Sis Keeps Dropping Her Kid For Teen Bro To Babysit, He Loses It After Pregnancy Announcement

When it comes to family, you’re pretty much expected to go the extra mile. There do, however, have to be some reasonable limits, or you’ll just end up being taken advantage of or having your boundaries endlessly overrun.

One teen who’s been babysitting his sister’s kids for the past three years, without being paid a dime or shown an ounce of respect, finally put his foot down and said the days of free childcare are over. Now his family is having a meltdown and he’s asking an online community if he’s being a jerk. 

More info: Reddit

Family is expected to be there for each other, but for this teen, his sisters are asking a bit much

17-year-old babysitting sister’s kids, showing care and attention while sitting on the floor playing with a toy.

Image credits: Queenmoonlite Studio / Freepik (not the actual photo)

He’s been babysitting his nieces for free for the last three years, sacrificing his social life and struggling with schoolwork at the same time

Alt text: Teen refuses to babysit sister’s kids after years without payment or respect, setting boundaries at age 17.

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Teen babysitting sister’s kids full-time without payment or respect shares her experience and sets boundaries.

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Teen babysitting sister’s kids over 20 hours weekly without payment or respect, reaching her breaking point.

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Teenager drawing the line after years of unpaid babysitting and lack of respect while caring for sister’s kids.

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Teen babysitter holding child while sitting outdoors with another woman and toddler, highlighting babysitting challenges and respect issues.

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Just when he thought things couldn’t get worse, his sisters announced they were pregnant again

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Teen girl frustrated after babysitting sister’s kids for years without payment or respect, calling out irresponsible parenting.

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Teen draws the line after years of unpaid babysitting and lack of respect from sister while caring for her kids.

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Teenager with headphones looks stressed and frustrated after years of unpaid babysitting and lack of respect at home.

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When the teen asked his sister to start paying him for the endless childcare, she told him it was his duty as a sibling to help her out

Teen girl expressing frustration after years of unpaid babysitting and lack of respect from sister’s kids.

Text excerpt about a 17-year-old refusing to babysit sister’s kids without payment or respect after being left waiting.

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Text excerpt discussing a 17-year-old refusing to babysit sister’s kids without payment or respect after years of unpaid care.

Teen babysitting sister’s kids for years without payment or respect, facing stress and missed social time during high school.

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After he was forced to cancel his plans for the umpteenth time, he let his sister know that he wouldn’t be babysitting again, but now wonders if that makes him a jerk

When OP agreed to babysit his sister’s newborn niece, he never imagined it would swallow up his entire high school life. What began as a favor quickly turned into a full-time job; Monday to Friday, no pay, no thanks. At just 13, he was changing diapers and feeding a baby while missing out on everything.

Over time, things only got worse. He missed group projects, canceled plans with friends, and spent his weekends trapped at Grandma’s house with a toddler. Even during holidays, his sister would dump the kid on him, once even so she could have a “kid-free Christmas.” While OP became the full-time caregiver, she became more absent by the day.

By 2023, his niece was walking and talking but soon two more kids were thrown into the mix. His sister and her boyfriend (who also had a child) assumed he’d just raise them all. Any time he asked for compensation or time off, his family shut him down. “You’re the only sibling available,” she’d say. 

The final straw? OP’s sister left him hanging when he had plans. Again. She read his messages but didn’t show up for hours. After three unpaid years as the family nanny, he snapped. He told her he was done babysitting and Grandma flipped, but he’s standing firm and turned to netizens to ask if wanting to be a teen not a nanny makes him a jerk.

Teenager argues with man in living room, expressing frustration after years of unpaid babysitting and lack of respect.

Image credits: freeograph / Freepik (not the actual photo)

From what OP tells us in his post, he’s a victim of two entitled sisters and an ignorant family – and his youth has been the casualty. Unfortunately, his tale is just one of many among kids forced to raise their siblings. It’s called “parentification”, but just what does that entail and why is it so harmful? We went looking for answers.

According to WebMD, parentification is often referred to as growing up too fast. Usually, it happens when a child takes on parental responsibility for their siblings or even their parents, taking care of a sibling or parent physically, mentally, or emotionally. This can damage a child’s mental well-being and lead to long-term mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. 

In her article for SimplyPsychology, Olivia Guy-Evans writes that many former “parentified children” struggle with relationships, boundaries, and self-worth later in life, even as they carry strengths like resilience and empathy. 

Growing up as a parentified child doesn’t end when you become an adult – you carry those experiences into your adult life in both obvious and subtle ways, including people-pleasing and self-neglect, difficulty in setting boundaries, excessive responsibility and hyper-independence, chronic anxiety or hyper-vigilance, and guilt, shame, and identity issues. 

OP’s parentification has clearly left him traumatized. It’s no wonder he’s so confused about the situation. Hopefully he can move out when he turns 18 (it’s only another year) and leave his free babysitting days in the dust.

What would you do if you found yourself in OP’s shoes? Do you think putting his foot down was the right move, or is endless babysitting his duty as a sibling? Let us know your opinion in the comments!

In the comments, readers swiftly agreed that the teen was not a jerk for putting his foot down and slammed his sister for acting so entitled

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Teen draws the line after years of unpaid babysitting and lack of respect from sister’s kids and family.

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Comment advising a 17-year-old to set boundaries after years of unpaid babysitting without respect.

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Comment criticizing neglectful sister and urging 17-year-old to stop unpaid babysitting and set clear boundaries.

Comment on Reddit about a 17-year-old drawing the line after years of unpaid babysitting and lack of respect from family.

Comment advising a 17YO to stop unpaid babysitting and stand up for themselves against being taken advantage of.

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