It’s not uncommon for children to mix up two languages while they’re learning. It’s a normal part of the process and something that many parents, including the 32-year-old mother in this Reddit post, have come to accept. But when her brother’s wife, Sarah, noticed this happening with her four-year-old son, she took action that left the mother fuming with anger. Read on to find out what happened and why the mother decided to do the same thing to Sarah that she did to her son.
Mom defends her son’s mix of languages in an epic clapback
Mom’s hilarious response to her son’s mix of languages
Mom doesn’t let her sister-in-law’s rude corrections stand in the way of her son’s mix of languages
Mom’s response to sis-in-law ignoring her son’s mix of languages? An epic clapback
Mom gives a powerful reply to her sister-in-law for disregarding her son’s mixed language
Mom’s hilarious response to her sister-in-law ignoring her son’s mix of languages
Mom’s bold clapback to her sister-in-law’s “bad” English
Mom’s not taking any disrespect towards her son’s mix of languages!
Mom’s response to her sister-in-law’s silent judgement of her son’s language mix: “Should I just apologise?”
Mom’s clapback at sister-in-law’s refusal to accept son’s mixed language
Family tensions flare as mom defends her son’s mix of languages against sister-in-law’s backlash
Mom’s clapback at sister-in-law’s monolingual reaction to her son’s mix of languages
Making the most out of work trips by combining family time with client meetings
Mom’s epic clapback against her sister-in-law’s monolingual reaction to her son’s mix of languages
When a mom’s four-year-old son mixed up English and French words, his sister-in-law’s reaction was far from supportive. Instead of gently correcting him, she rudely ignored him and then scolded the mom when she questioned her. This mom was having none of it and decided to take matters into her own hands. In a stroke of genius, she decided to ignore Sarah’s request when she asked in ‘bad English’ to make a point. Everyone was mad at her, but was this mom in the wrong? We’ll explore this issue and the comments and reactions to it.
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NTA: Mom’s clapback
The comment and replies agree that the mom was not the a-hole (NTA) for defending her kid against a childish adult, claiming the comment was petty yet deserved. The replies discuss how the SIL’s behavior can be seen as intolerance and ignorance and how it’s a common way of speaking in some parts of the world to switch between languages mid-sentence.
NTA: ♀️ ♀️
The commenter believes the mom was Not The A**hole (NTA) for standing up to her sister-in-law who was ignoring her four-year-old son’s mix of languages. The replies supported the original comment, noting that it was cute when kids mix up their languages and that the sister-in-law was being a complete a**hole.
Mom’s epic clapback
NTA: The mom’s reaction was perfection to her sister-in-law’s ignorance. Replies were supportive of the mom, with one pointing out that even if it *weren’t* normal, you don’t fix speech issues by being an a**hole to children.
NTA: Mom stands her ground!
The commentator is not the a**hole and argues that the mom should not apologize for her son’s mix of languages, given that her sister-in-law refused to help the child and made him cry with her own logic.
Kids say the est things!
The comment author is NTA (not the a**hole) and believes the SIL is a**hole and deserves to be treated accordingly. The comment author shares a funny story of their 4-year-old child mixing up words and other replies also share funny stories of their children’s mispronounced words.
NTA: Don’t let your sister-in-law be an armchair SLP!
The commenter suggests that the sister-in-law should keep her opinions to herself until she shows her qualifications in speech therapy. The replies from an SLP and another commenter support the idea, pointing out that such behavior is borderline abusive and emotional abuse, respectively.
NTA: Mom’s clapback
The commenter is not the a**hole and praises the mom’s clapback at her sister-in-law, who was ignoring her son’s mix of languages. They go on to recommend that the mom stop inviting her sister-in-law over, and Dave too if he doesn’t see the problem with her behavior.
Speech pathologist here: NTA
The section comment is from a speech pathologist stating that code-switching, a common stage of language development in bi or multilingual children, is normal and there is nothing to worry about with this. The comment further suggests that the mother should keep fostering that it is not “wrong” and keep reinforcing her son’s communication attempts by responding to the meaning normally. The comment reply is from a multilingual teacher noting that code-switching is referred to as translanguaging.
Mom claps back at sis-in-law
The commenter is NTA, as 4-year-olds may not always form correct sentences. The commenter hopes to raise their 14-month-old son to be bilingual and will treat anyone who disregards this goal as an a**hole. A reply suggests couples can raise their children bilingual by having each parent use their native language.
Mom teaches her ♀️ SIL the right way
The mom suggests that she will continue to correct her SIL’s speech around the children and that the children could also help her to speak correctly. The comment replies support this idea, suggesting that it would be unconscionable to ignore the SIL’s obvious speech issues and that the kids could lead the correcting.
The tables turn!
The commenter labeled the sister-in-law ‘an a**hole’ for her response to the four-year-old’s mix of languages and declared the original poster ‘not the a**hole’ for serving her ‘just desserts.’
NTA: no apology necessary!
Commenter advises not to apologize to the sister-in-law who made the four-year-old son cry over his mix of languages. A reply further adds that the sister-in-law should learn proper grammar if she’s going to make a four-year-old cry.
NTA! Don’t apologize!
The commenter said NTA (not the a**hole) and recommended not apologizing to the sister-in-law, but rather that she should apologize to the son for not respecting his mix of languages.
NTA –
The commenter believes that the sister-in-law was intentionally mistreating the child and is lucky that the commenter only reacted with words.
Not the a**hole! ✊
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The commenter is of the opinion that the original poster (OP) should not be corrected for her son’s language mix, and that it’s Everyone Sucks Here for letting it get to this point. Another reply mentions that the OP’s husband might be a big part of the problem.
Mom’s response to her sister-in-law’s bullying
The commenter said NTA (not the a**hole) to the mom, who had a clap back at her sister-in-law for ignoring her son’s mix of languages. The comment advised the mom to ramp it up and ignore her sister-in-law unless she started speaking in perfect French.
NTA ♀️ SIL needs to interfere in others’ parenting!
The comment says NTA (Not The A**hole) because SIL should not interfere in others’ parenting. The reply says that SIL mistreated the 4-year-old child and should have corrected him gently instead.
Mom claps back at SIl!
The comment suggested that the mom was NTA (not the a**hole) for her clap back and that treating people how they treat others is the best way of getting them to understand they’re an a**hole.
NTA: ️ Language is for communication!
The commenter declared that the point of language is communication and that it’s abhorrent to be picky about language to the point of ignoring a child. They praised the mom for her clapback at her sister-in-law.
Mom defends son against SIL
The commenter is in full support of the mom’s clapback, noting that the family should not allow their sister-in-law to ignore her son’s mix of languages. They call the mom a hero for standing up for her son.
Mom claps back NTA
The comment praises the mom for her epic clapback at her sister-in-law, who was ignoring her son’s mix of languages. The comment declares the mom as ‘not the a**hole’ a**hole.
Mom’s clapback at SIL ♀️ ignoring ♂️ son’s mix of languages
The commenter judged the mom’s response to her sister-in-law’s bullying of her 4.5-year-old bilingual child to be justified, as the child’s uncle, her brother, and her husband, had not corrected the behavior. “NTA” (not the a**hole).
Mom defends son against SIL’s criticism
The commenter is NTA (not the a**hole) for standing up for their son against their sister-in-law’s criticism. The comment criticizes the sister-in-law for trying to parent the son and calls her a hypocrite for being mad at the same action she did.
NTA, but SIL is AH
The commenter believes the sister-in-law is an a**hole for not respecting the child’s mix of languages and encourages the mother to give hugs to her son.
Mom stands up for her son!
The comment applauds the mom for her epic clapback at her sister-in-law who was ignoring her son’s mix of languages. Replies also emphasize that the mom was not the a**hole in this situation.
A mom’s petty to sister-in-law!
The commenter is NTA for clapping back at the sister-in-law for ignoring her four-year-old son’s mix of languages. The commenter adds that it’s totally normal for people of all ages to mix up words when they know more than one language, or even just one.
NTA: Mom stands up for her son
The commenter said that the mom is not the a**hole and that she shouldn’t apologize, but should let her brother and sister-in-law know that she doesn’t want or need them to parent her child.
NTA: Mom stands up for her son
The commenter believes that the sister-in-law should not mistreat a four-year-old who is still learning to talk and that she herself should be able to talk properly first.
The commenter is not the a**hole in this situation.
Niece’s stubborn demand for the “right” language
The commenter shares a funny story of their niece refusing to use the “wrong” language and insisting on using the correct word like “papillon” instead of “butterfly”. A reply agrees with the niece’s stubbornness.
Mom defends 4 y/o from bullying
The commenter is NTA and believes the mom is protecting her son from the sister-in-law’s bullying. They are questioning why this individual is targeting a 4-year-old and believe the mother is doing the right thing.
Mom gets the clapback!
The commenter believes the mother is ‘Not The A-hole’ for her clapback at her sister-in-law and thinks it was justified.
NTA: Play stupid games, win stupid prices!
The commenter was not the a**hole and found the situation amusing, saying that ‘play stupid games, win stupid prices.’
Adulting at its finest! ♀️
The comment makes the point that the mom is being petty but acknowledges that it is a common reaction among adults. It also suggests that Sarah is teaching the son to rely on himself instead of adults. NTA.
Mom’s clapback at SIL
Mom gave the perfect reply to her sister-in-law who was not responding to her son’s mixed language usage. The commenter deemed it “f**king love it” and stated that “everyone can play the game”, and that the mother is “not the a**hole”.
Mama’s got for her SIL!
The commenter declared that the mom is Not the A**hole for standing up for her son’s use of language when her sister-in-law ignores him.
NTA! Mom’s clapback
The commenter believes that the mother’s response is ‘exactly the right sort of petty’ and is not the a**hole in this situation.
Mom sticking up for kid!
The commenter said NTA (not the a**hole) and argued that sticking up for the kid and following the rules established by the sister-in-law was not rude.
Mom’s response to sister in-law
The comment acknowledges the mother’s ‘epic clapback’ and deems her ‘not the a**hole’ in the situation.
Mama Bear defending her cub!
Commenter says NTA (not the a**hole), asserting that no one can decide to make custom punishments on someone’s child without expecting custom pettiness in return.
NTA Endorsing Mom’s win!
The comment recognized the mom’s win with an NTA (not the a**hole) and encouraged the husband to buy her a medal as a reward.
Moms Epic Clapback
NTA, Mom stands up for her son and suggests calmly explaining to her sister-in-law why her response was not acceptable, and that she should follow her lead when it comes to parenting her child.”
Mom’s clapback at sister-in-law’s language discrimination!
NTA: The sister-in-law ignored the son for no other reason than he didn’t speak correctly. The commenter stood up to the bigot who wanted to assert an unneeded double standard!
Pettiness gets support
The commenter approved of the mom’s ‘epic clapback’ and declared that they were ‘not the a**hole’ in this situation.
Mom’s clapback
The commenter is not the a**hole and believes the mother is justified in her reaction to her sister-in-law’s mean behavior towards her child.
Mom’s perfect response!
The commenter praised the mom’s perfect clapback to her sister-in-law who was ignoring her son’s mix of languages. The commenter asked if the sister-in-law was bilingual or was judging the little boy.
♀️Mom’s epic clapback!
NTA: Mom’s clapback was a great way to give her sister-in-law a taste of her own medicine. Also, Louis’ mixing of French and English is “very normal” and nothing to worry about.
NTA: ♂️ Oxford Comma anyone?
The commenter was not the a**hole in this situation and disagreed with the sister-in-law’s reaction. They also mentioned that the brother was being an a**hole for ignoring the son.
Mom’s response puts sister-in-law in her place!
A comment expresses disapproval of a sister-in-law who made a child cry to make herself feel superior and calls her NTA.
Mom serves up a dose of her own medicine!
The commenter NTA found the situation funny and deserved, as the mom gave her sister-in-law a taste of her own medicine. The commenter sympathized with the mom’s child, who had to bear the brunt of her sister-in-law’s ignorance.
Mom’s clapback at SIL
The commenter believes the mother is NTA and should continue standing up for her son. They recommend keeping the sister-in-law away from the kids.”
Petty hero NTA!
The commenter declared ‘NTA. You are my petty hero.’, applauding the mom’s epic clapback for her sister-in-law’s ignoring her son’s mix of languages.
Mom shuts down SIL’s ♀️attitude
The commenter says the mom was NTA (not the a**hole) for clapping back at her sister-in-law who had a holier-than-thou attitude and was distressing the child. The commenter felt the mom deserved every syllable she said.
Mama bear takes a stand
Mom isn’t happy when her sister-in-law belittles her son’s mix of languages, calling it a “speech difficulty”. She’s not the a**hole here.
Mom serves justice!
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The commenter says NTA (not the a**hole), as the mother was justified in her clapback to her sister-in-law who was being cruel to her son. The commenter believes the mother was serving justice and should not be faulted for it.
NTA with a caveat
Mom speaks up against her sister-in-law’s disregard for her son’s mix of languages. She “gives her a taste of her own medicine” to teach her a lesson. The best solution is for both adults to “sit down and talk it out”.
Mom’s clapback!
The commenter was impressed with the mom’s ‘epic clapback’ at her sister-in-law and urged her to keep it up at every possible opportunity.
Mom : NTA!
The commenter agrees with the mother’s response, saying it is ‘Not the A**hole’. They also jokingly add ‘ijbol’ at the end of their comment.
Mom shuts down sister-in-law ♀️
The commenter declares NTA (not the a**hole) on the mother for her clapback at her sister-in-law who was ignoring her son’s mix of languages. The commenter goes on to explain why the sister-in-law’s behavior was wrong in multiple ways and suggests that if the behavior continues, the mother should consider ignoring her altogether.
Snarky Mom
The comment praised the snarky Mom for her clapback at her sister-in-law ignoring her son’s mix of languages.
Mom’s clapback and protection plan!
The commenter is not the a**hole for being petty but suggests that the mom should protect her son from Sarah in the future and Dave is also to blame for letting this happen. The commenter recommends that the mom should never leave her kid alone with them ever.
NTA Mom knows best!
The commenter said NTA (not the a**hole) and pointed out that the mom knows better than the sister-in-law when it comes to child development, and that ignoring the child is never the answer.
NTA
The commenter found the situation humorous and gave their opinion that no one is in the wrong, expressing their gratitude in the process.
Mom’s sassy clapback
A user comments ‘Lol NTA’ in response to the mother’s clapback at her sister-in-law for ignoring her son’s mix of languages.
NTA! Mom takes a stand
Mom took a strong stance against her sister-in-law and is not the a**hole for it. She warned others not to let the sister-in-law be alone with their kids.
Mom’s bold move
The comment applauds the mom for her clapback, saying that she showed it is not acceptable to belittle a child who does not understand the mocking, but the same is not acceptable to an adult who does understand. The comment ends without an apology.
NTA: Petty AF!
The commenter praised the mother for her epic clapback and declared her ‘Not the A**hole’ (NTA).
NTA: Don’t dish it if you can’t take it
The commenter said NTA (not the a**hole), implying that the sister-in-law should not criticize the mom if she cannot take the same criticism.
