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Sister-in-Law Hid My Shoes to Stop My Daily Walks | AITA

📅 February 6, 2026 👁️ 19 views ⏱️ 4 min read
A woman offered to help her sister-in-law with three kids while her husband was away for work. The sister-in-law became obsessed with stopping her daily walks and started hiding her shoes to prevent them, leading to a dramatic confrontation about “anxiety” and “obsession.”

The Original Post

Sorry if there are any sentences that are missing words, this was over 5000 characters when I first wrote it so I had to edit it down. She is my SISTER IN LAW not my sister.

My SIL has three little ones, and her husband (my step brother) had to leave the country for work for a few months. I offered to stay so I could help her out where needed, and she happily accepted. I live across town so not THAT far.

I was there for 3 days when my SIL commented on me going on daily walks. I have taken a daily walk of at least a mile since October 2018. Yes, even with a cold, yes, even in cold weather, yes to all of it. On nice days the walk is usually 4 miles. At my SILs, I started taking a path that was about two miles.

I asked if she wanted me to watch the kids while she got some exercise and she scoffed and said she was too busy, but it must be nice. I was a little puzzled since I was offering to help. But the comments kept coming. She kept trying to poke holes. “But it’s not REALLY a mile every day right?” and “What would you do if you broke your foot? Would you get anxious if you couldn’t take a walk?”

Then one morning I couldn’t find my shoes. My SIL woke up an hour later, I was eating breakfast with the kids, and I asked her. She told me to go check the back door, and when I’d gotten back, she pointed at them by the door and said I must have missed them. I took my walk after telling her that her joke wasn’t funny.

She was annoyed when I got back and told me that she thinks I need to see a therapist over my anxiety/obsession. I told her that I do have a therapist, and she said I clearly need a new one because this one isn’t helping. I asked her point blank why does it bother her so much if I want to take a walk? She said I was supposed to be there to help her with the kids and I’m disappearing for hours at a time. I told her that my walks take about 30 minutes, and I’m doing it while they have down time.

I put my shoes in the guest room with the rest of my things and they were gone the next morning. I just said fuck it and packed my things and left. My SIL called me when I was on my way home and said I was overreacting and being childish and this is why I am single and alone. I told her that I don’t play these stupid games and that I would still pick up the girls and stay until she got home from work but that she’s on her own for everything else. AITA?

edit: Ok I did not expect to be told I’m NTA to this degree. I thought a lot more people would have arguments why I was since it has to do with taking care of kids.

What Reddit Said

Reddit users overwhelmingly supported OP in this bizarre situation. Most commenters were baffled by the sister-in-law’s controlling behavior. However, many pointed out that jealousy was likely the root cause of this strange obsession with stopping the walks.

The top comment noted that something about OP’s wellness routine was clearly triggering her sister-in-law. Meanwhile, other users praised OP for maintaining boundaries and not tolerating the manipulative games. In fact, many were impressed that OP still offered to help with childcare despite the treatment she received.

The Verdict

The overwhelming consensus: OP is Not the Asshole (NTA). This case where sister in law hid shoes reveals deep-seated jealousy and control issues. Reddit agreed that hiding someone’s belongings to control their behavior crosses a major line. This is classic family drama involving manipulation and boundary violations.


Original post from r/AmItheAsshole (7,234 upvotes, 406 comments)