Let's Play AITAH (VC Andrews Style)
If a VC Andrews character were to go on the AITAH sub-reddit, what would they say?
I will do Corrine first (it's horrifying, but there was tragically a case recently where a grandmother and mother did poison four siblings).
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I am the 33-yo mother of four children in Pennsylvania.
When I got married at 18, I had been expecting to maintain a certain lifestyle I had gotten used to with my parents. My husband promised to provide for me in exchange for me staying home and taking care of his kids. But now he's gone, and it's difficult to find work because my kids take up so much of my time.
So I came up with a plan to take them to my wealthy parents' house in Virginia, figuring my mother could watch them while I look for a job. Which is great because who can afford childcare, right? I thought it was the perfect solution, but my kids don't seem to understand. They keep crying about how they miss their friends and how their grandmother never lets them do anything fun, and it's hard for me because I feel like I'm being the bad guy, but they just don't understand how difficult it is. I'm taking a typing class. That's a couple hours out of my week. I'm helping care for my dad who is not doing well. I make sure to spend an hour or two a day with him so that he doesn't get lonely. And then I have all of these friends who put demands on my time, expecting me to go to the movies, or go on blind dates with their hot, single brothers, or go sailing. That eats up an entire weekend. And I just don't have the ability to be ten places at once.
I do try to spend at least an hour or so a week with my children. Or if not that, maybe once a month. Here and there. And when I do stop by, they're always involved in one little project or another. My oldest is great at coming up with ideas to keep them occupied. It's like there's no point in me even being there. I'm just a distraction, really. But they still complain to me about how bored they are or that I'm not letting them have every single thing they want exactly when they want it because they don't seem to understand you can't get everything you want in life. You have to have patience. I think I might have spoiled them a little too much when they were younger. That's my fault, I admit it. Their father always did say I was too soft on them.
On top of that, my younger two have been giving my mother a hard time, testing their limits and seeing how far they can push her. Then they cry to me when she punishes them.
I admit, I was never the disciplinarian. That was always my husband's role. So it's hard to see them deprived of one little thing or another. But they need to learn to behave.
I recently learned that my father has written up a new will so that I can inherit everything because both my brothers are dead, but he hates even the idea of my children for some reason. And I'm worried he might reconsider leaving me his millions over something so small as their existence. It puts me in a difficult spot.
So I'm thinking I might have to get rid of the kids. Not anything too drastic. Maybe just a little suspicious powdery substance on the donuts I bring up to them. They love donuts. It's their favorite treat, so I think they'll appreciate that. I told my mother about my idea, but she thinks it's a mistake.
Then there are my kids, especially my older daughter. She keeps telling me I'm a horrible mother, when all I've tried to do is consider what's in all of our best interests. I'm worried I've lost control of my kids and that they don't respect me.
AITAH? NTA? Or does ESH?