A heartbroken 25-year-old aunt has been completely barred from family life, after her niece and nephew made a devastating admission – and she’s unsure what to do next
Navigating family drama is no mean feat.
Whether it’s toddler tantrums or awkward dinners – it’s no secret that home life can be an utter rollercoaster. But one family has taken this to a whole new level, with a heartbroken aunt now completely iced out for one bizarre reason.
This painful situation all kicked off when the ’25-year-old’ started caring for her nephew and niece, both six and three respectively, while the elder sister worked. Around three or four times a week she’d pick them up from school or take them out at the weekend, with her husband also chipping in to help.
Her sister, 31, was really struggling at the time, working an underpaid job while juggling parental responsibilities alone, following the end of a relationship. Initially, the aunt thought helping out would bring everyone together.
But this couldn’t have been further from the truth, with the new dynamic opening a completely different can of worms. “My niece and nephew have apparently started to show preference for being with me and my husband, and this made my sister feel horrible,” the aunt explained in an anonymous Reddit.
“I tried to tell her it’s probably just because my husband lets them have sweets and watch TV and plays football with her son, but she was like: ‘No, it’s because you have a big house and a good husband and are always there for them and acting like their mum’.”
Naturally, the aunt continued reassuring her sister about this, claiming there was nothing to worry about. But one day, her young nephew seemingly made a confession that ripped their family apart. She continued: “I guess my nephew told her the other day he wishes we were his parents and he had a dad like my husband. It made her sob and she called me hysterical.
“I didn’t know what to say. I just told her I was so sorry and I was there for her. She told me she was going to stop sending them over to our house.”
While the nameless aunt thinks separation is a terrible idea, her sister apparently wanted to hear ‘nothing of it’, and claimed their relationship was entirely ‘inappropriate’. “The worst happened when she found out her daughter sleeps in bed with us sometimes,” she said.
“She comes to our bed at night and sleeps cuddled up with my husband, and I guess she told her mum that, because she couldn’t sleep and wanted to be in our bed, ‘and hug (my husband)’.
“My sister lost her mind. She said it was ‘inappropriate’ and that she was livid we were allowing that to happen. She told us we know nothing about being parents and that we were taking advantage of a bad situation.”
Taking to the internet for answers, the aunt confessed she had absolutely no idea what to do next and doesn’t know how to fix the situation. She said: “I genuinely don’t know what to do. I feel like the babies are getting punished for something they didn’t do or deserve. I don’t know what to say to my sister to make her feel better. I don’t know.”
Unsurprisingly, this anonymous plea for help was quick to rack up hundreds of comments on the platform, with various users suggesting it’s time to set some healthy boundaries. One person rushed to advise: “I have worked for 10 years so far in child development. What the children are saying and doing is quite normal in this situation, but it needs to be addressed with very firm boundaries.
“When they express feelings about wanting you to be their parents they need to be told that no, you are auntie and uncle, and they have a mum that loves them very much…. A three-year-old sleeping in bed with her auntie and uncle isn’t a horrible nefarious thing, but you have to also see it from her perspective. She feels like she has no control over this situation. If she feels that she doesn’t want to send the children to you any more, you have to respect that.”
Meanwhile, another added: “I was with you up until the sleeping in bed with your husband. I understand you trust him and you are there, but it’s not unreasonable for your sister to be upset by what your daughter said,” as someone else chimed in: “I feel for your sister. She’s extremely sad and probably feels inadequate. I would try to offer her comfort and just do what she says.”
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