Skip to main content

AITA for donating some winter coats to two cold little girls?

· 3 min read

It was a typical Midwest winter – the kind where the wind whips around your face and you wonder if you’re living in a giant freezer. Our family was in the middle of the chaos when our daughter, freshly back from college, barges into the kitchen and declares that the twins (who’ve been crashing on our couch since September) are not equipped for the weather. One is rocking a hoodie, the other a jean jacket that looks like it survived a summer in Arizona. Cue the heroic heroism: we trek up to the attic, rummage through a treasure trove of vintage coats, long‑sleeve shirts, and a pair of snow boots that practically scream “fashionable winter survival gear.”

We decided the twins deserved these goodies more than our youngest, who is still growing into them. “We can always buy her new stuff,” we thought. “These girls are poor, let’s give them a taste of the good life.” My son, who apparently knows the twins share one wardrobe, agreed. My daughter happily handed the clothes over, announcing they were “theirs” (or at least that we were going to toss them). The twins, the eternal rebels, accepted the donation with a subtle “thank you” that could have been a dramatic sigh.

And then, the plot twist: the twins’ stepdad arrives, clutching the box of clothes, and declares that “we don’t take donations in this house.” He drops a line about keeping my nose out of his business and acts like I ruined his day. The punchline? He thinks toughness means the girls don’t need to feel the cold. My husband is like, “You should have known that.” I tried to call the mother but got lost in the cold, call‑waiting line. So, is I the villain here?

Comments (the internet’s verdict)​

  • NTA. Contact CPS.
    Because when you’re handing out winter coats to kids who are literally cold, the only logical next step is the child‑protective services hotline.

  • I agree. Call the school too: because they're likely obligated to do something if kids are coming to school during a polar vortex in hoodies.
    School staff are basically the “free coat dispensers” of the 21st century. If the kids are shivering, they might just have to intervene.

  • Could you maybe take the coats to the school for them?
    “I know our elementary schools are always asking for winter gear.”
    The school might even have a policy that requires coats to go outside when it’s bitter cold. Kids shouldn’t have to miss recess because of neglectful parents.

  • NTA. That stepdad is a monster.
    The only thing this stepdad lacks is a sense of humor. He’s a “monster” for refusing help and ignoring basic human decency.

  • Honestly not providing winter clothes/coats in the Midwest and refusing free ones, is a reason to contact CPS.
    Those children are being neglected from that fact alone.

TL;DR​

You handed out winter coats to two cold‑craving twins, got a stepdad who acts like you’re a villain, and now the internet tells you to call CPS. Bottom line: NTA (Not the A‑I‑T‑A), but maybe get the school involved.