Picture this: You hand your phone to a toddler— what could possibly go wrong? You’ve probably been there, or maybe you haven’t, but we all know toddlers can be human wrecking balls with adorable faces.
Today’s Original Poster (OP) found themselves in a rather messy situation involving their 18-month-old, a cracked phone screen, and a mother-in-law who wasn’t thrilled about footing a repair bill. The twist? The mother-in-law was the one who handed over the phone to the toddler in the first place.
More info:Reddit
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The screen of her phone was shattered, and the mother-in-law demanded that the author and her partner pay for the damage
Image credits:Kaboompics.com / Pexels (not the actual photo)
The author gave the mother-in-law reasons as to why they can’t pay for the damage, but she wasn’t happy about it
They finally asked the mother-in-law to pay for the damage while they pay back in installments, but she said it was their problem
Thetoddler, naturally, got bored and threw the phone from the high chair, leading to a shattered screen. Now, no one can argue that toddlers don’t make questionable decisions—they’ll eat dirt, chew on electrical cords, and apparently, launch phones into oblivion.
The mother-in-law, who’s doing quite wellfinancially, demanded that the OP and her partner foot the repair bill, which was no small amount. To make matters worse, this was right beforeChristmas, and for the parents, that repair cost would be a significant burden.
It’s important to note that the couple doesn’t allow their child to use phones in the first place, and the mother-in-law knew this when she made the decision to hand over herdevice. Now, the OP had some strong points in their defense.
First, they weren’t there when the incident occurred. Second, they were not the ones who gave the phone to the toddler. And third, there’s the money issue. For the mother-in-law, it would be a drop in the bucket, but for the parents, it means scraping together extra cash they don’t have.
Despite all of this, she wasn’t willing to compromise. The OP and her partner offered to pay her back in installments, but she refused, claiming that it was their responsibility to handle the situation.
Therefore, the keys to having seamless conversations and reaching satisfying conclusions include entering the discussion with the goal of finding a workablesolutionfor everyone as well as “keeping emotions in check” and “active listening”.
Research from Greater Goodrevealsthat wealth can significantly impact how people think, feel, and behave, often without them realizing it. Wealthier individuals may struggle with empathy and compassion, while those with fewer resources tend to develop greater emotional intelligence due to their need for social support and understanding.
Take themother-in-law, for example: her wealth might be influencing her inability to empathize with the OP and her partner’s financial strain. They go further to highlight that wealth can also cloud moral judgment, which could have led her to feel entitled to have the phone repaired without considering the situation.
The majority of commenters strongly agreed that the OP was not at fault, with many emphasizing that the mother-in-law’s decision to hand over an expensive phone to an 18-month-old was quite reckless.
What would you do if you were in the OP’s shoes? Would you pay for the repair or stand your ground? Please let us know your thoughts!
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