I Refused to Be Bossed Around by My SIL, and the Family Blew Up

Many of us have that little ritual that helps us get through a long day. For some people, it’s watching their favorite series or eating a snack, any activity that gives their brain a break and a little dose of fun. For this Reddit user, her nightly relief was eating some ice cream before bed. A simple and sweet act that, unexpectedly, ended up creating drama in her family.

“Most nights after dinner, I eat a small ice cream cone. It’s literally the Joy Mini Cups with a teeny scoop of ice cream. Maybe a big scoop if I’m having a rough day, but that’s kinda rare. This is my one fun thing I do for myself.

My brother, his wife and their daughter are staying with me for a few weeks. I’m happy to have them here. Usually, we’ll eat dinner together and go our separate ways for the evening. They watch a lot of TV, so they’re usually all in the living room.

I’ve been eating my little cone, but my sister-in-law approached me and asked me if I could stop. She said that my niece is starting to ask why she doesn’t get to have ice cream, and my sister-in-law lied to her and told her that ice cream is a ’sometimes food’.”

“I said that I wasn’t going to stop, but I could wait until she was in bed. I figured that was a good compromise, and I do get that she’s trying to raise her little girl to have a healthy relationship with food. But waiting until she was in bed didn’t work because she came into the kitchen multiple times to ask me for some.

My SIL was definitely a little incredulous over it and kept saying, ’Really? Do you seriously need to eat ice cream every single day?’ or stuff like that. She sighed a bunch and has been visibly annoyed with me since then. My brother asked me if I could stop just to avoid the drama, but I said I deserve my little treats.

Am I in the wrong here?”

Other users commented:

• “I cannot stand parents like this. The world is not going to cater to your child. If they bend every little thing because they don’t want to deal with their child asking for stuff, how is your niece ever going to learn to accept ’no’?
  The kid needs to learn that sometimes people have things they can’t have, especially adults. Keep eating your ice cream, ignore your sister-in-law.” © icerguy0211 / Reddit
• “Your home, your routine, your body, your little treat... She created this situation, believe it or not. You are not harming her parenting or the child by eating food.
  Explaining moderation and what that looks like is the parent’s job, and she clearly didn’t explain it in a way that aligns with many people’s reality.” © TurtleD*******InTea / Reddit
• “The audacity needed to try to dictate what someone eats in their own home, where she is a guest, is astounding. Obviously, you’re not the villain here. Those scoops of ice cream better be massive while she’s there.” © l_a_p304 / Reddit
• “Why can’t your brother’s wife drop it to avoid drama. Like, it’s your house.
  The audacity of sitting watching TV in YOUR living room to tell you not to have a little treat. They could always rent an Airbnb for the next two to three weeks if it’s that big of a deal. What entitlement.” © Nikosma / Reddit

At the end of the day, it’s not about eating ice cream, what one’s habits are, or how to raise the youngest; it’s about the right to enjoy a little moment of peace without it becoming a family battleground.

There may be more diplomatic ways to handle clashes between parenting and personal habits, but this has to be done with understanding on both sides.

What would you have done in this situation? Leave your thoughts in the comments!