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Woman Wants To Know If She Is The Jerk For Charging Her Sister $3,400 For A Painting Her 9 Y.O. Nephew Ruined
People who have children definitely have many stories about how their little ones surprise them every day. And not all of the stories are fun and games. Kids are known to cause some serious trouble and it’s the parents who have to clean up the mess that follows.
At least that’s what others expect from the parents. Like this Reddit user who got her painting that was meant for a client destroyed by her nephew. So she asked her sister, who is the boy’s mom, to pay £2,500 (about $3,400) for the damages; however, the sister was not seeing her kid’s blame in the situation.
More info: Reddit
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An artist is demanding her sister pay £2,500 (about $3,400) for a painting her child destroyed when she specifically told everyone to not go into her art studio
Image credits: Valentina Powers (not the actual photo)
The original poster (OP) of the story was an artist, 26 years old at the time, who goes by the username CattFen on Reddit. She organized a New Year’s celebration for her family but specified that she didn’t want any kids to come.
Her sister, who she calls Lucy in the story, has a 9-year-old son who is named Ethan in the post and Lucy couldn’t find a babysitter for the evening so she came to the party with her son.
The artist invited her family to celebrate New Year’s and it was supposed to be an adults-only party
Image credits: CattFen
CattFen is a serious artist and had an art studio in her house which had a sign forbidding entry to it on the door. And she also verbally announced that nobody was to enter that room. But knowing that kids can get bored really easily and like to break the rules, the OP set up her boyfriend’s PS4 to keep Ethan entertained.
Apparently, it wasn’t entertaining enough for him as at 10pm, a crashing sound came from the studio and when the artist went to look at what happened, she saw Ethan having fun with the supplies in the room. And more importantly, he ruined a painting that was meant for a client and now needed to be started over.
The artist has an art studio in her home and she told her guests that nobody was allowed to enter there
Image credits: CattFen
The next day, the OP sent a bill of £2,500, which would be about $3,400, to her sister as it was a commission. In the comments, the artist explained, “The £2500 is based on a few things. I will have to redo the painting as it was for a client. All the other items were destroyed. (The acrylics fell and he squirted them out. Very expensive acrylics!) The other time I will take me to redo the work (it was maybe 1/3 the way done) I will be receiving around £6000 for the work.” She also added that she wouldn’t have asked for money if the painting wasn’t an order from a client.
However, that didn’t stop her nephew and after a while she found him ruining her artwork an supplies
Image credits: CattFen
She also explained that Lucy’s husband is “VERY successful and she’s a SAHM (no disrespect). They can afford it 100%.” And she mentions in the post that her sister’s husband was not against paying. If you are wondering if Lucy has a reason why she shouldn’t pay, apparently she told her sister that “kids will be kids.”
Image credits: CattFen
The artist sent a bill to her sister so she would cover the damage but the family was divided on who is right in the situation
Image credits: CattFen
Another detail to have in mind is that the whole situation was probably not an accident. In another comment, CattFen detailed the layout of the house and how the studio is connected to it: “my kitchen and garage are connected, and next to the kitchen there’s a door to the living room. Through the garage there are two openings. The main garage door was open, but the side door that’s connected to the kitchen wasn’t. The kid went out of the house, into the garage through the car entrance and accessed my studio. (Which is next to the garage).” Which suggests that the kid didn’t accidentally stumble upon the door and went to see what’s inside out of curiosity.
Image credits: CattFen
What is your verdict? Is the artist in the right to demand compensation for her ruined work that she spent 15 hours on and for the damaged supplies? Or do you think that she shouldn’t be so serious about it because it involves a child which is also her nephew? Leave your thoughts in the comments!
Redditors were unanimous and saw no blame of the artist, saying that the child was old enough to know better
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What do you think ?
Wheeskers 4 years ago
Since it has not been mentioned..."Lucy" is 24 and has a 9 year old. That'd make her 15 when she had him. Guess good decisions aren't really her thing.
TheReader19 4 years ago
No in my opinion, at nine years old he knew what he was doing; and seemed to be doing it on purpose.
Samoza Igre 4 years ago
Exactly. She said that he was there laughing and smearing the paint. He clearly did it on purpose. When I was 9, I couldn't even think about destroying something for fun. I was not raised like that. She should bear the consequences of the non-upbringing of her son. She's turning him into a small psychopath.
Load More Replies...
Otter 4 years ago
Tear up the bill, and send a new and itemized one. One that includes the price of a good solid door to the studio with a lock, since the little s**t can't be trusted around anything of value.
Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
Every brush, every ounce of cleanser, every drop of paint, I'm with you, @Otter.
Load More Replies...
Mad Mar 4 years ago
As an artist, if I had a commissioned pc that was stowed away in my studio an told guests not to go into my studio and someone did and ruined the artwork, first off they should apologize. Second offer to pay something for my time or supplies (especially if it was due to a parent not watching their child and then the child ruined it and my supplies), and third, I would also send them a bull if they weren't taking it seriously knowing that was how I made a living. Glad dad is on board. Maybe he could explain to mom an sis how much time an effort let alone years of practice make the value of that art. She's a c word (sis) an needs to at least make an effort to repay the damages.
Ziiiiiing 4 years ago
I'd only send them a bull if they owned a china shop, it seems wasteful otherwise.
Load More Replies...
Assistant to DJ 4 years ago
Lucy is immature (having a kid at 15) and is raising an immature child (9yrs old laughing while destroying someone else's stuff he was specifically told not to go near, and he can read "Do Not Enter"). Tell Lucy and your mother that just because Lucy got knocked up while she was a child, and is raising a badly behaved child, that child is NO ONE ELSES responsibility. If the child screws up by smashing dishes in a store or ruining a family members artwork or keying a neighbors car, guess what? Mommy gets a bill in the mail. If she couldn't handle this, don't have a goddamn kid. Otherwise, everything that little hellion does is Lucy's fault until the kid turns 18 (or 16 in Scotland). Grandma is also to blame, she clearly has a horrible mentality that passed to Lucy, making her an immature little idiot. Couple of generations of moron going on in this family, give them the middle finger and go live your artistic freedom. Screw Lucy, the kid and grandma.
momo 4 years ago
Same thing happened with me I was crying as hell bc the clay sculpture toook me about 29 hrs
Grave Rxses 4 years ago
kick the child /j but seriously get some kind of compensation i bet the sculpture was awesome and some kid just went and destroyed it
Load More Replies...
Wilf 4 years ago
Clearly the sister doesn't respect the value of art, and by extension, her sister's profession as an artist. If that kid had gone in to any other adults' home office and smashed, let's say, a £2,500 iMac that they used for their job, would she really have refused to pay for it in the same way? I somehow doubt she would protest in anywhere near the same fashion.
Kay blue 4 years ago
You know, I think Lucy would refuse to pay and make the injured party take her to court.
Load More Replies...
Yoinks! 4 years ago (edited)
Nine sounds like my cousin. He was also a "free spirit" who waited for the magic moment everyone's attention was off him to destroy everything he could get his hands on. When he was old enough it took less than one full week after getting his driver's license (god knows how he did that) to wrap his parents' car around a telephone pole; he spent the rest of his foreshortened life staring at the ceiling waiting for the nurse to switch out his bedpan.
4 years ago
I have a liability insurance on my kid. If he pulled such a stunt I would need an itemised bill for the insurance company. My kid my responsibility. Sis would be reimbursed, everything would calm down quickly.
Miraculous Klutz 4 years ago
You can insure kids? That sounds like an amazing idea.
Load More Replies... Wheeskers 4 years ago
Since it has not been mentioned..."Lucy" is 24 and has a 9 year old. That'd make her 15 when she had him. Guess good decisions aren't really her thing.
TheReader19 4 years ago
No in my opinion, at nine years old he knew what he was doing; and seemed to be doing it on purpose.
Samoza Igre 4 years ago
Exactly. She said that he was there laughing and smearing the paint. He clearly did it on purpose. When I was 9, I couldn't even think about destroying something for fun. I was not raised like that. She should bear the consequences of the non-upbringing of her son. She's turning him into a small psychopath.
Load More Replies... Otter 4 years ago
Tear up the bill, and send a new and itemized one. One that includes the price of a good solid door to the studio with a lock, since the little s**t can't be trusted around anything of value.
Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
Every brush, every ounce of cleanser, every drop of paint, I'm with you, @Otter.
Load More Replies... Mad Mar 4 years ago
As an artist, if I had a commissioned pc that was stowed away in my studio an told guests not to go into my studio and someone did and ruined the artwork, first off they should apologize. Second offer to pay something for my time or supplies (especially if it was due to a parent not watching their child and then the child ruined it and my supplies), and third, I would also send them a bull if they weren't taking it seriously knowing that was how I made a living. Glad dad is on board. Maybe he could explain to mom an sis how much time an effort let alone years of practice make the value of that art. She's a c word (sis) an needs to at least make an effort to repay the damages.
Ziiiiiing 4 years ago
I'd only send them a bull if they owned a china shop, it seems wasteful otherwise.
Load More Replies... Assistant to DJ 4 years ago
Lucy is immature (having a kid at 15) and is raising an immature child (9yrs old laughing while destroying someone else's stuff he was specifically told not to go near, and he can read "Do Not Enter"). Tell Lucy and your mother that just because Lucy got knocked up while she was a child, and is raising a badly behaved child, that child is NO ONE ELSES responsibility. If the child screws up by smashing dishes in a store or ruining a family members artwork or keying a neighbors car, guess what? Mommy gets a bill in the mail. If she couldn't handle this, don't have a goddamn kid. Otherwise, everything that little hellion does is Lucy's fault until the kid turns 18 (or 16 in Scotland). Grandma is also to blame, she clearly has a horrible mentality that passed to Lucy, making her an immature little idiot. Couple of generations of moron going on in this family, give them the middle finger and go live your artistic freedom. Screw Lucy, the kid and grandma.
momo 4 years ago
Same thing happened with me I was crying as hell bc the clay sculpture toook me about 29 hrs
Grave Rxses 4 years ago
kick the child /j but seriously get some kind of compensation i bet the sculpture was awesome and some kid just went and destroyed it
Load More Replies... Wilf 4 years ago
Clearly the sister doesn't respect the value of art, and by extension, her sister's profession as an artist. If that kid had gone in to any other adults' home office and smashed, let's say, a £2,500 iMac that they used for their job, would she really have refused to pay for it in the same way? I somehow doubt she would protest in anywhere near the same fashion.
Kay blue 4 years ago
You know, I think Lucy would refuse to pay and make the injured party take her to court.
Load More Replies... Yoinks! 4 years ago (edited)
Nine sounds like my cousin. He was also a "free spirit" who waited for the magic moment everyone's attention was off him to destroy everything he could get his hands on. When he was old enough it took less than one full week after getting his driver's license (god knows how he did that) to wrap his parents' car around a telephone pole; he spent the rest of his foreshortened life staring at the ceiling waiting for the nurse to switch out his bedpan.
4 years ago
I have a liability insurance on my kid. If he pulled such a stunt I would need an itemised bill for the insurance company. My kid my responsibility. Sis would be reimbursed, everything would calm down quickly.
Miraculous Klutz 4 years ago
You can insure kids? That sounds like an amazing idea.
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