Man ‘Sternly’ Refused to Accept Leftovers from Girlfriend’s Mom, Now Things Are Awkward

A 23-year-old man is questioning whether he mishandled an awkward moment after he “sternly” declined leftover food from his girlfriend’s mother.

He shared the situation on Reddit’s “Am I the A——” forum, where users ask for judgment on interpersonal conflicts. In his post, he explained that he, his 22-year-old girlfriend, and both sets of parents recently attended a local trivia night together.

According to him, her parents brought a generous amount of food to share, which everyone appreciated. He added that he likely ate more than his share, and said the evening was fun overall — until the group was preparing to leave.

As the night wrapped up, his girlfriend’s parents began sorting out what food was left and deciding what to do with it. He said her mother offered them leftovers they didn’t have space for at home, so he declined politely.

But he claims she kept insisting, explaining that she’d brought extra specifically to give to them. To him, it felt like she was trying to avoid taking anything back herself. While he understood the impulse, he said they genuinely couldn’t take more.

He wrote that after he said no, she continued pressing and even started handing containers directly to his girlfriend. At that point, he says he became visibly frustrated and told her firmly: “I said no, please respect that.”

The mood shifted immediately. He recalled everyone falling silent and looking uncomfortable. His father pulled him aside and told him he should accept gifts politely.

The man disagreed, saying it felt disrespectful to have his refusal ignored, especially since the amount of food was, in his view, unreasonable for them to take. Still, he ultimately accepted the leftovers to avoid an argument — though he later threw much of it away due to lack of space.

He ended his post with a simple question: “AITA [am I the a——]?”

Redditors were split.

Some felt he was technically right but socially harsh. They argued that taking a small amount of food and discarding it later would have been easier than creating tension, especially with his girlfriend’s family present. A few also said his reaction came off as rude and escalated a situation that wasn’t worth the fallout.

Others defended him, saying that repeated pushing after a clear “no” is disrespectful, and that being firmer was justified. A couple of commenters noted that giving in once could set a pattern where her mother continues bringing excessive food expecting them to take it.

Several suggested a middle ground for the future: decline once, then exit the interaction quickly and politely — avoiding a long back-and-forth.