Cousins Fight After One Criticized The Other For Packing Too Much Food For Her Husband Who Has An Eating Disorder
The cousin in question is living with the husband and wife rent-free after her lease ended
One family favor turned into a full-blown argument after a stay-at-home mom was criticized for how she packs lunch for her husband. She had been helping him through recovery from an eating disorder, and her cousin decided the food looked excessive.
The husband is a lawyer and the father of their six-month-old son, and OP says she gives him several options so he can choose what feels manageable that day. Her cousin, who was staying in their home temporarily, called it babying him and complained that it was wasteful.
That comment set off a chain reaction, and the rest of the family quickly got involved.
OP told her to back down, but she continued ranting about how wasteful this arrangement was because some people cannot afford food while OP was busy catering to an adult
u/throwRAstressedmamaOP told her to shut up or she would be kicked out of the house. That worked, and her cousin left for work two hours later.
u/throwRAstressedmamaOP then received an angry phone call from her cousin's mom, who told OP she was evil and selfish for threatening her cousin over a minor disagreement
u/throwRAstressedmama
Original Post
Families band together during troubled times. Problems can be daunting when faced alone, but when someone extends a helping hand, they tend to be more bearable.
This stay-at-home mom showed her cousin much-needed kindness when she found herself in need of temporary shelter. However, her cousin failed to reciprocate when OP needed her grace and understanding.
OP's husband is a lawyer and the father of their six-month-old son. He is also recovering from an eating disorder, a fact her cousin knows about.
OP has been a vital support for his recovery. She packs him an assortment of food to choose from for his lunch.
She typically includes a tub of fruit, the main dish, protein, and snacks. OP knows that this is a lot of food for one person, but the idea is to let him choose whichever food appeals to him that day.
There are some days when OP has to throw away his leftovers. Most of the time, OP feeds them to their cat or dog if it's safe for them to consume.
Her cousin made some comments about the lunches OP packs for her husband. Her husband's choices that day were pasta, steak fingers, two sandwiches, fruit salad, and a few snacks.
Her cousin accused OP of babying him. She said a grown man doesn't need a variety of food just to get him to eat.
That was enough to turn a quiet lunch routine into a family argument.
OP said that her cousin overstepped and should have minded her own business
u/throwRAstressedmama
The next call came from her cousin's twin brother who called OP an a**hole for threatening his sister when she's having a difficult time
u/throwRAstressedmama
This is where the family started piling on.
OP elaborated on what her cousin said that morning in a reply to a deleted comment
throwRAstressedmama
OP handled the situation well and if her cousin's family are so concerned about her "living arrangement security" they can provide her housing needs
aknotamous
The list of names will be OP's last act of kindness towards her cousin. It would make for a nice parting gift.
jasperjamboree
They are trying to guilt OP because if this arrangement doesn't work out, it means they have to make some room for her cousin in their own homes
cd6020
She knew why OP was preparing her husband's meal that way. She knows he's recovering from an ED but she chose to be snarky about it anyway. Who does that?
alphaowlboy
OP should get started on that list of people calling her an a**hole. It would double as her cousin's list of people she can stay with.
NotShockedFruitWeird, Organic_Start_420
OP gave her warnings but she didn't listen. Whatever OP said after was on her.
Morrighu87
OP's cousin is probably not fond of mirrors
CryptographerNo6348
Hypocrisy is all the rage these days
Possible-Plane-756
She is safe, warm, and fed because OP was kind enough to let her into their home but she somehow thinks her unwanted comments will be tolerated
mahfrogs
The mature thing to do was to discuss what happened once they were calmer. Her cousin went about it the wrong way and immediately tattled to her family who then berated OP.
Her cousin owes OP an apology for the initial comments she made about the food and for the phone calls. If she doesn't sincerely apologize, OP will be more than justified to follow through with the promise of kicking her out.
Now the whole house is stuck dealing with the fallout.
Want another boundary fight, read how the OP handled a cousin’s stay despite past mistakes.
