Woman accused of 'brainwashing' her sister's children when she declares she wants to remain childless

A Reddit user has been accused of “brainwashing” her sister's children by explaining why she decided not to have children by saying she did nothing wrong, a family therapist told Fox News Digital.

“AITA for telling my sister's kids the truth about why I never had kids?” asked user “PutSpecial8915” in an August 24 post on the “Am I the Asshole” subreddit.

In the post, the woman said she was 36 years old and had a younger sister with three children, ages seven, five and three.

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“I made a conscious decision not to have children, which was always a point of contention in my family,” she wrote. “My sister in particular was very vocal about her belief that 'a woman's purpose is to be a mother' and that I was 'missing out on the most beautiful part of life,'” she said.

In the past, she had ignored such comments to “keep the peace,” the woman said, but recently her sister's eldest child apparently asked her again why she decided against having children.

A Reddit user (not pictured) was asked by her sister's child why she decided not to have children. (iStock)

“I tried to give a vague, polite answer, but they persisted and said their mother told them I would change my mind one day because 'everyone does,'” PutSpecial8915 said.

“At that point I decided it was time for the truth,” she said – and revealed to her sister's children that she “valued[d] my freedom, my career and my personal time.”

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“I explained that some people love being parents, but others find happiness in other ways and that it's OK not to have children if it makes you happy,” she said.

“I also added that everyone's life choices are valid as long as they are happy and fulfilled.”

However, her sister did not like this because she overheard part of the conversation.

The Reddit user said she told her sister's children that “others find happiness in other ways and that it's okay not to have kids if that's what makes you happy.” (iStock)

The sister “freaked out and accused me of trying to 'brainwash' her children and undermine her parenting skills,” the woman wrote.

“She said I was selfish for sowing 'doubts' in her children about the importance of family. She even accused me of 'glorifying' a lifestyle that she finds empty and meaningless,” the woman said in her post.

“She even accused me of 'glorifying' a lifestyle that she finds empty and meaningless.”

Later, PutSpecial8915's parents called – and they sided with their sister's anger over her conversation with her children, the woman said in her post.

“They said I should have just 'done the kids a favor' or avoided the question, and that I owed my sister an apology for the unnecessary drama,” she said.

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Still, “I don't think I did anything wrong,” PutSpecial8915 said. “I was honest, respectful, and offered a balanced perspective. I'm tired of being made to feel like my decisions are less valuable or need to be hidden just to avoid conflict.”

She added: “I think it's important for children to know that there are different paths in life and that not all of them involve having children.”

The woman turned to other Reddit users for their opinion after she was accused of “brainwashing” her sister’s children. (iStock)

The author then asked others, “Is it OK to be honest with my niece and nephews about why I chose not to have children, even if it caused a rift in the family?”

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Reddit author for comment and updates.

A therapist told Fox News Digital that she was convinced PutSpecial8915 had done nothing wrong – as long as the situation unfolded as she described.

“She was asked a question and answered truthfully,” Rachel Goldberg, LMFT, founder of Rachel Goldberg Therapy in Los Angeles, told Fox News Digital via email.

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Goldberg also said, “Just because her family didn't like the answer doesn't mean it was inappropriate.”

But in the future, “she might consider giving a shorter answer, such as 'I'm not interested in children at the moment,' to keep the peace,” she said.

“Ultimately, she has every right to be honest,” said one therapist.

“Ultimately, she has every right to be honest,” Goldberg said.

“If her sister and the rest of the family don't like it, they can choose not to ask the question or not to be around her.”

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Reddit users largely agreed with Goldberg's sentiments, with the majority of over 300 replies to her post saying the woman was “not the asshole” in the situation.

“NTA. Your sister has been undermining you in a very passive-aggressive way towards her children for years. This is why this question was bound to come up at some point,” another Reddit user wrote in the top reply.

The Reddit user (not pictured) was praised by others for her restraint in talking to her sister's children. (iStock)

The user said that PutSpecial8915 chose not to respond passively-aggressively and “addressed the issue head-on.”

The same person wrote: “And your sister couldn't stand it because she's afraid her children will develop their own opinions if they are exposed to other views.”

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Another user pointed out that there is not much the woman can do in this situation.

“What a lie was [she] should she tell to keep her sister's faith alive?” asked user Ok-Cat-4975.