When it comes to parenting, they say it takes a village. As many parents know, it’s easier to raise children when you have a robust and supportive community, and that begins in your very own neighborhood, and sometimes right next door.
However, a Redditor going by the username Character_Sorbet_169 may not be getting the village experience she was looking for, after she recently went on the popular AITA subreddit, where she shared the story of how her neighbor asked her to change her children’s bedtimes so they matched what she was doing in her own home.
Her reasoning? The other mother didn’t want her kiddos getting jealous of the OP’s later bedtime routine, which involved letting her kids run around outside until dark.
Of course, Reddit delivered some solid advice to this mom while offering up a reminder that while the village is nice, we all have to do what is right for our individual families, too.
AITA For not accommodating my neighbor’s request?
by
u/Character_Sorbet_169 in
AmItheAsshole
The Children Are the Same Age But With Different Bedtimes
According to the OP, it all started when the mom made the simple request. “She wants her kid inside at 7:30 and in bed by 8:00 on school nights,” she wrote in her post, adding that the other mom has asked the OP to bring her kids in at 7:30, “because her kid argues with her every day because they think it’s unfair that my kid gets to play outside after they go to bed.”
The post quickly gained traction online, earning thousands of upvotes and hundreds of comments.
People Were United in Their Responses
The OP was NTA in this situation, since Reddit experienced one of its near-unanimous moments in the comments. “No. She can’t enforce her rules on your parenting,” the top-rated post said.
“No, that’s an insane request for her to make,” another person wrote in part, explaining how they also have two kids with an early bedtime that often sees them drifting off to sleep while their friends are still running around the neighborhood.
“NTA,” another parent agreed. “Like I tell my daughter, different families have different rules.”
While the OP didn’t say how close she and the neighbor are, it’s not unusual for different families to parent their children in different ways, even when they’re friends. According to Janet Lansbury’s blog, there are a few different ways you can address these differences so that they don’t hurt your friendship.
And while her advice skews more towards babies and toddlers, she did have a practical and relevant tip for parents who don’t see eye-to-eye on parenting practices, and it simply involves admitting that your parenting techniques are different.