Aunt demands 22-year-old niece skip her college graduation to babysit her kids: 'It's not like missing one ceremony will ruin your life'

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Oct 14, 2025 10:00 AM EDT

Just because something isn't important to you doesn't mean it's not important to someone else. This is a concept we learn when we're kids, but it takes some people a while to catch on. Our lives are separate from those of our peers, and what might matter to us might not mean as much to someone else, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't respect them nonetheless. You can't just go around asking for favors for other people if it interferes with their priorities. Their lives are just as meaningful as yours. 

This can be a hard lesson to learn, though, for some family members who rely on other family members for childcare. You might be used to their kindness and expect them to dole it out all the time. But they're not obligated to, even though it might leave you in a lurch. You're the one who decided to have children, so you have to look after them. It's not anyone else's job, no matter how much it might feel like it. That's what one aunt had to learn in this story. 

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  • A woman in a grey sweater holds a baby while sitting at a desk.
    via charlesdeluvio

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

  • When one young woman was graduating from college, she couldn't have expected that her aunt would ask her to skip the ceremony for something as trivial as babysitting. And when she stuck to her guns and tried to explain her priorities, her aunt just doubled down and tried to make her feel guilty. Read on for the story. 

  • My aunt demanded I skip my own graduation to babysit her kids...

    So I'm 22 and just graduated college last weekend. My aunt has three kids under 8 and constantly assumes I'm her free babysitter. When I told her my ceremony was Saturday, she said, "Perfect! You can watch the kids while we go to the lake. "I laughed, thinking she
    via u/Ssandonicad
  • was joking, but she de d serious said, “It's not like missing one ceremony will ruin your life. " I told her absolutely not, and she went on a rant about how "family helps family." she didn't show up to my graduation, but later posted on Facebook about how "young people today have no sense of priorities. " Yeah, my bad for prioritizing my own life milestone over her beach day.
    via u/Ssandonicad

  • Commenters gave their advice on how to handle this.

    Missgenius44 • 1h ago Please stop Watching her kids. :) she had them You didn't.
    via u/Missgenius44
  • Even-Front • 57m ago exactly! She clearly takes advantage of the "family helps family" line only when it benefits her. Sometimes the only way to set boundaries is to stop giving her what she expects.
    via u/Even-Front
  • Reasonable_Star_959 1h ago . Agree! Just quit watching her kids at all. Your graduation and her demand was the litmus test.
    via u/Reasonable_Star_959
  • A person reads a book while a baby lies in a wicker bed beside them.
    via Alex Bodini

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

  • JohnnySkidmarx • 39m ago The aunt is a user and knows OP won't stand up against her by saying "no". OP is a doormat to the aunt.
    via u/JohnnySkidmarx
  • Aggravating-Sock6502 7m ago • THIS, and respond to her post: "And some people don't realize that when they bite the hand that feeds them, they permanently lose free babysitting privileges."
    via u/Aggravating-Sock6502
  • CelinaBinaaa • 1h ago Tell her "it's not like missing one lake day will ruin your life." I can't believe people sometimes.
    via u/CelinaBinaaa
  • PhoenixFlare1 · 1h ago "Family helps family". I agree. You can help your family by watching your own kids.
    via u/PhoenixFlare1
  • CassandraApollo • 1h ago Dang, I would never speak with her again and def not babysit for her.
    via u/CassandraApollo
  • NeartAgusOnoir • 1h ago OP, inform your aunt you have gotten your priorities straight and any future babysitting will cost X amount of money, paid in advance, and anything over will cost two times X and it will be a contract so if she doesn't pay then you're happy to go to court:
    via u/NeartAgusOnoir
  • mela_99 1h ago I would shame her all over Facebook and ask her what kind of family would make you miss graduation to babysit
    via u/mela_99
  • meowmonicameow 41m ago Congrats on your graduation!!! • You better then me I would call her out in Facebook with the same tagline. " Family members this days don't have a sense of priorities and rather got to a lake house then support you in an incredible milestone that's a university graduation"
    via u/meowmonicameow
  • Mister • _Knocker 1h ago "No good deed goes unpunished." Your extremely entitled aunt is a prime example. Do not watch her kids ever again. (I bet they'd have loved going to the beach. Do they know their mean mommy didn't want them going?
    via u/Mister_****_Knocker
  • Next time she asks, tell her you don't work for free (bonus point points if you use "gas, grass, or ass, nobody rides for free") or give her "Sorry, but I only help those who actually show me appreciation and gratitude for what I do for them."
    via u/Mister_****_Knocker
  • Jhedges0319 1h ago I love how entitled parents always pull out that old trope about family helping family. Does she help other people in the family?
    via u/Jhedges0319
  • Ninja-Panda86 • 1h ago What she REALLY mean was "family should help ME at all times"
    via u/Ninja-Panda86
  • anonymousdlm • 1h ago What parent goes to the lake without their kids? She sounds great. I recommend going low contact and definitely never babysit for her again.
    via u/anonymousdlm
  • KatyRobert • 1h ago Stop all babysitting. You are busy from now on. So ungrateful.
    via u/KatyRobert
  • Realistic_Till5330 43m ago . Just tell her you're not going to babysit her kids. If her kids were her priority, she wouldn't be dumping them in your lap all the time.
    via u/Realistic_Till5330
  • SmurfettiBolognese 33m ago Ok so your new favourite word when your Aunt looks like she's going to ask any questions, is No. No is a full sentence, it needs no explanation, or excuses, no reasons or apologies. Will you baby sit, No, will you run an errand, No. Family Helps Family. No, family abused family dear Aunt! Stay strong, Say No!
    via u/SmurfettiBolognese
  • TickityTickityBoom 1h ago Please stop watching her kids, start posting news articles about crp parents who don't spend time with their kids. Or neglectful parents. Also, send her the babysitting rates, offer family discount for the rate for two kids rather than three (after all family helps family) Congrats on your graduation.
    via u/TickityTickityBoom
  • wolfeflow 58m ago • I'd tell her due to her not only disrespecting your milestone achievement, but also due to her following it up with insulting you online, that you have realized your priorities were indeed misaligned. Going forward, you'll prioritize those who return the love and care you give them, and that means you'll not be available for babysitting going forward.
    via u/wolfeflow
  • JECfromMC. 54m ago "Wrangle the fruit of your own diseased loins, Aunt Karen."
    via u/JECfromMC
  • Starfury_42 • 1h ago I'd suggest that it's time you stop being a babysitter. I'm guessing now that you've graduated (congrats!) you'll be getting a "big person" job and won't want to spend your limited free time babysitting. Don't let her use the "family" argument because I've noticed it's always one way - they take and you give.
    via u/Starfury_42

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childcare aita kids teenagers niece moms parenting college graduation babysitting aunt cute kids reddit thread parent Reddit raising kids Parenting Fail college parents children Parenting FAILS
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