3-year-old's iPad habit stops aunt from sleeping, mom gets upset when she leaves in the middle of the night: 'I barricaded myself in the bathroom'

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Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Jan 1, 2026 9:00 AM EST

Screentime will never be a substitute for parenting.

For moms and dads today, the lure of technology is an almost unavoidable temptation. With the challenges that come with raising kids, it is an understandable one. When you have work to get done, a chore list to get through, or simply need an hour to relax, there is no easier way to make a child shut up than by planting them in front of a screen and leaving them to it. It is the most accessible babysitter available.

At the same time, it is not a wise idea to become overly reliant on the iPad when it comes to raising children. Not only can it stunt their development, but it can also produce a dependency that is hard to break. Many parents defend giving their kids tablets as a way of keeping them quiet and not annoying other people, but that is not always the case. In fact, a kid who is used to being occupied by near-constant screentime can end up having problematic behaviors that are not pleasant for them or anybody else around them. If they are not given proper boundaries around technology, the ramifications can be serious.

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  • 01
    a young girl smiles as she lies on the carpet, holding a tablet with both hands
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • The fact remains that if the stuff that little kids watch is often overstimulating for them, it is likely to be even more so for the adults around them. It is not the kind of thing most people want to hear 24/7. 

    In this story, a woman found herself becoming increasingly frustrated with her niece while she was visiting her and her parents over the holidays. The 3-year-old spent all of her time watching Cocomelon on her iPad, and it had gotten to the point where it was interfering with the schedule of the adults around her. Her parents kicked her out of their room at night because she wouldn't turn the volume down while watching.

    This meant that she went to her room, where her aunt was trying to sleep. The woman found this impossible with her niece's iPad in the room, but her sister told her that she couldn't sleep downstairs, as it was not the place that she wanted her to sleep. 

    The disruption resulted in the woman leaving in the middle of the night, upsetting her sister. She wondered if she had taken things too far.

  • 02

    Am I wrong for leaving in the middle of the night because my 3-year-old niece was annoying me?

    1 26F am staying at my sister's 32F for the holidays. My niece usually sleeps with my sister, but it's a struggle getting her to go to bed because she's always glued to her iPad watching Cocomelon at full volume. I sleep in my nieces room since she sleeps with her parents.
    via Majestic-Distance353
  • 03
    Tonight they went to bed and basically kicked Niece out of the room because they didn't want to hear Cocomelon, so Niece came to her room with me. I of course can't kick her out of her own room and she will have a full meltdown if anyone tries to turn the volume down. I was
    via Majestic-Distance353
  • 04
    a wall painted with an orange sun and orange rainbow, with a selection of soft toys lined against it
    via Faruk Tokluoğlu (Unsplash+)
  • 05
    going to sleep downstairs on the recliner but my sister said no because "the couch isn't meant for sleeping and it will mess up the couch". So I just grabbed my luggage and left even though I live almost 4 hours away.
    via Majestic-Distance353
  • 06
    Now my sister's upset because I won't be there for New Year as planned. Her argument is "what else do you have to do? It's not like you're working." Like, so? I still would like to sleep. I tried to deal with it one night & I literally barricaded myself in the bathroom until my niece gave up and went to their room since she can't stand being alone. Am I being dramatic?
    via Majestic-Distance353
  • 07
    closeup a woman lying with her eyes closed on a purple couch
    via Bermix Studio

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 08
    MrsBLGHS NTA it's not your job to entertain your niece. They sound like lazy parents if they are just going to stick an iPad in her face instead of teaching her how to put herself to bed. Get some good rest in your bed.
    via MrsBLGHS
  • 09
    1 Original1 Cocomelon is terrible for kids, and them just giving Cocomelon and leaving her to her own devices isn't a good sign Go have a relaxing holiday instead
    via 1Original1
  • 10
    Idontlikesoup1 Who would want to have an overnight stay at a place like this. NTA though it is baffling you even went at the first place.
    via Idontlikesoup1
  • 11
    Available-Bit317 NTA if she invited you to stay as a guest, you should be provided comfortable accommodations - even if it's family.
    via Available-Bit317
  • 12
    alecwhit31 NTA - they need to actually parent their child
    via alecwhit31
  • 13
    Liketheanimal1 NTA but I feel terrible for this little 3 year old...
    via Liketheanimal1
  • 14
    Otherwise Chemist920 They need to actually parent that kid, that's not going to be a functional person being raised by an iPad like that.
    via Otherwise_Chemist920
  • 15
    Asparagussie They didn't want to hear that junk but they expect you to be okay with it? Ugh. And your niece is allowed to do whatever she wants even if it disturbs others? NTA.
    via Asparagussie

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Tags

family drama ipad new years niece visit aunt sleep family mom
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