectionEterna

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family drama kids family feud kids these days aunt family laptop children
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