Teen Furious At Entitled Aunt For Lying To Nephews About Why She Couldn't Babysit Them Anymore

"Mom says it’s because you don’t like us anymore.”

Damjan

• Published in Interesting
• September 4, 2023

In a world where acts of kindness and support are highly regarded, it's easy to overlook the fact that once offered, help can sometimes be misused. The human instinct to aid others, especially those in need, stems from a genuine desire to foster cooperation and uplift the community.

However, stories like that of OP, a 16-year-old girl, shed light on a stark reality: the potential for assistance to transform into exploitation. OP's story begins as a tale of compassion and responsibility, where she volunteers her time to babysit her young cousins, Moses and Matteo.

This seemingly simple arrangement, aimed at allowing her Aunt Alex to balance her work and family life, ultimately evolved into a complex situation marked by disregard for boundaries and personal commitments. OP (16f) used to care for her cousins Moses (8m) and Matteo (5m) every Tuesday and Thursday.

She did this to help her Aunt Alex work and have weekends with her kids. OP didn't mind as the boys were well-behaved and had no homework. They mostly watched TV and played games.

Aunt Alex began taking advantage by dropping the kids off last minute, even on OP's important volunteer days. Frustrated, OP told Aunt Alex she couldn't babysit anymore due to the disruption.

This decision extended to all days, not just Tuesdays and Thursdays, due to the exploitation. Aunt Alex struggled to find affordable nannies, and OP's parents supported her choice.

But Moses thought OP didn't like them anymore. OP reassured him it wasn't the case and explained her decision was due to Aunt Alex. She hoped they would understand.

OP used to take care of her cousins, enabling her Aunt Alex to work and enjoy her weekends off. However, Aunt Alex began unexpectedly leaving the cousins with OP for situations that weren't urgent, even on days when OP had important volunteer commitments.

OP told Aunt Alex she couldn't keep babysitting last minute, even on Tuesdays/Thursdays

OP communicated to cousins that feelings towards them remain unchanged, but unfair treatment by their mom led to the decision to stop babysitting them.

OP's aunt is responsible for her own children

OP should communicate reduced time with kids

It's unjust that OP's aunt considers babysitting to have no value but still anticipates receiving it without charge.

It's unfortunate that OP's aunt is not being truthful with the children

OP's aunt exploited the situation and attempted to manipulate OP by involving her kids

Instead of showing appreciation, OP's aunt was exploiting the situation

The kids are being influenced by manipulator

OP's aunt exploited OP's kindness

She must solve her daycare issue herself; OP is not obligated.

OP did the right thing by deciding to stop babysitting her cousins. Helping family is important, but it shouldn't make you give up your own plans. Aunt Alex didn't show respect for OP's volunteer work and took advantage of her kindness.

OP standing up for herself is something good. She explained her limits and priorities. It's not great that Aunt Alex only realized how much OP helped when she couldn't find cheap babysitters. This means she didn't really value the time and effort OP put into taking care of the kids.

OP's reaction to Moses's feelings was nice. She was kind and understanding. She explained why she couldn't babysit anymore and made sure Moses understood that she still cared about him. This is how grown-ups handle things well.

Damjan