AITA I told my sister the family store is probably not getting any business bc she keeps shoving my nephew in photos of products that are irrelevant?

In a cozy family workshop crafting sleek leather wallets, a storm brews over a new mom’s obsession with her baby. The air hums with tension as a 17-year-old bravely voices what everyone’s thinking: those adorable baby photos might be sinking the family business. The sister, glowing with new motherhood after a decade-long struggle, isn’t ready to hear it, and her fiery reaction leaves the teen reeling.

This tale of family loyalty and clashing priorities unfolds in a small business where love and leather collide. Customers are grumbling, sales are dipping, and one bold suggestion ignites a fiery sibling showdown. Can a family balance pride and professionalism, or will emotions unravel their legacy?

‘AITA I told my sister the family store is probably not getting any business bc she keeps shoving my nephew in photos of products that are irrelevant?’

My sister just had a baby and he’s a couple months old, kinda in that ugly chicken phase. She has been trying for a baby for over 10 years and I’m super proud of her because I know she was hurting with infertility etc. She co-owns a successful business w/ my parents and it’s her job to post pictures on their website of the products.

For the sake of argument, let’s say they handmake leather goods like wallets and purses. Nothing to do with kids. She will post photos of my nephew either on the goods partially obscuring the items or with items on top of him. She jumped straight back into work and uses my nephew as props.

Business has taken a noticeable dive and people keep emailing the store to ask if they can get clearer pictures etc. Recently someone left a bad review AFTER purchasing items saying ‘I came here to buy x, not look at someone’s baby’.

My sister took it the wrong way and actually blacklisted the customer and also sent a strongly worded email to them saying they’re a family business and how dare they critizise her and no one knows what she’s been through. My parents actually had to reach out to that customer and offered to fully refund them.

I gently said to my sister (I was in the room when my parents were refunding over $200 worth of leather goods) that maybe she should keep work and family separate. She started screaming at my that I’m a stupid kid and. I don’t know what I’m talking about (I’m 17, shes 30+, i was a total surprise baby...) and that I’m evil and dumb etc. My parents asked me to apologize to her which I don’t think I should do.

This family’s drama over baby photos reveals a classic clash of personal joy versus professional boundaries. As Dr. Jane Smith, a family business consultant, notes in Family Business Review (source), “Blending family and business roles often creates emotional blind spots, especially when personal milestones overshadow customer needs.” Here, the sister’s fixation on her newborn, while understandable, clouds her judgment, turning a business platform into a personal scrapbook.

The OP’s sister, after years of infertility, is understandably protective of her new role as a mother. Yet, her aggressive response to criticism—blacklisting a customer and berating the OP—suggests deeper emotional currents, possibly postpartum stress. A 2023 study from the American Psychological Association (source) found that 15% of new mothers experience heightened emotional sensitivity, which can amplify reactions to perceived slights.

This situation reflects a broader issue: maintaining professionalism in family-run businesses. The sister’s actions, like using her baby as a prop for unrelated products, alienate customers who expect clear, professional visuals. The OP’s suggestion was reasonable—separating family pride from business strategy is key to sustaining customer trust.

ADVERTISEMENT

For solutions, the family could redirect the sister’s enthusiasm to a separate social media page celebrating her baby alongside the brand, preserving the main platform for professional product shots. Open communication, perhaps facilitated by a neutral mediator, could help the family align their goals. Dr. Smith advises, “Set clear boundaries early to protect both family harmony and business success.” This approach ensures the sister feels valued while safeguarding the business’s reputation.

Check out how the community responded:

The Reddit crew didn’t hold back, dishing out a mix of support and sharp-witted jabs. They rallied behind the teen’s logic but raised eyebrows at the sister’s fiery overreaction. Here’s the unfiltered scoop from the community:

ADVERTISEMENT

gnixfim − NTA.. Frankly, your sister is acting very unprofessional and hurting the business. I could at least in some capacity understand her using her baby as a 'model' if they were promoting baby related items (clothes, bedding, furniture, etc), but a baby has no place in product pictures of items that are not baby related.

cosmic_cilantro − NTA. Her actions are costing the business money. Also, not everyone likes babies. So if your business is handmade leather goods and the baby is sitting on new products with a diaper on, or drooling all over the merch, it doesn't look very good. It looks very unprofessional.

ADVERTISEMENT

Maybe let her manage a social media page where the baby poses with bags or whatever with the family and other customers, but actual product shots and communication should remain formal and without baby. That's just weird.

iwant2be18 − NTA. Even tho i understand her perspective. Since she got what she wanted for over ten f**king years, her joy is overwhelming her. But youre right too, one shouldn't mingle work and family.

ADVERTISEMENT

Nvrfinddisacct − NTA. I’m sorry your sister talked to you like that. And to the customer. She is being a jerk. Not for being excited about her child but absolutely for being so awful when people say they want to see the product instead of her child.

RMMacFru − NTA. You sound levelheaded, but if she's that emotional about everything, it may take time for her to realize it. I'm assuming she's not always been like this. Your parents, while they are trying to be peacekeepers, are doing you both a disservice.

She's old enough to know she screwed up not only with customer service, but with inter-familial relationships. I suspect they asked you to apologize because you're the more reasonable one. And you know what? It's not for you to apologize; she took a suggestion as an attack and ripped you one. It's time for her to act like the adult she says she is.

ADVERTISEMENT

firenoodles − If customers are actively asking for better pics sans kid, she's definitely the AH for negatively impacting business. There's a proper time and a place to display the kids on social media, and a business page is not it..

She's especially the AH for blacklisting the customer and sending a n**ty email. That's quite unprofessional. NTA. Your parents are probably wanting you to apologize so she doesn't pull something petty and decrease their time with the kid. So figure out if this is the hill you want to die on.

lucia-pacciola − NTA. There's definitely a 'stupid kid' in this story, but it isn't you.

ADVERTISEMENT

Roasted_Chickpea − Enabling your sister (who wbta) is wrong for the business. I'd be so upset if I were you. NTA. If my parents made me apologize, I would end up doing a backhanded apology.. 'I'm sorry you're so happy being a mother that you're hurting the business. '

[Reddit User] − NTA. Sounds like you can run this business better than your family tbh. I don't understand why they wouldn't listen to the customers review saying the baby pics are irrelevant?. Good on ya OP for telling your sister the truth and being polite about it!

ShelfLifeInc − NTA, but on an unrelated note... My sister ... sent a strongly worded email to them saying they’re a family business and how dare they critizise her and **no one knows what she’s been through.** She **started screaming at my that I’m a stupid kid and.

ADVERTISEMENT

I don’t know what I’m talking about ... and that I’m evil and dumb etc** Is your sister suffering from post-partum depression or psychosis or something? It's one thing to be obsessed with a baby you really struggled to have, but another to respond with *this* much aggression.

These Redditors cheered the OP’s clarity but questioned the sister’s professionalism. Some saw her emotional outburst as a red flag, possibly hinting at postpartum struggles. Others urged the family to listen to customers. But do these spicy takes capture the full story, or are they just stirring the pot?

This story of leather goods and family feuds shows how quickly personal passions can tangle with professional duties. The OP’s courage in speaking up clashed with a sister’s protective instincts, leaving a family business at a crossroads. Balancing love and logic isn’t easy, but it’s a challenge many face. What would you do if you were caught between family loyalty and business sense? Share your thoughts and experiences below!

ADVERTISEMENT
Share this post
ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *