A teenager's post to Reddit's r/AITAH asking whether she was wrong to refuse caring for her sister's children has drawn significant attention and near-unanimous support.
She wrote that she is 15, her sister is 29 and the sister has a two-year-old daughter and a 10-year-old child with autism. The children stay at the family home most weeks on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and from early Friday morning through late Monday afternoon.
They do not have their own rooms there, so they sleep in beds with her and another sister, or on the couch. She wrote that she gets only two to five hours of sleep a night and has had no real weekend to rest for a month.
She wrote that on top of caring for the children she was dealing with school commitments, errands and homework. Her performance declined, her grades fell, with her finals starting on Monday. She also wrote that braiding the older child's hair the way her sister wants takes her about two days — she is still learning the style.
She said in the post that her sister told her she would still need to do the hair and called her "overdramatic." Even if it meant missing her exams, she wanted the teen to take care of both children while she was away. The teenager said she broke down crying before finally yelling at her sister to stop expecting other people to raise her children.
After she cooled down, she felt guilty. She wrote that she knows parenting is hard and that being a tired mother with a toddler who will not sleep is no joke.
According to the post, her mother allows the sister to drop the children off regularly but then complains about being tired.
One of the top replies, from user Responsible_Egg_2727, read: “You’re still a child, and it’s not your responsibility to look after others. Your main priority should be your education, which I can see would be easier if you weren't burdened by your sister's lack of parenting. I truly hope things improve for you soon!”
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byu/Appropriate_Set9323 from discussion
inAITAH
Another commenter, UptownLurker, focused on the adults. “Are your parents aware that your grades are declining or that your sister is suggesting you skip your finals?” they asked. “Why is so much responsibility being placed on you and your other sister?”
A third user, Timely‑Example‑2959, pushed her toward help and boundaries. “This situation is completely unacceptable,” they wrote, before asking where her mother is in all this. They told her she is not at fault and reminded her that “no is a complete response,” urging her to protect her schooling and future.
Commenters were united: regardless of how much she cares for her nephew and niece, a 15-year-old should not be missing finals to babysit.
