A 19-year-old college student sets a Halloween-related boundary — and her family isn’t happy.
In a recent “Am I A–—-” post on Reddit, a woman shared that her older sister often expects help with childcare at the last minute.
“For context, I live at home while going to college part-time and working,” she wrote. “My older sister ‘Emily’ (26F) has a 6-year-old daughter ‘Lily’. I love Lily, she’s great, but Emily has a habit of dumping her on me at the last minute whenever she wants a break.”
“This has been going on for years,” she wrote, adding that “no one in the family really questions it because, you know, ‘family helps family.’ ”
A woman says she had to tell a friend her devil costume was too ‘sexy’ to play with kids
And Halloween turns out to be no exception.
“So a few days ago, Emily told me she couldn’t take Lily trick-or-treating this year because she and her boyfriend were going to an adult Halloween party,” she wrote.
“She just assumed I would do it. I’ve already made plans with my friends to go to a haunted house and watch horror movies, something we’ve been planning for a week,” the woman added. “I told her no, to either bring her daughter or come up with something else outside because I wasn’t available.”
However, that didn’t go so well.
“Well, Emily freaked out, saying I was being selfish and that Lily would be heartbroken if she didn’t leave,” she continued. “Mum supported her, saying I should ‘act like an auntie’ because Lily looks up to me.”
“Now my whole family treats me like I’m some kind of monster for putting my own life ahead of my niece’s Halloween,” she wrote.
Parent says 11-year-old daughter didn’t invite ‘class clown’ to her Halloween party, causing drama
“I feel guilty because I know Lily is excited about it, but I don’t think it’s fair that I’m expected to turn everything down every time my sister needs a break,” she added, asking if others thought she was justified in her refusal. .
“Or am I really selfish like my family says?” she asked.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Many commenters chimed in, and the vast majority fully supported her decision.
“You have your own plans and it’s not fair for your sister to just assume you’re going to drop everything for her,” read one response. “Being a good aunt doesn’t mean being a free babysitter all the time.”
Another commenter recommended setting firm boundaries for the future.
“Tell your sister that you will now refuse ANY request for help within less than X days of ASKING for your help,” they wrote. “If she accepts your help, that’s an automatic no. If it’s been less than X days other than a legitimate emergency, it’s an automatic no. And most importantly, stick to it. Even if you’re at home watching Netflix. that’s an automatic no.”
Teen says her half-siblings are angry they didn’t get a ‘grandchild’s inheritance’ after grandma’s funeral
Others wondered why no one else in the family stepped in to help — including the girl’s mom.
“And why isn’t the real mother treated the same way for prioritizing her life over theirs???” one comment read, while another added: “She has a daughter and can’t do adult things before taking care of her daughter. Period.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education