Redditors Slam Mother's Reasoning For Making Daughter Return Halloween Costume

The mom talks about how her 16-year-old daughter works after school five days a week, and wanted to participate in a group costume with her friends. They'd gone shopping for the costume together, and the mom later picked them up.

When OP learned that her daughter spent $80 on the costume, OP lectured her in the car. She dropped off the friends, and then brought the daughter back to the store to return the costume. As a result, the daughter didn't get to participate in the costume with her friends, who found someone else to fill her spot. They ended up winning a $100 gift card to share. The mom argues that the costume cost more than the prize, and believes she'd taught her daughter a lesson about spending money wisely.

Meanwhile, the daughter is still cold and upset. OP's ex-husband says that she ruined the experience for her daughter.

According to OP, the daughter works after school. Which means she likely spent her own money on the costume. In other words, OP tried to control how the daughter spent her own money.

The only problem OP seemed to have with her daughter's costume was the price. But as more commenters agreed, it wasn't OP's place to tell her daughter how to spend her money, so long as she continues to save and pay for anything else she may need to pay for.

In making her return the costume, OP made the daughter feel excluded from her friends. OP made the daughter feel like the memories she may have made with her friends weren't worth the price of the costume. For most commenters, it seemed that OP was both out of touch and in the wrong.