We are all human, and of course, we all have our little weaknesses. Some people like to get stuck in their smartphones watching silly yet amusing shorts, some love sweets in the evenings, some neglect chores in favor of video games... Little weaknesses that actually make us human. Ordinary, not perfect, real.
The heroine of today's story, the user u/StudentNaive3292, also has such a small and completely harmless habit. However, as someone wise once said, our freedom ends where the freedom of another person begins - and the author recently had the chance to test this concept on her own experience.
More info: Reddit
The author of the post has a small personal weakness - she loves to eat a small cone of ice cream before going to bed
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
In fact, it's a long-term habit, so the author won't give it up under any circumstances
Image credits: StudentNaive3292
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Recently, the author's brother and wife, along with their daughter, came over to stay at her house for a while
Image credits: StudentNaive3292
Image credits: The Yuri Arcurs Collection / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The niece saw the author eating ice cream several times and wanted the same for herself
Image credits: StudentNaive3292
So the mom asked the author to quit this habit for a few days - but received a flat-out 'No'
The story we're going to tell you today happened at the house of the Original Poster (OP), when her brother, with his wife and daughter, came over to visit her. It so happened that our heroine has one little weakness - almost every evening, she eats a small cone of ice cream. Just as a tiny treat and gratitude to herself for a well-spent day.
When the guests were in the house, the author usually carried out this ritual in the kitchen, while the brother and his family gathered in the living room around the TV. But it so happened that the niece saw her aunt eating ice cream several times, and surely asked herself a very reasonable question: if one can do it, then why not the other?
It was precisely about this that the original poster had an argument with her sister-in-law. She, assuring the author that her habit undermined her parenting, asked her to stop doing it. At least while they were guests in her house. But the habit was already, as they say, second nature for our heroine, so she flatly refused.
Moreover, the OP rather sarcastically asked her sister-in-law why she can't refuse, for example, a glass of wine in the evening. She left offended, but later, the brother called out our heroine for being unreasonable. The author simply doesn't want to deprive herself of this small pleasure - even for the sake of being a decent auntie...
Image credits: pvproductions / Freepik (not the actual photo)
On the one hand, it's true that children's habits are formed precisely under the influence of what they see others do - in particular, adult relatives. So if the mother has repeatedly told this girl that eating ice cream in the evening is not very good and correct, then the sight of the aunt eagerly devouring the delicacy before bed doesn't really fit into this behavioral pattern.
On the other hand, a person is free to do as they please at their home, and one small cone of ice cream is not something that can be sacrificed. Even since developing healthy eating habits in kids is a rather difficult thing. Especially considering that children have a natural preference for sweet tastes. A preference that decreases (and not in everyone) only in adulthood.
Experts say that parents and family members should be true role models for a child in developing healthy eating patterns. "You are the most important influence on your child, so lead by example by establishing your own healthy eating habits," this dedicated article on Nationwide Children's claims. However, this still doesn't mean that adults should give in to their little treats either...
People in the comments massively supported the original poster, arguing that she's an adult who is at home, so there is absolutely no need to give in to other people's demands. After all, it's also part of the parenting process. "A kid needs to learn sometimes people have things they can't have, especially adults," someone concluded quite wisely. So do you, our dear readers, share these viewpoints too?
Most commenters supported the author in her decision, claiming that teaching the kid about not always having what they want is also part of the parenting process
