Family Got Upset With Teen Redditor When They Found Out That They Didn’t Like The Christmas Gifts And Would Like to Return Them

Have you ever opened a gift and your face involuntarily scrunched up because of your internal cringe? Then you become self-conscious because everyone’s eyes are on you, and you wonder if they saw how much you dislike the presents. 

In a ‘Am I The A**hole’ subreddit post, a Redditor recalled how they opened their gifts during Christmas and visibly cringed. Their father and stepmom saw their frown, which led to a conflict.

Hear them out, though; OP asked for specific gifts from their parents and requested them multiple times.

The gifts were a bit on the lavish side, but OP said their parents were relatively well-off and had promised to buy them for OP. 

What happened instead was that on Christmas Day, OP’s younger stepbrother received everything he asked for, which consisted of a PS5, a bike, designer clothes, and a tablet. OP, on the other hand, received clippers, a bag that wasn’t suitable for them, and perfume that she might be allergic to.

When the parents saw that OP was upset, they confronted her, and OP admitted that they didn’t really like the gifts and would like to return them. Words like “ungrateful” were thrown into the conflict, and the parents, along with family members on the dad’s side, were upset with OP.

This begs the question: is OP the a**hole in this situation? Scroll down for more information.

At first glance, OP might seem like a spoiled brat, but further storytelling from OP revealed that there was a history of them being treated like the lesser child. One example is that although their family goes on trips often, OP is left behind.

OP was given the cheaper alternative of what they asked for, even receiving the bad games. Their brother even laughed at what they got.

They had hoped that because their parents promised OP the gifts they asked for, they might treat them equally this time. But hope faded, and now there’s tension in the family.

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OP provided a summary of why they think they’re the a**hole in this situation

Judgement_Bot_AITA

OP’s dad might’ve had no hand in buying the gifts and took the cue from the stepmom when they looked hurt

Olookasquirrel87 Olookasquirrel87

OP pointed out that buying the gifts wasn’t the issue, so the disinterest of their parents was very obvious. It wasn’t an excuse to disregard what their child wanted altogether, though.

It’s not that OP is ungrateful, but it is hard to excuse the multiple times they were treated as the “lesser” child.

PetrogradSwe

Also, let’s talk about how this way of giving is really common.

OrquidGamenArt

Feels like a fair trade.

Ikajo

Redditors wonder if their father’s side of the family really knows what’s going on.

emmanuclear

If their brother already knows how differently they are being treated, wouldn’t it be more obvious to adults?

of_gold_

The gift-giving was done in front of people, with the parents expecting OP to accept this kind of treatment with grace.

CapoWaters

He knew that they screwed up, but of course, they had to be the right one or ‘respected.’

Solid_Bookkeeper_493

OP was right to call them out; otherwise, they would always think that they aren’t doing anything wrong.

Msmediator bendybiznatch

It could be because of how they identify.

Alive_Mission_6772

But this could also be the main reason why they show constant disinterest toward OP.

PotatoPixie90210

There were some things that OP did that people find rude, but it came from a place of understandable hurt.

saturnbabie

OP shouldn’t be treated as a mere obligation but as an equal to their stepbrother.

ShotBarracuda6

In this scenario, OP didn’t deserve to be excluded not only during Christmas but most of the time. They were treated as someone who would just swallow the blatant favoritism and remain silent.

The majority of the Redditors agree that OP wasn’t the a**hole and wish that things would improve for them. The other family members should also look into the real reason why things got out of hand instead of judging.

Do you think OP deserves an apology? Let us know in the comments.