Parents force 17-year-old girl to watch 4, 7, and 8 year old siblings despite the fact that she works 3 jobs: 'I finally put my foot down and told my parents off how their kids are not my kids and I should not be expected to parent them'

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Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
Mar 22, 2025 9:00 PM EDT

When you're a kid, you sort of expect adults, and especially your parents, to be in control and take control of the situation especially when that situation is just handling their own household and taking care of your siblings.

But, unfortunately, that's not always the case, and there are those growing up in environments where the parents lack interest or general ethics, and one child, particularly the oldest, is forced to step up and take charge and help parent their children.

Take, for example, the situation at hand in this post, which was shared with this online community by a distressed teenage girl looking to make sense of her situation by receiving advice from readers as to whether or not she was in the wrong for standing her ground with her parents. 

The fact that she works three jobs she's still expected to take care of her siblings seems completely unfair. After a hard day of working towards her own future, she's shackled by her requirements at home taking care of the cooking and cleaning and even the discipline of the children—all things that her parents should be taking care of. 

Still, her parents are refusing to step in or step up and take care of their own house hold and children.

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    Cheezburger Image 10483922944
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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    "AITA for refusing to take care of my younger siblings"

    I (17F) have been fighting with my parents recently because I don't help. out with my younger brothers (4,7,8). They constantly expect me to do everything for them while they sit in their room watching TV. They want me to cook for my brothers, discipline them, clean up after them, help with their homework, put them to bed, all the things parents should be doing.
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    But they dont. They expect me to do everything for the kids. I work 3 jobs and hardly have anytime for myself when I get home. The other night I finally put my foot down and told my parents off how their kids are not my kids and i should not be expected to parent them because they're to lazy to leave their room. It stared a big fight which led to me telling them that I plan on moving out once I'm 18 in a few months which only pl ed my parents off even more because that means they'd actually have
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    mentally disabled half brother from when I was 6 up until 3 years ago, which is why I don't see it fair I have to raise them. My dad is telling me if I move out at 18 I won't be allowed to see them anymore because I'm abandoning them and refusing to take care of them. AITA in this situation like my dad is claiming I am? I feel bad for leaving my brothers here with them because its just all around a bad home life and I can't keep living like I am. AITA?
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    OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the a hole: Telling my parents I won't raise their kids and because my dad told me I was an a h_le
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    Cheezburger Image 10483922432
    via Wesley Tingey

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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    GreekAmericanDom NTA What you have experienced your whole life is called parentification. It is a form of child ab e. Before you leave, tell your siblings that you love them and will always love them. Let them know that, if you stop seeing them, it is because your father has prevented you from doing so. Make sure they know your email and phone number, so that they can always contact you. Do this in private without your parents knowing. Good luck.
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    Difficult-Signal4867 NTA, You made the right decision, but u should have not told them, as from now on they will guilt trip u and do everything they can to make u stay.
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    Devils-Reject-032 NTA the oldest isn't supposed to be parenting their siblings. You didn't lay down and have those kids your parents did. That's their burden not yours. Not to mention you work multiple jobs.
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    alphabetacheetah Yta for making up stories. In your last post you were living with an ab ive boyfriend. Get a hobby it's just sad
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Babies family dynamics teens family drama stepmother aita AITAH infant kids teenagers blended family siblings stepchild moms family feud parenting family pregnant reddit thread parent raising kids Parenting Fail parents children
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