Teen Upset After Brother Moves Him Out For Not Cleaning Shared Basement

"You made him cry? That’s basically the job of siblings, regardless of age."

Chelsi

• Published in Interesting
• February 12, 2024

A 17-year-old unintentionally taught his younger brother about accountability. OP's impromptu lesson started after his 15-year-old brother refused to clean like what they agreed upon when he asked to move into OP's basement.

They all still live with their parents. OP and his siblings are required to clean their rooms and the shared spaces during their weekly cleaning day.

When OP moved into the basement two years ago, he stopped contributing to cleaning the upstairs shared spaces. In exchange, he was solely responsible for cleaning his bathroom, living room, and bedroom in the basement.

OP allowed his brother to move into the spare bedroom in the basement a few months ago. His conditions were for his brother to help him maintain the cleanliness of the space and for him to keep his noise levels at a minimum.

OP saw no issues when his brother officially moved into the basement a week ago. He thought things were going smoothly until cleaning day arrived, and his brother refused to clean any part of the basement.

He said OP managed to clean the basement by himself for the past two years. His arrival shouldn't change OP's routine.

He then went to help their parents clean the common areas upstairs. OP talked to their parents about what happened.

Their parents told OP that the basement was his space, and if his brother refused to clean, OP had to decide what he wanted to do about it.

OP decided he couldn't live with his brother. OP moved his brother out of the basement when he left to hang out with his friends.

He yelled at OP when he realized what happened. He accused him of being condescending and a spoiled brat. OP would have ignored his brother's tantrums, but he also insulted their sister when she defended OP.

OP told his brother to quit acting like a child. He reminded him of their deal and how he broke it. OP felt awful when his brother cried as he went to his room.

His sister would have been a better roommate, but she is not a fan of cleaning. She jokes about finding a rich husband to hire a cleaner someday — that's how much she enjoys tidying up.

OP was kind enough to put his brother's things back in his bedroom instead of the garage.

He will get over his anger once he realizes how misguided it is.

OP's younger brother is old enough to learn about responsibility and accountability. The consequences could be worse if he continues to behave this way as an adult.

Could OP's brother be acting out because of some other issues he is tackling by himself?

OP could give him another chance to prove his maturity once he apologizes for how he behaved and the unfair insults he yelled.

Redditors advised OP to wait for their parents before he talks to his brother. That way, three people would hold his brother accountable to his promises.

OP and his brother need to reach an understanding before the resentment festers and ruins their relationship.

OP has not shared any updates as of this writing. Redditors were completely on his side and believed he taught his younger brother a valuable lesson.

They also correctly pointed out that this disagreement is too small for the siblings to drift apart. OP seems like a good brother; his younger sibling was too emotional to acknowledge that.

Chelsi