The Original Post
I (31F) am a home daycare provider. My SIL “Jenny” (29F) recently enrolled my infant niece “Pearl” in my daycare. I love having Pearl here and being a part of her development.
I have a policy with diapers – I notify the parents when there’s 20 or less diapers in their kid’s supply. I communicate this verbally at pickup, and through email/text reminders. If they get down to 5 left at the start of a day, and the parent still hasn’t brought any, their little one isn’t allowed to come until they’ve brought some.
Jenny was told multiple times recently that Pearl’s supply was getting low, and her response was always “Oops, I’ll bring more tomorrow” but then she wouldn’t do it. On Monday night, I sent her a text reminding her to bring diapers, and that I wouldn’t be able to have Pearl here if she didn’t have them.
Naturally, Jenny shows up on Tuesday morning empty handed. Again with the “I forgot”. I reminded her of the policy, no diapers no daycare. She got all mad about how Pearl is my niece and I can’t “just turn her away”, can’t I break the rules just this once, and that I have no idea how busy her life is and that moms forget things sometimes. I told Jenny that she needs to follow the same rules as everyone else, and she said that I should “find room in my heart for exceptions”.
AITA for not taking my niece at daycare because my SIL didn’t follow the policy?
What Reddit Said
Reddit overwhelmingly supported the daycare provider’s decision. Users praised her for maintaining professional boundaries despite family pressure. Many pointed out that bending rules for family members often leads to bigger problems down the road.
The top comment warned that compromising on this policy would inevitably lead to issues with payment and other boundaries. Moreover, Redditors emphasized that running a business requires consistency regardless of personal relationships.
The Verdict
The overwhelming consensus: OP is Not the Asshole (NTA). This daycare provider family policy situation demonstrates the importance of treating all clients equally. Reddit recognized this as a classic case of family drama where professional boundaries must be maintained, even when it involves business conflicts with relatives.
Original post from r/AmItheAsshole (7,978 upvotes, 471 comments)