Honestly, I would contact police or an attorney. This feels abusive.

NTA. Try to see if you can get authorities involved, because your stepmom’s behavior is beyond worrying and you might need her actions documented if she escalates.

Your approach to parenting, asking your kid, believing her and supporting her decision is remarkable.

Yeah… that’s pretty illegal what she did…

Not my child.. but if my mother (don’t have a stepmom) would react the way yours did.

Guess who is filing a complaint?

If she had apologized, that’s a completely different story.

>she was just going to tell her to change the story and say someone else did it and she would back her up to keep her from getting in trouble. Pretty much admitted she was going to tell her to lie

This behaviour is weird as hell. Saying “I’m going to tell her to lie to you so I won’t be in trouble anymore” doesn’t even make sense. Is it possible there is some cognitive decline setting in? 

I was going to say ‘screenshot the fb message, and directly share on fb, so the extended family knows full well why she is dangerous around your child.’

But since they involved freakin’ CPS, knowing that she did what she did, lawyer sounds like a much better idea.

NTA

Scissors near my child’s face? NO

You think my child has a contagious illness and don’t contact me to make sure the treatment course is safe? NO!!

You then try to bully my child for telling the truth, then show up to my house to harass them?

Shes lucky that a doorbell camera didn’t catch this because I would gave posted and sent it EVERYWHERE like the millennial i am.

NTA

Honestly, you’ve trusted them with your child before, and this is such a weird story that doesn’t make much sense. Could your stepmother be suffering from an altered mental state? It could be anything from a UTI to Alzheimers. Whatever it is, you’re right to keep your child away from her until you know more.

Report this to the police.  Your stepmother assaulted your daughter.

NTAH.

Police report. Go figure…. cissors at the eye!

Sounds like assault.

Tell dad stepmom behaves like mad and to get her in check, else police will.

Let rest of family figure it out if they they would be pleased to have an obviously raving mad person use cissors in their eyes! Then they are heartily wrlcome to get the same spa treatment by those fucked up crazies.

put a picture of her eye with the cut eyelashes on Facebook and say “anyone know how to make this look better?” or similar ie your post is designed to ask for help on how to fix the eyelashes

then when people ask wtf, you can tell them “oh, she got pink eye and couldn’t open her eyes so my stepmum cut her eyelashes”

NTA. I’d send those screenshots to every family member and social media if you want since they’re spreading lies.

Then I would go to the police and see if you can press assault and harrassment charges.

And/or a lawyer for a cease and desist and defamation suit.

I’d file a report with the police. Doesn’t matter if you hit someone or cut their hair, so what she did is in fact illegal.

I think you DEFINITELY need to contact an attorney, ASAP, b/c it’s highly likely they’ll try & pull something like going after you for grandparents rights, even tho they’re currently being investigated by CPS, you don’t yet know the outcome, & you did have your daughter spending a lot of time there, w/them, which could be grounds for them to take you to court-not necessarily win, but a huge hassle nevertheless, & *not* something you’ll want to do w/out an atty. They can also advise you on how to better proceed w/any resulting issues from the report made against you to CPS- eg, did they actually open a file/case against you? Even if it was closed, it will still be on record, & this could have an effect in the future if you need to have background checks done to volunteer at school, etc…They may not have actually opened a case against you after coming to your home, but you want to be sure about that. + Based on her behaviour, this won’t be the last you’re having an issue dealing w/them..better safe than sorry. Get the atty.
& I’m so sorry this happened to your daughter & you.. it’s really, truly, awful.

What next? Cut off an arm because it won’t stop bleeding? Your stepmom is a psycho. And your Dad refusing to acknowledge that? Cut them off. NTA

Considering she is 70, I feel like there could be an underlying condition. Nonetheless, your daughter is not safe with this woman and I wonder if there have been other incidents that aren’t as serious, but still concerning that you don’t know about. I would not allow your daughter around that lady. NTA.

NTA u/Electrical-Pass460

ME: \*reads title\* “What the fk?!”. \*reads title again\* “What the fkkkkkk?!”.

As others are saying, please do what you can to have your stepmom assessed for Alzheimer’s/other cognitive decline. This behavior is not normal and extremely concerning. It’s really not that difficult to use the warm wet compress . . . you just have to be patient to let the treatment have time to work. The jump to cutting eyelashes (again I say “WTF!”) is off the charts. Eyelashes are important, most especially if you have an eye infection.

I know your sister said stepmom has done somewhat similar things in the past (I’d love to hear those stories). But if anything, that gives even MORE credence to the cognitive decline hypothesis, as it could have been early onset with non-obvious signs that would be subtle and easy to miss.

I would take a photo of Marie’s eye and draft a message with Marie’s version of events. Your version of how stepmom has spoken to you. The fact she charged round demanding to speak alone and then the facebook message saying that she pretty much admitted she wanted Marie to lie about her version of events…because it is the truth. How you banned MIL from seeing your daughter after her assault, frightening her. The agression and the forced attempt to bully your daughter into lying. Say Dad has never been banned from seeing Marie but stepmom has. But then dad started to get aggressive with you and confrontational so you blocked for peace of mind. Again he is not banned from seeing Marie but unless it is civil you will not keep pathways to abuse open.

Copy and paste.

I’d also report stepmom for assault.

She assaulted your daughter and then tried to force her to lie about it. Call the police and report this to your child protective services department. The incident itself is bad enough, but the reaction and follow ups are pure harassment. Get a lawyer. Holy eff, mamma, I’d be in jail by now.

NTA.

You need to do two things: 1. Send a group message to the whole family or make a facebook post telling the true story.

2. File a police report about assaulting a minor.

Wait I’m a bit confused, they were watching her because you were a single mom that worked a lot, but they’re also contacting your in laws?

NTA

I can’t stress how many red flags have been set off here. Trying to have a child lie for you is troubling since has she asked the child to lie for her before? Your father I am assuming is acting the way he is because of the idea “Happy Wife, Happy Life”, but he is wrong in his thinking. the fact he is siding with his wife as opposed to his granddaughter tells you where his loyalties lie, I would just move forward and try to just not have these people in your lives. Make them into “Holiday Family”, family members you only see on major holidays.

ETA – I just read about the CPS thing, yeah No Contact. Keep all evidence as a possible nuclear option

File a police report, she sounds unhinged if she sends her flying monkeys to you block them. Your father has chosen his wife so good riddance. Protect you and your family and take legal action against her.

Updateme

Hope you took screenshots of the Facebook message.

NTA. Cutting someone’s eyelashes is wild.

NTA. Stepmom assaulted your daughter. File a police report.

nta wth cuts a kid’s eye lashes? And demands the parent let them see the child alone?!

File a police report OP! This woman is unhinged. She assaulted your child.

Stepmom needs a full neurological evaluation and you need to hold firm. Protect your child!

NTA. Your child is 8 – not 3. She told you what happened to her and that she was scared of this woman. And on top of it she wanted to counsel your child to LIE TO YOU! You did the right thing. Calling CPS was the final nail, if you needed one, to never see her again. I hope CPS files charges against her for child endangerment. If she keeps showing up, have her trespassed off your property every time, document and then file for a protective order if she won’t stop.

It says a lot that when your daughter was given the choice to talk to her, she said she didn’t want to. Speaks volumes about a person who has been in her life so much yet given the choice kid doesn’t want to be around her 🧐

Something is fishy about step mom story. Pink eye takes days and antibiotic drops to clear up, earn water and a wash cloth will degink the eye and I have NEVER heard of a single reason to cut someone eyelashes. To put scissors that close to a baby’s face… OMG. I feel for you. You are NTA . Something is horribly wrong with that woman. Protect y’all selves and move forward

Paste those receipts all over both for their social media. Let everyone see their lies.

NTA

If you scream at my 8 year old, getting blocked is the best thing you could hope for.

……..saying she was just going to tell her to change the story and say someone else did it and she would back her up to keep her from getting in trouble.

WTH did I just read here?

So…stepmom cut them, wants the child to lie & say someone else(besides stepmom or herself) did it, & stepmom sill back up the lie even though SHE cut them? Did I get that right?

First of all, both my kids have had pink eye with the gunk and ulyou have to hold the wet (not dripping but morw rhan damp) washcloth over the gunk and it takes awhile to loosen up. Don’t just cut the eye lashes off. Those protect the eyes.

Secondly, NTA. If stepmom is saying Marie should lie to protect her pride, what else ls/has she asking Marie to lie about?

Protect your daughter OP. Somethibg seems very off here. Also take daughter to the doctor to get her eyes checked.

NTA. They chose a nuclear reaction by calling CPS. It should be met with the same. Only speak through a lawyer.

NTA

Your stepmom is a psycho and your dad cares more about having sex than seeing his child or grandchild. Both are shitty people

Your Dad and stop Mom sounds like idiots. How stupid do you have to be to think CPS will help you when your the one who did something wrong. Also to any family reaching out I’d send all the proof for what she did.

I hope you took photos. The proverbial picture is worth a thousand words.

Wow The danger she put your daughter in is inexcusable. CPS? Don’t fight back, don’t let her make you small. You sound like a responsible loving parent. Don’t block. When they start calling turn your phone off. You have nothing to prove to anyone.

NTA. It’s abuse 100%. FYI cutting eyelashes is something boarding school teachers did on their native american students when they cried. Your stepmom is utilizing a tactic used by one of the most abusive systems that existed in the US.

Nta and as someone who can’t have things near my face without being worried due to scissors near my eye in a negative situation as a kid I would say great job protecting her from that bullshit.

My husband’s ex wife called CPS on me. For the record, I met him after she kicked him out & moved in her boy toy.

She stated that I had a strange man ( my 18yr old son still in high school) living with me, no food, a dirty house all that jazz &was “scared for her two children, girl then 8 & son, then 13.

I’d have never met this woman before in my life. She didn’t know where I lived, never been to my house or anything.

CPS shows up when we’re having supper & I offered her a plate, she declined & told us I’m being investigated. I said help yourself. She talked to the kids. My son got home from an after school thing & she talked to him. Case closed, unfounded.

The ex called the again a few later & I told them it’s a little ridiculous. Case closed again & apparently told her if she calls again on us, they will have her arrested. I told them if they wanted to see a truly filthy house, they needed to look at hers. They did. Guess what, they did get her for everything she called them on me for. Nasty bitch.

Side note; she married her boy toy before her ex & I got together bc she was pregnant. She even kicked her own 2 out to us. Her husband left her a few years later bc she was so damn nasty. Left his own daughter with her tho, who is just as nasty as her mama. Karma.

NTA. Your stepmother is so unhinged, you’re right to cut her off. Makes me wonder what other messed up things happened while they were watching Marie. I hope you told CPS about the eyelash incident.

Nta they called cps on you. Stop talking to them and talk to a lawyer.

You are only TA if you ever let you step mom or father (yes him too, he is enabling putting your kid in danger by not taking your side) see or talk to your daughter alone ever again

NTA All the relatives jumping on you, tell them the truth of what step mom did. You know your dad and step mom are not saying step mom cut your child’s eyelashes. You have proof, you make a family email or text, send it to every one of them. Then see who thinks what. Get the truth out there. Your dad and step mom want to tarnish your reputation and blame you.

Updateme

NTA you’re being a great mum

NTA. why would anyone in their right mind cut eyelashes? Everybody knows that eyelashes protect the eyes.

Who the fuck cuts eyelashes???

Cutting a child’s eyelashes without the parent’s consent is assault and battery. File a police report.

NTA.

If they are trying to get the family on their side.

Maybe you should post the screenshots and story.

This was abuse.

All you have to do for pink eye is leave the hot wet cloth on your eye for a few min, then rinse and wipe, and if it’s still sticky.

Repeat steps 1 and 2 until it wipes clean.

She had absolutely no sane or logical reason to take scissors to your child’s eye!

If there is so much gunk that it can’t be wiped off, that would have made it very hard to cut off and would have presented a safety issue.

If it’s a big blob, how do you know you are only cutting the eyelash and not skin?

This is unhinged behavior.

Is this new behavior from your stepmom? She’s at the age where she could be experiencing symptoms of a neurological condition like dementia. NTA, but she needs to get checked if this is out of the norm for her.

Not that it’s your responsibility to get her to, but it’s common for those that develop those conditions to become completely different people or have episodes where they act out for seemingly no reason out of nowhere.

NTA. That woman sounds deranged. She or your daughter could have sneezed and your daughter could have been blinded. I would be no contact permanently.

Stepmom is the right age for dementia

Oh I really hope you are pressing charges.

Press charges. I would have made her pay for doing what she did.

NTAH

NTA.
Your Step Mum is being very clear she wants this to go away because she did it… and she will bully Marie into lying for her.
It happened, and she’s using steam roller tactics to try to force it to disappear.

Curious: What has your step mum got to lose from this getting out? Is she a child care worker? I mean…. this is bonkers stuff right? Does she have dementia? Does she have a history of being batshit eating crazy? What is the deeper motive here?

NTA but you need to let everyone know the full story with receipts and not whatever fantasy they are peddling. Your in laws also need to sit down and have a think, there is no overreaction in keeping someone who isn’t safe away from your child

NTA, but you should really report this to police.

I never hear if someone cutting another, or their, eyelashes for whatever reason. and she did this to a kid. with scissors…which could end up worse…

what would happen if reflexes kicked in and she ended up stabbed in the eye?

like…how sick one should be in the head to think this is remotely ok?

Is this usual for her or is it new behavior?

This sounds like a traumatic event for your daughter. Especially if she was afraid and felt like she had no agency to stop her when she had a scissor to her face. I’d help her process the feelings around this. It’s likely a memory she will never forget.

And NTA.

NTA and I’d be putting those screenshots out on FB to show the masses just what kind of person stepmom really is.

She could have physically hurt and/or permanently injured your daughter and she doesn’t even care!!

I have never once heard of anyone doing this because of pink eye. My oldest had it when he was barely 6 months old after catching it from someone in my office at work. I dealt with the fall out for almost two weeks and luckily didn’t end up getting it myself.

Fortunately her eyelashes will grow back but the damage of mistrust has been done.

Police for child neglect/abuse Dad won’t find it so funny when she’s arrested for child abuse/assault

NTA, You sound like an amazing mother for protecting her 🤍🤍

I’d call the police and press charges and go no contact immediately. 

NTA

NTA. You made your boundaries with your father clear. He can respect them or kick rocks. And his wife can GTFO

NTA, I would contact an attorney at the very least, there is no telling what they are saying to other people about your daughter & now you. They can cal DHS/CPS depending on where you are and tell them god knows what about your daughter. This can get ugly if you don’t stop it now. I’d tell everyone in the family the truth & show them the proof. Protect yourself & your daughter.

NTA but they are abusive, what kind of person jumps to let’s cut her eye lashes. Keep her as far from your kid as possible, dad too if he’s supporting her. Gets a restraining order. Updateme

I cut my own eyelashes (and eyebrows) off once, but in my defense I was 4 years old and the teacher turned her back a few seconds too long while my random ass was armed with my first pair of safety scissors.

I’m pretty sure that if anyone *else* had cut them off my mom would have made a dedicated attempt to skin them.

Good job protecting your daughter, anyone not standing up for her needs to be kept far away!

NTA

NTA. Your stepmom sounds unhinged and should never be alone with your child. Has she done weird abusive things before this incident? Is she on something?

Single mom, but you have in-laws? What happened to the dad? And what does it matter if the in-laws know her bs story or listen to her? It doesn’t sound like they have any part in her life either. And if they do, they should listen to you over the crazy step mom fr if they still want to be a part of her life.

Sounds like the crazy bword is going to everyone, to smear campaigne and cover het tracks. Which totally reads guilt. Innocent people dont act like this. Children this age also don’t really exaggerate or make up lies like she’s claiming. They are terrible at it, unless groomed to do so. But at 8? Definitely not there yet.

Let this be the reveal of who is there for you and your daughter, and cut ✂️ ties with anyone that takes your stepmothers side. Just like you have her and your dad.

Ntah.

INFO

are the eyes of your daughter okay? Did you see a doctor?

What i don’t understand is why haven’t you involved the authorities for the assault on your daughter. Why are you here posting instead of pressing charges on her? You have the proof.

Who is going to look after the kid when you are at work now? NTA

This seems to be out of character for stepmom to behave this way. She’s 70. Could this be a symptom of dementia? Just a thought.

but what’s going on w your dad tho? 🙁 why does he just believe her over you?

They called CPS that is the end. No more.

NTA!

Husband and I had dfs called on us once. Only because a neighbor had a vendetta against us. It was over her dumb teenage punks that were messing with our new car at the time. My husband kindly told them twice to leave our car alone. When I went to confront the neighbor about it, her boys told her a completely different story, saying my husband yelled, cussed and threaten her 2 teenage brats. We tried explaining to her the truth, but wouldn’t believe us and just those boys. A few days later, cps showed up at our door. They were called saying my husband and I were doing drugs in front of our kids. They had both of us do a pee test and we both passed it. They asked me if I had any idea who would make the false report, I told her our neighbor lady who we got into a confrontation with. Her mouth dropped like oh sh!t they already know. The case was instantly closed.

Never let these abusive people around your daughter again. Step mom is despicable in wanting to force your daughter to lie. Your daughters safety comes first. Protect her at all costs. You are an amazing mom.