Man Suggests His Cousin Send Her 18-Year-Old Son To A Group Home After He Is Asked To 'Babysit'
He doesn't think she can handle her son.
Halfpoint/Shutterstock Telling people what they should or should not do with their children is a potential recipe for disaster. Whether your advice is valid or not, parents tend to be ultra-sensitive when it comes to their kids.
One man had instant regret after talking to his cousin about what she should do to ensure her son is properly looked after when she is away from home. He took to the subreddit, AITA (Am I The A—hole), to share his story and get feedback from readers.
The 25-year-old man started by saying that he lives in a tri-plex with his girlfriend. He has two neighbors in the complex, one being his parents, and the other, his cousin’s family.
The extended family has been living in close proximity with no issues until recently. The Redditor’s cousin and neighbor has an 18-year-old son named Jason who, according to him, is “severely autistic” and afflicted with Prader-Willi syndrome.
Because of his diagnosis, Jason has to be looked after full-time. His mother recently started having the Redditor and his girlfriend watch Jason while she ran errands or went to appointments.
All was going well at first, but according to the man, his cousin started taking advantage of his willingness to help by “forcing Jason on them unannounced.”
This prompted the couple to take steps to put an end to it.
The week prior to posting, the man had a day off work and decided to have a conversation with his cousin about the demands she had been placing on him and his girlfriend when it came to Jason.
Before he could get his words out, his cousin asked him to watch the 18-year-old overnight. According to him, he told her he could not immediately and went on to express his disdain for the way she constantly expected him and his mother to watch her son.
After getting that off his chest, the poster decided to give his cousin some advice.
He told her that Jason should be placed in a group home if she intends to work nights. The man also suggested that should she opt for a daytime job, the best place for the autistic young man would be a program for people with special needs.
Not surprisingly, Jason’s mom was highly offended by her cousin’s idea that she should send her son away. She called him “selfish” and blamed his girlfriend for influencing him to say what he said.
He claims that his cousin accused him of “wanting to remove her and Jason from the family.”
Now the entire family believes the man was in the wrong and he has received a barrage of “angry messages” over his actions.
The first commenter wholly agreed with the suggestions the man had made to his cousin. The posted, “NTA (not the a—hole). Sounds like she can’t take care of her son, a group home is a fine suggestion for both parties.”
Others seemed to agree. One person talked about the struggles with caring for a person with Prader-Willi syndrome coupled with autism. She discussed how overwhelming it can be to a parent and suggested that the exhausted mother seek some professional help instead of placing the burden on family members.
If you are the parent of a child who has a disability, there are resources that can help. Care.com provided a list of organizations that specifically cater to children and young adults with special needs.
NyRee Ausler is a writer from Seattle, Washington, and author of seven books. She covers lifestyle and entertainment and news, as well as navigating the workplace and social issues.