AITA for poisoning my nephew?

Jonathan Hours
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Imagine a quiet afternoon disrupted by a child’s curiosity turning into a parent’s nightmare. A woman, rummaging through her basement for a leaf blower, suddenly finds her sister rushing her 7-year-old son to the ER. The culprit? A handful of iron gummies swiped from a nightstand in her bedroom. What starts as a brief visit spirals into a hospital stay and a family fallout, with blame flying faster than autumn leaves.

This Reddit story captures a tense clash between two sisters, one grappling with guilt, the other fuming over responsibility. As the boy recovers, the question lingers: who’s truly at fault when a child wanders where he shouldn’t? Readers are pulled into a drama of parenting, boundaries, and the unexpected dangers lurking in a home.

‘AITA for poisoning my nephew?’

My sister and nephew stopped by as they were running errands and asked to borrow my husband’s leaf blower. I was looking for it in the basement and my sister went to the bathroom leaving my 7 year nephew in the living room. He went to my bedroom and opened up my nightstand and ate some of my iron gummies. My sister found him out and rushed him into the ER since we weren’t sure how many he ate.

He stayed for 3 days in the children’s hospital for monitoring and was given a d**g to make him not absorb the iron. Luckily he’s ok now and is totally recovered. My sister is pissed at me for not telling her there were iron gummies in my house. I feel terrible about it but it’s not like I remember to tell every visitor I have iron gummies in my bedroom like she should have been watching my nephew. She and I haven’t spoken much since the accident.

This gummy mishap is every parent’s heart-stopping fear, but the blame game here misses the mark. The woman, caught off guard by her nephew’s snooping, isn’t a villain for storing vitamins in her private bedroom. Her sister, briefly absent, faces the harsh reality of a 7-year-old’s impulsiveness. Both are shaken, yet their rift highlights a key issue: who’s responsible for a child’s actions in another’s home?

Dr. Laura Markham, a parenting expert, advises, “By age 7, children can understand basic rules, but they still need supervision in unfamiliar spaces” (Aha! Parenting). The nephew’s age suggests he should know not to rummage or eat unknown items, yet his mother’s brief absence left room for trouble. The sister’s anger likely stems from fear and guilt, deflected onto the woman for not preemptively warning her.

This incident reflects a broader concern: child safety in homes. The CDC reports over 300,000 annual ER visits for unintentional poisonings among children, often from accessible medications or supplements (CDC). While the gummies weren’t candy, their appeal underscores the need for vigilance. The woman couldn’t foresee her nephew’s actions, but her sister’s expectation of a hazard disclosure feels unrealistic.

To mend ties, the sisters could discuss shared responsibility, perhaps installing childproof locks for future visits. The woman might express empathy for her sister’s scare, while the sister could acknowledge her son’s boundary breach.

Check out how the community responded:

Reddit’s takes are as sharp as a child’s curiosity! Here’s the community’s unfiltered scoop, served with a side of sass:

StAlvis - NTA. Your nephew **poisoned himself**. 7 years old is **more than old enough** to understand 'don't put s**t you find in your mouth.'

GuiltyPick - NTA. 1) She should have been watching her kid. 2) 7 years old is old enough to know not to go snooping through peoples things. 3) He “poisoned” himself. Lucky it was iron gummies and not something worse.

VanillaBlossom09 - She's mad at you for having iron gummies in YOUR nightstand in YOUR room in YOUR house? Absolutely NTA. The circumstances were bad, and if she is worried about him getting into things he's not supposed to, then it is her responsibility as the parent to monitor them at all costs.

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mzpljc - NTA do you also have to tell her you have drain cleaner, dish soap, laundry detergent, or nail polish remover in case he decides to eat those too? FFS he is 7. Old enough to know better than to eat random s**t he finds, or not to snoop around in someone's house.

[Reddit User] - NTA. Your sister needs to teach that kid basic manners. It is not okay for that kid to just go into someone else's bedroom like that.

Dutch-woman - Oh my. Your sister is a character isn't she? 7 years old is old enough to know not to snoop around in peoples houses and definately old enough to know not to take candy without asking.. I would say she lacking in regards to raising this child.

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rapt2right - NTA.. They were in a drawer.. In your bedroom.. Where your nephew should not have ever been poking around. 7 is old enough to know not to snoop in other people's rooms and not to take things without asking.

If the gummies had been out in the living room, looking like just candy, there might be an argument made that you should have been more careful but it's absolutely not your fault that your sister left her child unsupervised & he went into your bedroom , immediately started opening drawers & then ate something he found.

allyharps - NTA. You are supposed to notify her of every single vitamin and supplement and NSAID in the house at all times? That’s just unrealistic. Accidents like these happen, especially when children are of the age where everything goes in the mouth. This isn’t your fault.

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Edit to add: You’re completely right in saying she should have had eyes on her child and not let them wander amongst your house freely. If you do begin talking again, I would ask her to buy you child locks for the doorknobs.

sailorn0on - NTA. I don’t let my child have a free for all in anyone’s home. And shouldn’t a 7 year old know better than to eat something not theirs? If not - mom better be on high alert.

gen_angry - She had to go to the bathroom so she couldn't watch him. He should have known that you can't just wander off and eat whatever's laying around. There's a lot worse out there that look like candy than iron gummies. I'd expect that kind of behaviour from a toddler, not a 7 year old. Irregardless, hopefully he learned his lesson now.

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Even if it were candy, it's not his to eat and stealing is wrong. He should have asked first. Again, another milestone that a 7 year old should know.. Her problem is that she's chosen to place the blame on you for it.. NTA

These Redditors don’t mince words, but do they nail the real issue? Is it all on the mom, or does the aunt share some blame?

This tale of gummies gone wrong stirs up big questions about parenting and responsibility. The woman stands by her right to keep vitamins in her bedroom, while her sister demands warnings for every hazard. Who’s right when a child’s curiosity leads to danger? How would you handle a family clash over an accidental scare? Share your thoughts and stories below!

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