A woman said her niece was asked to sign a ‘contract’ to keep living at home.
Per a Reddit post by user Bitter_Art_4094 in the AmIOverreacting community, a woman detailed a strict and highly detailed “living at home contract” that threatened her niece with eviction.
“I need some outside perspective on a situation involving my niece and my sister/her stepdad,” she wrote.
“My niece showed me this ‘contract’ her mom and stepdad are making her sign to keep living at home. She told them she isn’t signing it because she doesn’t agree with it, and they told her if she doesn’t sign it, she needs to move out,” the user wrote.
Parents Threatened Their Daughter With Eviction
The Reddit user confirmed that her niece is 20 years old but “not very mature for her age.”
“I’d say more like 15–16 emotionally. She has ADHD and depression. She does have a part-time job (which is her 1st job) that she’s had for a while and picks up shifts when she can,” she added.
The aunt seemingly took her niece’s side, saying she “isn’t out doing anything reckless or wild” and that she needs guidance and support more than anything.
The Reddit User Said She is Not ‘Against’ Rules
“I’m not against rules, chores, or contributing while living at home. That part makes sense to me. My 22-year-old son does all of this, and not by choice,” she wrote further in the post.
She said she feels bad for her niece, as the contract looked very”harsh” and read, “do everything right or you’re out.”
She admitted that she does “understand” that her sister and brother-in-law are trying to make her niece more responsible and “start becoming more independent,” but she feels this approach might push her further into shutdown or instability.
The Reddit User Asked Others For Advice
The Reddit user said she is worried for her niece.
“She told me she feels like she has no choice but to sign it and she’s ‘over the b——-,’ which honestly sounds more like she’s shutting down than anything else,” she added.
She asked others, “Am I crazy for thinking this is pretty harsh for a 20 year old still figuring things out, or is this actually more common than I realize?”
She also asked how she should bring this up to her sister without her “shutting down.” The Reddit user also revealed that she has been like a mediator between them at times and that her sister will usually hear what she has to say and take her advice.
Reacting to this, a user asked her if she can provide her niece housing, commenting, “Can you offer her housing? Because if she doesn’t sign this, she will need a place to live.”
While the post received mixed reactions, another concerned user wrote, “Yeah, $300 a month plus a few chores for a house, food, Utilities, phone, etc. A lot of young adults would jump at this.”
Another user asked her if she feels this is unreasonable, is she offering her niece “to live in” with her without an agreement.
