A heartwarming story was shared by a Redditor, u/Own_Antelope3340, on Reddit’s r/AITAH subreddit. The man opened up about his wife’s desire to adopt her niece and nephews after her sister’s unfortunate arrest. However, the man had reservations about adopting his wife’s niece.
In his post, the OP revealed that his wife’s sister had been battling with addiction and even found herself involved in drug dealing. Following her arrest, it was clear that she would be facing a long time behind bars. The man then shared that his sister-in-law had three children: two young boys aged 4 and 5, and a 14-year-old girl.
Interestingly, the OP mentioned that no other family members were willing to step forward and care for the children. Eventually, the man agreed to accept the responsibility of raising the children but had two conditions. Firstly, he insisted on adopting all three children to avoid interference from others regarding their upbringing. Secondly, he expressed his preference for adopting only the boys, excluding his wife’s niece from the equation.
The OP justified his decision by emphasizing that the boys were young and could be guided towards the right path, even though they may currently be a handful. However, he believed that his wife’s niece had unfortunately crossed a point of no return.
According to the OP, the niece had a troubled history. She repeatedly skipped school, engaged in frequent fights, had a smoking habit, and even stole from the family. On top of it all, she was involved in a relationship with a gang member who had been arrested for home invasion.
The couple spent a week discussing the matter but struggled to find a solution. The OP voiced his concern for their financial and personal security, as his wife insisted on not leaving her niece in the dark.
Reacting to this story, Redditors were quick to label the OP as “AH,” implying that he was in the wrong for not wanting to adopt his wife’s niece and for potentially abandoning her. Many felt that helping the niece change and giving her a chance to rebuild her life should be a priority.
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