This deserves a 'Dude, WTF?!'

mrsconn23

Dear Prudence, 

I have a younger sister-in-law who runs a Facebook blog with a large following (over 10,000) about her parenting lifestyle (think along the lines of unschooler, home birth, anti-vaccine). Even though I don’t agree with some of her choices, I’ve been a good aunt to her five children (soon to be six). Recently, she has had a penchant for posting on her blog about mistakes her extended family has made regarding her lifestyle choices, and just the other day I saw her referencing myself and my family in one of her posts.

It was regarding something that never happened: breastfeeding photos that she had posted a decade ago that she said we had our teenager son block on his FB account. We had our 13-year-old son shut down his FB account ten years ago because he was just too young, not because of his aunt’s breastfeeding photos. Because we’re not super close and that happened a long time ago, I feel like it would be petty to talk to her about all this. On the other hand, I’ve been a breastfeeding advocate for decades and have passed that message on to my three sons. I’ve never ever shamed any woman for breastfeeding in any way, so it feels hurtful to see her post and have multiple strangers judge me on something that never happened. I’m conflicted about whether I should confront her or let it go.

—Breast Interests At Heart

banana468

It's worth commenting not just in an email but if you're shut down, respond.

It's one thing to be crunchy but if she's starting to Gilderoy Lockhart the past it's time to confront her especially when her version of the truth smears you. 

It also means she can't be trusted at all. 

Casadena

I would comment on her page/post where she wrote it (assuming you are in fact the only SIL with sons that she could be talking about) I would also call/email depending on how you usually communicate.  

Also, if you all are not that close, unfollow this garbage. 

short+sassy

But it's not in the past, when the SIL just talked about it.  I'd confront her to make the correction to the story on her blog.  And if she doesn't, I would post on her blog what the real story is.

Though I would be nice enough to phrase it as her "not remembering this incident correctly".  Which might be true.

banana468

short+sassy said:

But it's not in the past, when the SIL just talked about it.  I'd confront her to make the correction to the story on her blog.  And if she doesn't, I would post on her blog what the real story is.

Though I would be nice enough to phrase it as her "not remembering this incident correctly".  Which might be true.

My take: Anyone who is cultivating a following by doing things that are clearly doing everything they can to show that they're taking on 'the establishment and its teachings' is not misremembering.  They're just going to claim revisionist history as it fits their narrative. 

CharmedPam

Definitely a “I don’t think you remembered this correctly” comment. But in the end, it’s all a bunch of strangers who will never meet you that got this info anyway… 

charlotte989875

I think if she’s putting it out on the internet then it’s perfectly fine to comment that it didn’t go down like she’s saying it did. 

STARMOON44

Eh I’d just block her on all social media and opt out of this issue entirely. 

climbingsingle

charlotte989875 said:

I think if she’s putting it out on the internet then it’s perfectly fine to comment that it didn’t go down like she’s saying it did. 

Exactly this.