I Kicked My Sister and Her Newborn Out—My Comfort Comes First

One man thought he was doing the right thing by opening his home to his sister and her baby, but when she crossed the line, he made a tough call. Was he wrong for kicking her out? The internet has spoken, and the answers might surprise you!

So, my sister just had a baby and needed a place to stay for a few months. I agreed because, you know, family. The only issue? I have a golden retriever, Max, who is my baby. He’s well-groomed, trained, and literally the sweetest dog ever.

From the second she moved in, she started making snide comments about how “dirty” he is, saying things like:

• “Dogs don’t belong inside, especially near a newborn!”
• “He’s covered in germs; I don’t want my baby getting sick.”
• “Can you lock him in a room when we’re in the living room?”

I tried to compromise by keeping him out of the nursery, but that wasn’t enough. She wanted me to keep him out of the house entirely. She even went as far as spraying disinfectant on my couch, where he sleeps!

I lost it. I told her, if she has such a problem with my “dirty” dog, she can find another place to stay. She freaked out, called me heartless for prioritizing a dog over her and the baby, and left crying. Now, my parents are furious, saying I should have been more accommodating.

So, am I right to kick my sister out over this?

People sided with the man. One of the suggestions was to suggest that parents accommodate his sister.

• So, when are your parents coming to pick up your sister and the baby? They are going to have them stay there, aren’t they? @MorticianMolly / Reddit
• Who cares what your parents think. They can house your homeless sister and her baby if they care about her! @BisforBeard / Reddit

• I am not the biggest dog lover on this planet, but I also would never move into a house where a dog already lives and expect that the dog’s owners get rid of the dog to accommodate me.
  Your sister knew about your dog and still moved in, so she better learn to live with your dog or just move out. And as your parents are so opinionated and also family, they sure will be delighted to house their daughter and their grandchild. @agnesperditanitt / Reddit

Later, a man added a comment explaining why his sister moved in with him and not his parents from the beginning.

Clarifying a few things:

• My parents, directing their anger towards me, were heavily against her pregnancy since day 1.
• There is no baby’s father in the picture.
• She stayed with me because of the points mentioned above, as my family would not have her.

People were united in one idea—beggars can’t be choosers.

• Your parents need to be reminded that this wouldn’t be an issue at all if your sister had her own housing. How do you come up to my house, needing a place to stay, and start disrespecting me and my pet? @DiscussionAdmirable9 / Reddit

• It’s not your fault your sister got herself into this situation. She’s taking advantage of your kindness instead of being thankful. @Cake_Lynn / Reddit

• Beggars can’t be choosers. She’s living in your house for free, and your house has a dog that also lives there. Her choices were to be respectful of you and the dog or gtfo. She chose option two. @friendlily / Reddit

However, there was one comment that shed new light on the whole story.

• Maybe your sister has developed some postpartum phobia of germs? This happens to some people. It’s pretty strong and kind of takes over their normal personality sometimes.
  This doesn’t make it your responsibility, and you shouldn’t feel forced to house someone so mean to your pup. Just a thought, maybe you should tell her to work on when you kick her out. @awkwolf / Reddit

Turns out that it’s a common story, and a lot of people shared their experiences as well.

• This happened to me when I had my first son... I could barely stand to be in the same room with my dog, whom I previously loved more than anything. Pregnancy and postpartum can be wildly destabilizing. @NoelleKain / Reddit

• Yep, this happened to me. My dogs were my babies, but after my son was born, I had a ton of postpartum anxiety about them touching him, him being where they had been, germs, etc. I basically hated them, which was crazy because I loved them so much before.
  I’m now many months past birth, and I still struggle with my feelings towards them, though it’s much better now. Postpartum is wild. @Bubbly_Gene_1315 / Reddit

As heated as this debate has been, it’s not the first time someone has had to choose between a loved one and a beloved pet. One woman thought spending the night with her boyfriend would bring them closer, but when he put his cat first, everything changed.