AITA For Telling My Aunt To Manage Her Own Kid At A Family Event? - Reddit Family Stories

[@lisajessup6615]

supposed child old enough to feed herself at 4 yrs old - if she won't feed herself, then let her starve - not your child

[@suzannelaing2968]

She'll soon feed herself once she's hungry. "Feeding a child" can be interpreted 2 ways: literally spoon-feeding a baby or providing food to eat.

[@deborahbutcher3933]

​@suzannelaing2968 OP said "spooning rice into her mouth" - she was spoon feeding a 4 yo. Who, unless she's got a neurological disorder, Lily ought to be able to do for herself. But since Lily was running around rescuing faux Princesses from faux towers.

[@VergilTheLegendaryDarkSlayer]

Never apologise to "keep the peace" it just tells that faimly member they can walk all over you and you'll apologise after getting upset

[@RagingWoody74]

I'm really starting to hate that phrase...

[@InSearchofaFeministUtopia]

It was like this with my cousins' kids. We had to implement an adult time-out. To let me go to the bathroom, get a drink or food or help my grandma with the dishes. After a couple times, this did the trick.

[@Hecatate]

@@RagingWoody74 Uggg...I heard that all my life. I hated being the youngest and only girl. I'm the one that had to "Keep the Peace" way too many times. It can mess you up as a kid.

[@keifferlindsey965]

Even further, NEVER be the “bigger person “.

[@Donna.V]

Why would you have to spoon-feed a 4-year-old?

[@karenturner9423]

ffs, a 4 yo can and SHOULD be able to feed herself. Whenever a young family member pulled the "I won't eat" crapola, we'd just respond with "well, it ie a long time until lunch/dinner." worked quite well.

[@Canada-j6r]

If his aunt was a helicopter parent she should have known where the child was and stopped her before the tablecloth got pulled.

[@deborahbutcher3933]

The aunt is the AH. She hasn't been able to teach her child to feed herself? Doesn't sound like a good mum to me.

[@tessesmom]

Why does a 4 year old need to be fed?

[@Read1love]

Thank you thats all I could think she's old enough to feed and playboy her self.

[@susanpearson2165]

because her mother is incompatent to9 raise a child and teaches her nothing

[@funkadesiac]

Seriously!

[@bellydancegal]

Mt first thought is who feeds a 4 year old? And come on, a 4 year old should know not to pull a tablecloth. She sounds like a little brat. And her mother is an AH for not looking after her own child and expecting OP to do it. The family who is chastising OP are a bunch of idiots as well. Not her kid, not her problem. Blame the parents, the ones who are really at fault for not teaching their child how to eat by herself and how to behave.

[@debbylou5729]

Most of these ‘stories’ are just that. Like something out of Creative Writing 101

[@Grace_x68]

Respect is a two way street.

[@annnichols3091]

The aunt is completely to blame and her actions deserve no respect!

[@flamelily2086]

Nta, the aunt, is the child's parent, and she should be watching her own child and not expecting OP orother family members to watch the child. OP is 24, and while she doesn't mind playing with her little cousin for a while, she also needs time to be with her adult family members. The mother should not abdicate her responsibility as Lily's mother!

[@tictactoe325]

Not your kid, not your problem.

[@scarter8137]

OP NOT responsible! Helicopter parent, nope, otherwise she would have been watching her 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@RhondaStewart-td8zk]

4year old should be feeding themselves

[@virginia247]

Mothers fault, .

[@InSearchofaFeministUtopia]

Where was her mom?....

[@CarolynBirkner-b9h]

Your Mom is a rock star,and is a superhero in my book! You go Mom!

[@kimberlysharpe5184]

Sounds like auntie likes to pick fights.

[@Sydney_With_A_Why]

Aunt failed to parent her child.

[@seeingeyesseelies9545]

Lily's mother pawned her off on her 24 year old cousin for hours, and somehow, that's her fault?

[@nyneeveanya8861]

Did aunt ask OP to watch lily? From what I can tell as soon as OP walked in the door the aunt hung up her mom hat. OP watched, played, and fed Lily first and then turned her over to grandma to watch while she ate and chatted to others. Don’t know if grandma turned the child over to someone else or told Lily to go back to her mother. I can easily see a four year old sitting in the floor and then grabbing a tablecloth to help her up and so happened the accidental mess. If OP said the thing to aunt in the way she stated she doesn’t owe an apology. If she said it like I would have then maybe she owes an apology. Me, I would have said something along the lines of … why the h*** you jumping on me? I haven’t seen you since I walked in the door over an hour ago. So where the s*** have you been this whole time. I’m not your paid babysitter. Were you here to feed your child, no. Were you there to take her back so I could eat, no. She made a mistake and-you were no where around. So get off my back, b****. Something along those lines you would owe an apology but if you said it how you say then you owe nothing.

[@Msfeathers7]

Love the snow picture.

[@cherrylove528]

I wish it would snow in the Netherlands like this.

[@dianesodher7962]

Why do YOU have to watch her? You are NOT the parent. Aunty is responsible. Lily should be made to clean it up.

[@MySjenna]

When you’re done playing with someone else’s child you hand them off to their parent. You don’t just walk away and figure the parent will just somehow know their child is now unsupervised and on the loose.

[@suzannelaing2968]

OP handed Lily off to her Grandma.

[@MySjenna]

@ but grandma didn’t take over and supervise her.

[@markymark7619]

Your child your responsibility! Never did I expect anyone to be responsible for my children or my grandchildren!

[@SueñosReddit-q3y]

Nunca te disculpes solo para "mantener la paz"; eso solo le demuestra a ese miembro de la familia que pueden pisotearte y que te disculparás después de molestarte.

[@Jacqueline_Thijsen]

No matter how well you watch a child, at that age this kind of thing will be one of the few things happening faster than the speed of light. Besides, this was a family get-together. Making every family member responsible for trying to keep little kids out of trouble if only by preventing this stuff if they are nearby enough. And the grandma had taken over direct watching duties. Aunt Karen is a piece of work, though.

[@Elleffante]

Lily is spoiled, as is her mom.

[@beverlyspringer5368]

Why is a 4 year old being fed? What wimp! Stand up for yourself, you spoke the truth end f story!

[@romonagauthier2611]

No she is 4 year old throwing a tantrum. The writer needs therapy

[@DonnaStevens-uo9vp]

No not too harsh , the Aunt was disrespectful to you !

[@Bijecarli]

Ok how did the aunt go from constantly passing off her child to her niece to being a helicopter parent?

[@seraglioborneo2803]

Like falling in love with your office job but the job/ colleagues/ bosses don't love you back Here OP spends time and effort looking after her baby cousin BUT her aunt shows no appreciation

[@seraglioborneo2803]

I am from India and here you have the usual BS. Aunt is older than you, show her respect, blah blah blah. And what about grandma? The child was left in her care & responsibility, But mainly, the aunt is to blame. OP never said she is taking responsibility. Maybe next time, you are too busy with multiple tests and exams and cant attend?

[@neiltheblaze]

OK. So, she's a negligent helicopter mom. Awesome.

[@marystarr3025]

Growl the AH auntie, . mom of Lily is the ONLY one to be blamed for this mess. Shew, ( the auntie) FAILED to watch her own 4 year old, expecting the OP to be the SOLE watcher at that event. It is NOT OP responsibility. And this " respect you elders" CRAP. NO. Simply because the extended family are much older does NOT automatically mean that they merit kowtows. OP, do NOT appologise to the AH aunt. also, ' be the bigger person?? Auntie is at fault.

[@toniirion5225]

Sounds to me like they need to stop spoiling this child. She'll only eat for certain people know she'll eat when she's told to eat if you make her mind like most Children with manners and rules. This is a stupid stupid story. Everyone in here is wrong. Definitely not going to bother with this website again. They are also overly fond of the word palpable.

[@cathyburry3823]

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