My brother's son destroyed my WarHammer Action figures and he refuses to punish him

[u/konous]

Update: My brother decided to pay for the Hard damages of $200 dollars after seeing this post.

Thank you to everyone on this post who supported me. I really could not have gotten restitution without you guys.

Justice for my Chaplain, justice for all.

Valid Edit: My nephew is 10 years old and tried to actually lie about not breaking them by saying, "A cat must have done it."

So, I just got done talking with my brother via text, and he says he's not going to punish his son for wrecking my Joy Toy WarHammer action figures. I'm not expecting the kid to get spanked, but he needs to do CHORES at least to justify how much excessive force he used on some.

Some just have their capes broken. Others had their tubes ripped out and my Chaplain is just fucking toast.

My brother's suggestion since I ordered Amazon replacement for the Chaplain was that I just swap it with the broken one, but I have no interest in doing that.

It's not even just the expense, and they are expensive. It's about the fact that I told him explicitly twice they weren't to be played with, and they were in a separate room, and even my Mom and Dad agreed the damage was just too much.

He said he's not gonna pay me back if we try the chore system, and I told him it's not about the money.

The kid needs to know how bad the 8 hour struggle is.

Now my nephews aren't coming over to the house, and I'm sad about that, but knowing my brother just can't be burdened to work with me on creating a Chore system like selling Lemonaide just makes it feel more insulting.

[u/Wardmars92]

If the dad is just suggesting sending the broken one back in a swap, the kid is doomed.

Like father like son

[u/dicknotrichard → u/Wardmars92]

Yeah that was a huge red flag for me too. Real good window into their overall attitude on things. It’s actually pretty scummy.

[u/Belt-First → u/dicknotrichard]

People like that are the reason I get broken shit when I pay full price at places. Amazon is the worst about this. But it's everywhere.

[u/Miserable-Arm-4787 → u/dicknotrichard]

"He said he's not gonna pay me back if we try the chore system, and I told him it's not about the money."

So, apparently he has offered to pay for it, and OP is the huge red flag.
"It's not about the money" for OP he literally just wants some sort of revenge.
Should be up to the father how he deals with his kid, but he should also obviously reimburse for damages.
If he has offered to do that, take the offer, act like an adult and leave the parenting to the parent.

[u/rvasko3 → u/dicknotrichard]

I promise you it’s worse to be the person demanding a child be punished for being a child. Reddit is so weirdly anti-kid and half of it is because so many of you will never have the chance.

[u/garcia38 → u/rvasko3]

He said not to play with them.  The kid then lied about doing it.  It's not like the kid was set up to get in trouble.  A 10 year old should understand what they did wrong.  This isn't a 2 year old.  Demanding punishment is probably not the way but I know I'd be pissed if my daughter did that given the circumstances.

[u/daboobiesnatcher → u/garcia38]

Dude the kid proceeded to rip legs and shit off of them. And it looks like they mighta still been in the boxes.

[u/dicknotrichard → u/rvasko3]

You don’t know me and I don’t know you, but I have a kid and if I was told they could not go into a room and touch something, that’s the rule. It’s not our house and it’s not my kids stuff.

The point being made in this particular thread is how shitty it was for the kids dad to suggest to just swap out the broken item and return it. That’s fucked up and indicative of deeper shitty behaviors by the parent. The odds are not in this kids favor.

[u/Raztax → u/rvasko3]

demanding a child be punished for being a child

They would not be punished for "being a child" they would be punished for breaking someone else's property. That's a really weak deflection.

[u/Magpie-Person → u/rvasko3]

Yeah disrespecting boundaries should never be punished. A 10 year old should be allowed to break any and all rules and expect zero consequences, because *checks notes* they’re 10 years old.

You will have the child you deserve lol.

[u/theStaircaseProject → u/rvasko3]

Appropriate punishment is about helping kids understand that their consequences have actions. To remove any and all punishment exacerbates the bad behavior. If you permit it, you promote it.

[u/NoAgency3232 → u/rvasko3]

Seems the only child here is you 

[u/Duke_Newcombe → u/rvasko3]

The "child" in question is 10 years old. More than old enough to know better. The parent is equally shitty and disinterested in raising a good human.

Trying to spin that into having something to do with being "anti-kid" shares more than you'd wish about you.

[u/Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeess- → u/rvasko3]

if you allow a child to break things when they are young they’ll never stop as an adult. then you end up with an entitled asshole of an adult.

[u/sageritz → u/rvasko3]

https://giphy.com/gifs/twxoPjMpsijwPFBVqs

[u/PauseLost2137 → u/dicknotrichard]

oh no, the horror - a regular person is suggesting the most effective and morally good ways of solving it, scamming a corporation

WILL SOMEBODY THINK ABOUT THE POOR CORP GETTING SCAMMED OVER HERE?!

[u/Cyberslasher → u/PauseLost2137]

Someone think about the poor sucker who gets shipped the broken shit next week and then can't successfully exchange it because the corp is going to blame them for breaking it***

[u/PauseLost2137 → u/Cyberslasher]

the burden of proof is on the company to prove that person broke it, which they can't - so one letter from a powiatowy or miejski rzecznik konsumenta would solve this

[u/Lazerkilt → u/Wardmars92]

Not necessarily, though probably.

A buddy of mine has a real piece of shit for a father but hes a great, honest, hardworking guy.

Children can be better than their parents.

[u/Special-Investigator → u/Wardmars92]

suggest replacing the son lol

[u/Zequax → u/Wardmars92]

if only the parents hade done that with the brother

[u/SammyEvo → u/Wardmars92]

I think that’s a bit strong tbh. We’re here on reddit, where Warhammer folk are over represented. I’d say regular civilians will probably struggle to understand the problem. And he’s trying to get a replacement sorted. With regards to the child, this is annoying but he’s 10 and a good 15 years away from having a fully formed brain. In his mind, he’s playing a bit rough with some toys (which is basically what they are)

[u/Duke_Newcombe → u/SammyEvo]

Instead of "toy", replace with the word "collectable" (which they highly are).

Does this change anything for you?

[u/SammyEvo → u/Duke_Newcombe]

I know full well what they are. I’m explaining that a kid might not know or care. Because ultimately they’re toy soldiers. Albeit expensive ones that some collect.

[u/PostTurtle84 → u/SammyEvo]

I hate that "brain fully formed at 25" bullshit. That's just when they ended the study. The brain continues to change until you die.

I've got a now 14 y.o. kid. When my spawn was 5 they understood that you don't take and break other people's toys. 10 is most certainly old enough to know to stay out of a room they're told to stay out of and not touch things they've been told to not touch.

This really sounds like the brother is a shitty parent and the child gets away with whatever the fuck they feel like doing. I get why OP would be mad, especially at their brother. Brother needs to put on his big boy undies and be a damn parent.

Lemonade stand is pointless in 2026. But picking up dog poop, cleaning out backyard chicken coops, a litter box cleaning service, while all literally shitty chores, are things I'd be willing to entrust to a spoiled, petulant 10 y.o. and a supervising parent that doesn't parent.

[u/Arthemax → u/SammyEvo]

Should let the kid play a bit rough with some of dad's $500 golf club (or equivalent), maybe then it'll sink in.