While there's still some societal pressure to procreate, more and more couples are feeling the freedom to choose to not have children.
But sometimes child-free signals to others that they're available to provide childcare.
A woman turned to the "Am I The A**Hole" (AITAH) subReddit for feedback after her brother-in-law decided she was a free source of childcare for her niece.
Similar to AITA, the AITAH subReddit allows posters to ask for advice and post about ending romantic relationships—both things that are banned on AITA. However there are no required voting acronyms—only suggested ones—and no official final judgment declared.
Strange-Teacher9653 asked:
"AITAH for telling my sister that I won't be after school care for her 5-year-old daughter?"
The original poster (OP) explained:
"I (female, 40) work for my father's company as an accountant. My sister (female, 38) works for the city we live in, and my brother-in-law (BIL-male, 35) also works for my dad, but in a different capacity and position in the field."
"For context, my dad is a licensed electrician and he's built and maintained a successful business for over 30 years."
"School started in our county two weeks ago. Last week, my brother-in-law shows up at my office and drops off my niece."
"He asked if I could watch her for the afternoon, and I said of course. Then he proceeded to drop her off every day after that at the same time. On Friday, I was asked if it was OK if I watched her for the rest of the school year."
"I am childless by choice. I don't particularly want to watch my niece every single week day."
"I don't like that it was assumed I would do so. I don't mind helping, but I am at work during this time and I don't like that I am juggling two things at once."
"My dad is OK with me keeping her and is pretty much staying out of this arrangement. After school care is offered in our district for $25 per week."
"My mouth hit the floor when I heard the cost. I'm trying to figure out why I'm even in this position when after school care is $25 a week."
"I grew up in the after care program and so did my sister. The fact that they don't take advantage of it baffles me. And I can't get a straight answer as to why."
"When I said, 'no, I don't want to be the primary care for her after school,' my BIL reacted strongly and told my dad that he'd need afternoons off because I said I would not watch her."
"Part of me feels like I just need to suck it up and watch her because 'you do for family.' The other part of me wants to stick to my guns and keep saying no."
"At one point I actually said to my dad, 'if I were a brother and not a sister, this would not be an issue'."
"But, to reiterate, my husband and I are childless by choice. That should tell you I made a decision to not be obliged to take care of children. I am not the one who failed at planning appropriately for my child."
"So AITAH for trying to draw this line in the sand with my sister and BIL?"
Some Redditors weighed in by using the AITA voting acronyms:
- NTA - Not The A**hole
- YTA - You're The A**hole
- NAH - No A**holes Here
- ESH - Everyone Sucks Here
Redditors decided the OP was not worong to say no (NTA).
"NTA. She isn't your kid. They can just pay $25 a WEEK. That is nothing. Heck your dad would probably give him a $25/week raise if $25 is a significant amount where you live." ~ K_A_irony
"I have a few questions...who watched this child when she wasn't in school? Who will watch her on days she doesn't have school like holidays , breaks, parent-teacher conferences, and what about if she's sick and can't go to school?"
"It's a huge ask for anyone to put on another person. I didn't have children either, and I happily pitched in on an as needed basis, but nope, wasn't interested in blurring the lines between aunt and caregiver."
"Stand your ground." ~ Ice-Swallow
"This is killing me. $25 a f*ckin week??? Are you sh*tting me?? Most parents would tap dance all the way to the ATM for a sweet deal like this."
"My question is why is the $25 after school care not as good as the adult on the clock at a job that isn't at a daycare?? How tf is it even considered remotely acceptable to randomly drop a kid on a child free woman who is, in fact, at work doing work things that require all her attention?"
"How do they feel op is a better fit that actual child care professionals who's job is solely to look after kids? None of this makes sense and op is so NTA my eyes crossed at the sheer audacity of the BIL. W. T. F!" ~ HeyPrettyLadyMaam
"That was them explaining their plan all along was you. They assumed you would suck it up and do it."
"If the after school program still has openings available they need to sign their kid up there. They'll get to be with other kids playing and going outside."
"You're working. Their kid would be cooped up in your office rt after school which is no good for their development. NTA and don't feel bad they assumed and assumed wrong." ~ TooTallBrawl1919
"$25 a week for childcare is nothing. Your BIL is likely LOSING more money by pretending this is so complicated and that the only solution requires him to have afternoons off."
"BIL and sister need to get a grip and not pretend this situation is a mountain when it's barely a pebble and so easily solved." ~ Visual_Patience_41
"Nope. Their monkey, their circus. You are not a parent because you don't want to be a parent. BIL is being an AH, $25 is dead cheap for child care." ~ Antique-Agent-2992
"Right? I saw 25 and was like, 'scuse me ma'am?. Absolutely cheap. BIL is being a manipulative asshole OP."
"Put your foot down. Let your father deal with his employees. He has ran this business. He is more than capable."
"Say no, I am at work. End of subject. End of explaining. Put your foot down before you become permanent unpaid babysitter for all of their children."
"Anyone who says anything about family helping family, immediately thank them for offering their time. Let them know you will inform BIL immediately of their generosity." ~ NormalSkill2126
The OP provided an update:
"First off: Thank you everyone for validating my thoughts. I don't post much and I'm always aware that I may be completely wrong when I do post something."
"For anyone questioning why I was feeling guilty/bad about this, just know, I'm the oldest sister. I have a little sister on my dad's side and one on my mom's side. There really is something to those 'oldest sister' memes."
"Next, I need to make a correction about the price of the after-school care. The document I pulled up was from a previous year, and it has, in fact, gone up to $40 a week this year."
"This, according to a teacher friend, is because of rising costs of the crafts and snacks they provide. Still dirt cheap for childcare in my opinion, but I'm not a parent."
"Now for the update—my dad stepped in and mediated and took the brunt of the blame for the initial miscommunication that implied I was OK with this whole arrangement."
"We have come to a compromise and decided that I will watch my niece at my Dad's house a couple of days a week and BIL will take the remaining days. He'll have to leave 2.5 hours early on those days, and his pay will be docked accordingly."
"He's getting docked more than the $40 per week that after school care would cost per day he leaves work. But their finances are not my finances, so I'm taking a passive stand on that."
"My pay is not going to be disturbed in any way, and I'll be compensated for any extra time at work this causes me—this is significant bc I'm salary and don't normally get overtime."
"Some information came to light that I was previously unaware of regarding my sister and BIL's relationship that I'm not comfortable sharing here, but it made me vastly more aware that I need to provide support for my sister right now."
"Overall, I'm glad I stood my ground, and at this point I feel like keeping my niece a couple of days a week is an OK compromise and will allow me to create at better bond with her. I do love her, so this will give us time together."
"And once again, my BIL can suck it."
OP has decided to compromise on childcare, but now she's volunteering instead of being voluntold and that makes a big difference.
Woman Asks If It's Wrong To Hold Grudge After Mom Told Her When She 8 Years Old That She Wished She'd Aborted Her
While some people view having and raising children as the greatest blessing, some parents hold their children's existence against them for their entire lives.
And when they feel that way about their children, they're unfortunately typically pretty honest about it, cringed the members of the "Am I Overreacting?" (AIO) subReddit.
Redditor heavelymango knew from the time she was young that her mother did not really like her and significantly favored her sister.
But when her mother told her at the age of eight that she wished she had aborted her, the Original Poster (OP) held on to that grudge for years after the fact.
She asked the sub:
The OP had a grudge against her mother.
"I (22 Female) have been holding onto a grudge due to something my mom told me when I was roughly eight or nine years old."
"Growing up, I was a rebellious kid and always felt as if my mom favored my older sister. My sister would always get whatever she wanted."
"I know she was born with Down syndrome and always needed more attention and care, but if my sister wanted my tablet, for example, she would have it for the whole day while mine was limited to 30 minutes so she could have it."
"As a kid, I lashed out more because of this. She could take all of my things, but I could never use hers."
During a heated moment, the OP's mother said something unforgivable.
"Eventually, this led to an argument with my mom. I don't recall the whole thing, but it was related to my sister and how I felt my mom didn't care about me or give me the same amount of attention."
"The fight got heated, and I probably told my mom that I hated my sister and her."
"I remember she said back, 'I never wanted you from the start. I knew I should've aborted you when I had the chance.'"
" I didn't know what aborted meant at the time, and I remember I looked it up, and it made me cry. I never forgot it, and it lingers in my mind whenever I am home."
The OP's mother pressured her to "let it go" and move on.
"Even growing up, I still brought it up, and she would get mad, saying I need to let it go and how I'm stubborn for not just forgetting what she said."
"There was even a time in high school when she took me to a therapist, and she complained about how I never dropped what she said."
"She says I need to move on from it because it has affected my relationship with her, and she wants to fix it."
"I know I'm older now and it was so long ago, but it still hurts, and I feel like it's made me not want to have her in my life in the future, and I have told this to her."
"How I don't want her in my life once I move out, get married, or have my own kids."
Fellow Redditors weighed in:
Some reassured the OP that this sounded like a core memory more than a grudge.
"The axe forgets. The tree remembers."
"It sounds less like you're holding a grudge and more that this is a formative, core memory for you."
"It won't stop being a core memory (unless maybe with the help of a lot of therapy). Has your mom ever apologized for saying that? Because you don't have to forget to forgive, but if she's not remorseful for saying that terrible thing to her young child (not just remorseful that you remember it), then she probably needs therapy (or is a narcissist/sociopath/similar)."
"You are certainly not obligated to 'get over it.'" - Hot-Can3615
"This is not a 'grudge'; it is pain that is still felt to such a degree. If she said it, then she was thinking it. She'll probably never apologize, but that doesn't mean your pain is or was invalid." - Fast_Register_9480
"NOR. This kind of thing needs a real apology. Like she needs to acknowledge the damage and genuinely care about it. Brushing it off won’t make it go away." - TentacleWolverine
"NOR. Did she really want to fix things? She basically just told you to get over it from the start instead of giving you a sincere apology."
"That isn't working on anything. She wants you to get over it so she can pretend that she never said it, so she doesn't have to feel bad about what she did. It doesn't sound like she cares much about how you feel."
"She just doesn't want to deal with it. For that reason, I would still have issues with what she said." - Chemical-Ad6809
"If your relationship with your mother is being affected by the actions of your mother, your mother is responsible for fixing it."
"You should know you probably aren't ever going to get closure, but you don't have to swallow it down. It helps to be the person you needed when you were younger out loud to yourself, but especially to others."
"For example: My name is Liz, and my mom told me to go ahead and do it already and save us all the heartache when I finally had the courage to tell her about how much I've been struggling with self-harm and suicidal ideation. I'm never going to forgive her for that, and we have never been close as a result of her actions."
"You aren't holding onto a grudge; you have a core memory of your mother distilling her feelings into a world-shattering sentence."
"You did not have a secure attachment before and can't have one now because of the deep trauma. You do not apologize for being stabbed."
"Find another therapist. I mean it. Someone who cares about your well-being wouldn't force you to apologize for being verbally abused as a child. I'm 29 now, and I lived through it. I still struggle with suicidal ideation daily, but once I stopped relying on my mom and unstable sources for support, my life got better immediately."
"You want things for comfort and familiarity. Don't let your mom or your therapist gaslight you into crossing a boundary."
"It might help to ask for a written five-part apology from your mom. 1. Acknowledge what you did 2. Say why it was wrong 3. Promise not to do it again 4. Ask how to make amends. 5. Share your feelings at this time if there's anything you'd like to say."
"My mom can be a good person and a bad mom and role model. Being in your own company is so much better than poor company." - PotLuckyPodcast
Others hoped the OP would go no contact with her mother sooner rather than later.
"NOR. It’s emotional abuse. And you do not owe her closeness after that, especially as she refuses to be accountable for that and try to make it up to you."
"She knows you have her number, and she can’t forgive you for knowing what a colloidal b***h she is."
"It’s unlikely that will change; it will at least be turned back on you with her the victim."
"Stop expecting her to apologize. If she doesn’t pay your bills, ghost her." - SnooCheesecakes2723
"My mom said something similar. My brother and I were adopted, and when I was a teen, in front of a church lady, she said, 'We didn't even really want you, but the people didn't want to split y'all up, so we just took you, too.'"
"Me and the church lady were shook. When I say my falbbers were ghasted. Like huh? She didn't remember saying that when I brought it up years after the fact."
"I also got grounded two times for two separate nine weeks (for C's on my report card) and a three and a half to four months (for smoking at 16 and getting caught because she liked to just pop up out of nowhere), and we just had a talk about that, and she didn't even remember."
"She said, 'No, I didn't. I never grounded you for that long,' and when I gave my rebuttal, she said, 'Well, if I did, it definitely wasn't for no nine weeks or months,' and this started because she was praising me for reading so much and liking books. I said, 'Well, when you were grounded like me, that's all I could do (no TV, no friends outside of school, no music, nothing but my room and books)."
"There's a reason I only call or answer her calls once or twice every few weeks. And I only call to get food, really..." - ManicalMoe
"‘Fine, I'm sorry’ is not an apology."
"Whilst I’m sure it was said in anger, most things said in anger have a grain of truth. There are also some things that no half-decent parent ever says to their children, no matter how angry they are, and this is one of them! It also sounds like she has made repeated similar comments of not wanting you as her child."
"I understand her eldest had a disability, but this is no excuse for neglecting and emotionally abusing her younger child. Lots of families deal with a child with additional needs whilst still managing to prioritise their other kids. Children with Down syndrome are capable of understanding ‘that’s your sister's, not yours; give it back’ !! It sounds like your mum has mental health issues?"
"Do you have a present father or other family you can turn to?"
"Protect your peace. Your mum has hurt you time and time again, honestly, for no real gain other than momentarily satisfying her anger. You owe this woman nothing." - Background_Term9810
"I went through something similar. When I was a little girl, my mother used to make comments that implied she didn't want me, though it was never that explicit. 'I only had you because your brother wanted a sister,' and 'My figure never recovered after you; after your brother, it did.'"
"Each comment stayed with me, but I never addressed it with her. I tried to move on and leave it in the past. She did a lot of horrible things throughout my life, but her behavior was always ignored because that's the precedent my dad set, where she can do essentially whatever she wants."
"A few months ago, she came to see me because I was desperate for help and sick. Instead of helping, she made my life so much worse. I won't go into details. At one point, I could no longer keep it inside, and I told her that she is a narcissist, to which she responded with, 'It would have been better if I had never had you.'"
"In some ways, it felt really good to hear her come out and say it. It felt good to hear the truth I've always known."
"I don't know what you should do, but I've chosen to not forgive."
"Every time I forgave, I just let her know that she can get away with whatever horrible things she had done. Her apologies were never real apologies. She always found ways to blame me or others for whatever she had done."
"And I'm truly just done with it. As sad as it is to not have a mom, it's sadder to pretend that you have one when in reality you don't... quite the opposite, if anything." - Neos_Mom
"So, OP, what will hurt more: keeping her and the grudge in your life or making a break and going low or no contact with her?"
"Frankly, we've no idea of what she might have been dealing with at the time, but regardless, what she said was said only to cause pain and suffering. 'Sorry' doesn't magic that intent away."
"Me, I think spending time alone or with friends or in therapy away from her might be what you need here. You might come to some sort of acceptance, but if this is something that's just going to keep coming between you, then stop trying to have that relationship." - Tal_Tos_72
After the OP received feedback, she shared a few clarifications from her original post.
"I wanted to clear some things up, take accountability where it's due, and provide some much-needed context from many people commenting the same questions."
"I want to be completely honest. We had many arguments, and I was a rebellious kid. I acted out and argued with my mom."
"I don't want to give off the impression that I was an entirely innocent kid who never did anything wrong and my mom just snapped out of nowhere. We both said hateful and hurtful things to each other during our fights."
"Growing up, the only way she would accept an apology was if I got on my knees and begged her for forgiveness. If I ever asked her to apologize to me, she would say, 'I have nothing to apologize for; you should be the one begging for my forgiveness.'"
The OP had a lot of physical memories, too.
"Things also would turn into physical arguments, not just verbal ones."
"There were times when she would get so angry she would get physical. Like yanking me by my hair, twisting my arms, or throwing things at me (like remotes, a bug spray can, or a radio)."
"When she yanked my hair, I would fight back just to get her to let me go, and she would scream that I was trying to kill her and she would get me arrested. When she twisted my arm, and I begged her to stop because it felt like it was going to break, she would say she hoped it did."
"When she threw objects at me, she would say she wished they would hit my face."
"I remember in middle school, during an argument, she said she wished she could break my face and that she hated it because I look like my dad. I won’t lie, whenever she said things like that, I would say nasty comments about how she chose to have him put us in her."
While the OP wasn't financially ready to move out yet, she hoped to as soon as possible.
"Why haven't I moved out yet? The main reason I haven't been able to move out is financial."
"I wasn't making enough to support myself without worrying about whether I’d end up having to crawl back home."
"Thankfully, I have recently found a better-paying job. My plan is to move out between mid-to-late October, or early November at the latest."
"The only reason I can't leave this exact second is because I have a few legal/administrative things to get cleared up so I’m completely untied from my mom, which will take a few weeks."
The OP also had proof that her mother liked her sister better.
"Has my mom ever admitted to favoring my sister? Yes."
"In arguments, she has explicitly told me that she doesn't see me as her legitimate daughter, and that she adored my sister more and forever will. She has also called me a 'monster,' told me there is a certain type of evil inside of me, and said she was afraid I would be just like my dad and try to harm them."
"She would even tell me that she was telling family and friends these things about me, but then later claim she 'just said it in the moment' and wouldn't be crazy enough to actually tell people that."
"Because I was so confused growing up and didn't know if she was lying or telling the truth, I started avoiding our family when they came over."
"Naturally, that just made things worse because she would get mad at me for avoiding them (even now as an adult), completely ignoring the fact that she was the one who lied about what she told them."
Unfortunately, the OP didn't have support from her father.
"What about my dad? My dad is not in my life."
"He was around sporadically, but never as a stable parent. My parents separated before I was born and divorced when I was two or three."
"Growing up, it was just constant back-and-forth toxicity, with him telling me how toxic my mother was, and her telling me the same about him."
"He would mostly only come over to see my sister, and often used me to care for her if he wanted to take her out to eat. Ultimately, my dad didn't care about anyone else other than my sister (and his drugs)."
"I hope this can clear some questions on the original post. I know I didn't provide many details as I originally should have. I honestly didn't want to post something too long, and I honestly did not expect it to be noticed."
"Thank you all for taking time to talk to me and share your thoughts."
The subReddit fully sided with the OP, pointing out that no matter how heated the moment was, it would never excuse the terrible things the OP's mother had said to her.
If the OP's mother really wanted a relationship with her, she'd drop the defensiveness and demands, offer a genuine apology, and work hard to be better for both of her children.
That takes a very rare kind of person to pull off, and it didn't sound like the OP's mother had that in her.
If you or someone you know is struggling, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.
To find help outside the United States, the International Association for Suicide Prevention has resources available at https://findahelpline.com/i/iasp