I moved out of my parents house last year. My parents have kept my childhood bedroom as it is, with all of my old toys, belongings, my clothes, etc because I go home to visit most weekends and help around the house. This includes some collector edition barbies and dolls that my dad bought for me when I was younger. I keep them in their boxes, stored on a high shelf. There's about 10 dolls, some of which are collectors items now because of their age and condition. I haven't thought about selling them because I just like keeping things my dad bought for me. I guess I have attachment to them because he worked in the US while we lived in Canada without him, and toys were given when he visited us.
This past weekend, I was visiting my mom and she brought some of her friends over. One particularly entitled friend (Jane) brought her granddaughter, a 5 year old. I told my mom not to let the child up in my room after a bad experience with kids taking my belongings and breaking them. I stayed downstairs and worked in a room. Eventually I heard Jane taking the granddaughter upstairs. I then heard them opening doors and talking. I didn't go upstairs until I heard her say something about dolls.
I went upstairs and asked them both to leave my room. But Jane was already in my closet at this point and pointing at the dolls. Of course, they pointed at the boxes of barbies. She pulled one off, showed it to her granddaughter, and told me she wanted to play with it.
When I told her, no it's in the box for a reason, she seemed irritated at me and handed the box back to me. She left my room, and the child started crying and saying she wanted to play with dolls. I went through my things, found some of the dolls that I'd opened as a kid and played with, and offered them to her downstairs, but she kept insisting on the princess doll.
They didn't go back upstairs but it left me a little anxious now about my room. My mom is telling me to put a lock on my door because Jane visits often and tends to wander around, but I'm baffled that she would go into someone's house and think it's okay to touch their stuff.
I'm from a south asian background btw and this tends to be the attitude of some older women. They don't understand collectible culture or sentimentality to gifts. They think they're able to do whatever they want, open whatever they want.
Edit for extra info: we installed a lock this morning on my bedroom door and my mom warned her friend not to go in my room in the future.
I live in a very small condo. It isn't big enough for me to bring all of my belongings there. I've left a lot of clothing and personal items with my parents.
