All Episodes

October 11, 2025 19 mins
#redditstories #askreddit #aita #familydrama #parentingwoes #communicationbreakdown #lostconnection #seekingadvice  
Summary: After my child visited his niece, I found myself unable to reach him. The lack of communication led to confusion and concern. Seeking advice on how to navigate this family drama and reconnect with my child.  
Tags: redditstories, askreddit, reddit, aita, tifu, familydrama, parentingwoes, communicationbreakdown, lostconnection, seekingadvice
Mark as Played
Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I was unable to reach my child following his visit
to his niece's celebration, but later discovered that my sibling
had confined him in the cellar after he became unwell
sick because she thought he would ruin her son's birthday.
He was taken to the e r and now she
has lost everything. Just a few days ago, what should
have been a joyful celebration turned into a horrific nightmare

(00:21):
when my son Alex attended his cousin Ryan's birthday party.
Both boys are eight years old and attend Oakwood Elementary together,
along with many of their mutual friends who were also
at the morning. Alex had been feeling slightly under the weather,
so I repeatedly asked if he was absolutely sure about going.
He kept insisting he felt well enough to attend, and

(00:41):
since he only appeared a bit tired rather than seriously ill,
I thought spending time with his friends might actually help
lift his spirits. After dropping Alex off at my sister
Emma's house, my wife Sarah, and I decided to run
some errands and catch a movie, thinking it would be
a good way to spend the afternoon. Throughout the the
next three hours, I continuously tried reaching Emma to check

(01:03):
on Alex's condition. I had specifically informed her beforehand that
he wasn't feeling his best and that I would be
calling to check up on him, But every single time
I called, she simply ignored it, letting the phone ring endlessly.
I even attempted to contact Alex through his emergency phone,
but I later discovered that Emma had confiscated at the
moment he arrived, citing her strict no screens policy during parties.

(01:28):
Even when Alex started feeling severely ill and desperately wanted
his phone to call me, she flatly refused to return it.
After nearly three hours of complete radio silence, Sarah and
I began feeling increasingly uneasy about the situation, and since
it was getting late anyway, we decided to stop by
and pick up Alex. Upon arriving at the house, we

(01:50):
noticed people were already starting to leave, with only a
handful of kids still remaining. To our surprise and growing concern,
Alex wasn't among the children in the living room. When
I questioned Emma about his whereabouts, she suddenly became visibly
uncomfortable and evasive. She insisted that we wait in the
living room while she went to get him. But something

(02:11):
felt terribly wrong. Why wouldn't Alex be with the other
children despite Emma's repeated attempts to keep us in the
living room. I followed her, with Sarah right behind me.
As we walked, Emma began nervously explaining that during the party,
Alex had started complaining about feeling very sick and wanted
to call me, but she hadn't believed him. She claimed

(02:32):
she thought he was just seeking attention, something she insisted
kids often do. When he kept persisting in nagging her
about calling me, she became irritated and decided to put
him in time out in the basement, convinced he was
trying to sabotage Ryan's birthday party that she had meticulously
planned for weeks. She admitted to deliberately ignoring my calls

(02:53):
because she was too busy with the party and horrifyingly,
had completely forgotten about Alex until we showed up, hence
her nervous behadhavior. Naturally, I was absolutely furious as she
explained this, and I demanded she immediately opened the basement door.
What we found was devastating. Alex was huddled in a corner, shivering,
uncontrollably sniffling, and barely conscious, having vomited multiple times on

(03:17):
the basement floor. Though he's recovering now, finding him in
that state was one of the most terrifying moments of
my life. We immediately rushed him to the nearest emergency room,
unwilling to take any chances with his health. Emma, despite
my explicit wishes for her to stay away, decided to
follow us in her car, leaving her husband James to

(03:38):
handle the remaining party guests. We had exit through the
kitchen door to avoid any questions or delays, and although
I had made it crystal clear that Emma was the
last person I wanted to see, she persisted in coming
along Throughout our time in the waiting area. She kept
attempting to apologize, but we completely ignored her presence. While

(03:59):
the doctors were examining Alex, my father and James suddenly
appeared in the er, demanding to know what was happening.
Apparently Emma hadn't even told them the truth about the situation,
only informing James vaguely that she was at the hospital
after the last party guests had left. They had come
to investigate, and Emma was about to feed them some

(04:19):
watered down version of events. But I couldn't contain my
anger any more. I detailed everything that had happened, not
caring how she would look in their eyes. Predictably, both
my father and James were absolutely horrified by what they heard.
We later learned that Emma had concocted a story for
all the party guests, telling them that Alex had simply

(04:40):
left through the kitchen exit after feeling slightly unwell, and
that I had picked him up, nothing serious to worry about.
It was a believable enough explanation that no one questioned it,
because honestly, who would imagine the actual truth. After hearing
what really happened, James began arguing furiously with Emma, calling
her action insane, while my father remained unusually quiet for

(05:03):
several minutes. Then he turned to Emma and delivered a
shocking announcement. He had been planning to set up a
trust fund for both of us and our families, but
now he would be leaving everything solely to me and
the grandchildren. Emma would be completely cut out, and he
would ensure it stayed that way. Everyone was done by
this sudden declaration, and Emma immediately broke down crying, but

(05:26):
not a single person felt any sympathy for her. Now,
several days later, Alex is physically improving, but he's still
clearly traumatized by the experience, so we're focusing on spending
as much quality time with him as possible to help
him heal. Meanwhile, Emma has been constantly begging me to
intervene with our father, claiming his decision is far too

(05:47):
harsh a punishment for what she did. Even James isn't
speaking to her and is actively keeping Ryan away from her.
She's apologized what feels like a thousand times, but I
honestly couldn't care less. Some actions are simply unforgivable. However,
I'm struggling with complicated feelings about the trust fund situation. Originally,

(06:09):
my father had only intended it for his grandchildren, which
both Emma and I had been completely fine with. But
now I'm suddenly included as a beneficiary while she's been
cut out entirely, and it feels strange to me. I'm
having trouble processing this change. I'm genuinely wondering if I
would be wrong to accept this new arrangement given the circumstances.

(06:31):
Update one week later. First, and foremost, I want to
express my deepest gratitude for all the supportive comments we've received.
Alex is doing much better physically now and were incredibly
touched by how many people have shown genuine concern for
his well being. Regarding recent developments, I've made the decision
to completely block Emma's number. In my opinion, she should

(06:54):
consider herself fortunate that we're choosing not to pursue legal action,
which we absolutely could. We simply don't need the additional
stress and financial burden of a lawsuit right now. We have, however,
been seriously considering reporting her to Child Protective Services, though
this is a relatively recent development. I hadn't mentioned this

(07:15):
possibility in my initial post because honestly, we were solely
focused on Alex's recovery and the trust fund situation. But
upon reflection, I believe it's necessary. Given that she has
her own child and regularly hosts other children in her home,
her behavior clearly indicates something is seriously wrong with her
judgment and decision making abilities. A CPS intervention might lead

(07:40):
to mandatory counseling or other support services, which could ultimately
benefit her in the long run. Several people have asked
why I didn't block Emma's number immediately after the incident.
The truth is it came down to our family's complicated history.
After losing our mother a few years ago, my father, Emma,
and I had grown incredibly close, forming what felt like

(08:03):
an unbreakable bond. That deep trust is precisely why I
felt comfortable leaving Alex with her during Ryan's party heading
out with Sarah for the evening. Under normal circumstances, I'm
extremely cautious about leaving Alex at any one's house for
extended periods without careful consideration. The close relationship we built
over recent years made it emotionally challenging to cut her

(08:25):
off completely, especially given everything she's currently going through in
her personal life. As much as I'm furious with her
as a father, I still carry the weight of being
her brother, creating this internal conflict between anger over Alex's
treatment and sympathy for my sister's situation. These complicated emotions
left me feeling deeply conflicted and somewhat paralyzed, which is

(08:47):
why I hadn't blocked her initially. But now I've realized
I don't need to maintain this emotional turmoil or feel
any obligation toward her. Even if we consider her actions
an honest mistake, it's the kind of error that's completely
unacceptable when children are involved. These traumatic experiences can leave
lasting psychological scars, and if she lacks the basic judgment

(09:10):
to understand this, she shouldn't be responsible for supervising children
in her home. Today, I'm planning to discuss with my
father our intention to report her to Child Protective Services.
Though it won't be pleasant, I firmly believe it's necessary
given the severity and irresponsibility of her actions. This isn't
just about a seven year old child. It's about basic

(09:31):
human decency. I can't simply let this slide because of
our family connection. If any one else had done this,
I wouldn't have hesitated twice about reporting them. We've only
been giving her special consideration because she's family, but I've
realized that apologies alone can't remedy this situation. Just hours ago,

(09:52):
Sarah and I had dinner with my father to discuss
our thoughts about reporting Emma to CPS. I was uncertain
about his reaction. After all, despite everything, Emma is still
his daughter. The severity of this step made me wonder
if he'd oppose it. He took some time to consider
our words, and contrary to my expectations, he fully supported

(10:13):
our decision, telling us to proceed if we felt it
was the right course of action. He then shared some
concerning information, revealing that he'd witnessed Emma displaying concerning behavior
toward Ryan multiple times in the past. While she's generally
pleasant and composed, he'd seen her lose control over minor
issues when Ryan was around. She would snap at him,

(10:35):
causing him to cry, then try to make amends, but
it was evident she struggled with anger management. The incident
with Alex represented a dangerous escalation, and my father admitted
he'd previously advised her to seek counseling and attend parenting
classes to develop healthier coping mechanisms. As he pointed out,
children will inevitably make mistakes and be difficult at times,

(10:57):
but as parents, we can't resort to him intimidation and
emotional abuse. Although Emma had promised to address these issues,
she never followed through. My father expressed regret about not
addressing the situation more firmly earlier. Though he acknowledged that
no one could have anticipated such an extreme incident, he
fully supported our decision to contact CPS, believing it should

(11:21):
be entirely our choice given what Alex endured. He assured
us he would be completely honest if questioned during any investigation.
During dinner, I also expressed my lingering discomfort about the
trust fund situation. To my surprise, he revealed that he'd
already been planning to include both Emma and me as beneficiaries,

(11:41):
intending to announce it at Christmas. His successful business ventures
and modest lifestyle had allowed him to accumulate significant savings,
and he feels confident about this decision. As he pointed out,
Emma and James both have stable careers with good incomes,
so though managed financially without the try Fund. Additionally, given

(12:02):
his good health, any distribution is likely far in the future.
This conversation with my father has helped alleviate my guilt
about the trust fund. I realize I have nothing to
feel guilty about. I didn't influence his decision. He made
it independently based on Emma's actions. If she's unhappy with
the consequences, that's unfortunate, but she should have considered them

(12:25):
before acting so irresponsibly. The dinner with my father provided
the clarity I needed. Sarah and I now feel confident
about our next steps. Though we hope the situation doesn't
escalate further, we sincerely hope Emma will acknowledge her mistakes,
demonstrate genuine remorse, and take concrete steps to address her behavior.

(12:46):
Recent update, many commenters suggested that reporting Emma to CPS
isn't necessary since Alex is now safe. But this isn't
about revenge or punishment. It's about doing what's right. I've
consulted with a friend who works in foster care about
the likely outcomes, and I've thoroughly researched the process to
understand the potential consequences. Given that Alex is currently safe,

(13:08):
and based on my friend's insights, CPS likely won't take
extreme measures. After careful consideration, I proceeded with reporting Emma
to CPS, knowing it was necessary given that she has
her own child and frequently hosts other children. When the
caseworker contacted us, they naturally questioned the delay in reporting.

(13:29):
I explained that the family connection had made the decision
particularly challenging, but I had ultimately become confident it was
the right choice. Two weeks passed, during which the caseworker
thoroughly investigated the situation. They interviewed Sarah and me, taking
our detailed account of events. Alex was also interviewed separately.

(13:49):
Though understandably nervous, he managed to share everything that happened.
We provided all medical documentation from both the er visit
and follow up appointments, which can firmed Alex had suffered
severe food poisoning. While the food poisoning wasn't Emma's fault,
her response to his illness was inexcusable. Within six days

(14:10):
of our interview, Emma received a home visit. I learned
she was surprisingly cooperative and genuinely apologetic throughout the process.
Though she broke down in tears, she maintained her composure
and was completely honest about what had happened. The case
worker inspected the basement, which, while cold, wasn't deemed hazardous,

(14:30):
and informed us they would consult with their supervisor before
making any final decisions. Despite our attempts to learn more,
they explained the final decision wasn't theirs to make. However,
given Emma's cooperative attitude and apparent remorse, combined with the
fact that this seemed to be an isolated incident. The
caseworker indicated they would likely recommend counseling and parenting classes

(14:53):
to their supervisor, aligning with our hopes for the situation.
A week and a half later, we receive the final decision.
Our recommendations had been taken into consideration, and Emma had
demonstrated genuine desire to improve. Both James and Ryan had
confirmed that while she sometimes struggled with her temper, nothing

(15:13):
of this magnitude had ever occurred before, and they were
committed to preventing any future incidents. The final ruling required
Emma to attend both counseling sessions and parenting classes until
sufficient improvement was shown, and she was prohibited from having
unsupervised contact with Alex, a condition we were already enforcing.
This outcome was exactly what we had hoped for and

(15:36):
were grateful for the reasonable resolution. The caseworker will continue
monitoring the situation, maintaining contact with both families. Currently, Emma
and I haven't spoken directly and she hasn't reached out either.
The situation with James remained similarly distant, though I'm uncertain
about their current relationship status. Last I heard, he was

(15:58):
still keeping Ryan at a day distance, but his support
during the CPS process suggests their home situation might be improving.
I've kept my father updated throughout this process, and now
that we have a resolution, there's a collective sense of
relief in the family. This kind of situation is unprecedented
for us, and navigating it has been incredibly stressful for

(16:19):
everyone involved. We're thankful it was resolved without excessive complications.
Most importantly, Emma has committed to getting help and improving herself.
As for Alex, he's returned to his normal cheerful self, playing,
laughing and enjoying school like any kid his age should.
He's still maintaining his close friendship with Ryan, which is

(16:42):
exactly how it should be. We've been careful not to
let adult conflicts affect the children's relationship. Since they attend
the same school, they naturally spend time together, and their
bond has remained strong. When Alex asks to visit Ryan,
I'm relieved that he seems unaffected by what happened. Though
I've had to decline direct visits to Emma's house. Still,

(17:05):
I'm pleased there maintaining their friendship. Initially, I wondered if
Emma would object to the boys spending time together, but
she's been supportive of their continued relationship, recognizing the importance
of respecting their friendship, I'm considering arranging supervised play dates
once things settled down further. Alex has expressed multiple times

(17:26):
that he wants things to return to normal, mentioning he's
no longer afraid of his aunt and wants to visit
his cousin. While we adults can't easily forget what happened.
For Alex's sake, I plan to discuss supervised play dates
with Emma, perhaps starting with having James bring Ryan to
our house as we used to do. After several months,
while Emma and I haven't fully reconciled, we've reached an

(17:48):
understanding regarding the children. We've resumed supervised play dates strictly
following the caseworker's guidelines. Emma continues her counseling and parenting classes,
working on managing her temper. She admitted feeling hurt when
she learned about the CPS report despite her earlier apologies,
but acknowledges why it was necessary. We both understand our

(18:12):
relationship can never return to what it was, but were
committed to maintaining a civil connection for our children's sake.
James and I have resumed speaking terms, and he shared
that he and Emma are attending marriage counseling. Though he
was initially furious with her and considered keeping Ryan away,
he realized that completely shutting her out would only harm

(18:32):
their family. Their working on their marriage, and things seemed
to be improving. However, my father and Emma remain estranged,
neither willing to make the first move toward reconciliation. I've
decided not to involve myself in their standoff. They're both
adults capable of handling their own relationship. For now, I'm

(18:53):
grateful that our family is slowly healing, even if some
relationships may never fully recover.
Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.

24/7 News: The Latest

24/7 News: The Latest

The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.

Dateline NBC

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.