Parent refuses to force their 14-year-old son to hang out with his 9-year-old cousin, after their sister tries to guilt the teen into it: ‘That's not ok’

The number one rule when it comes to parenting is to respect your child's boundaries, within reason.

What is a person without their boundaries? Children, though humans with still-developing brains until they're in their 20s, are still deserving of respect. Forcing a child to eat something you know they don't like every other day isn't the answer to developing their palate. If they'd rather watch sports now and then instead of participating themselves, let them. Children are in tune with their emotions just like all of us adults are, so it's only right that we hear them out when they comfortably express their wants to us. If it's not harmful to others or themselves, why not let them be?

You're probably picking up what we're putting down. A parent's children are not obligated to hang out with anyone they don't want to, even when it comes to family. When this 14-year-old refuses to participate in a sleepover with his 9-year-old cousin, his aunt berates his parents. Why? Well, his aunt believes that nobody is allowed to say "no" to her little boy, even if that means doing something they don't want to do. Luckily, the parent stands by their son's decision, even in the wake of some fairly gruesome comments from the other parent. Scroll below.

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A young teen boy looks at a camera, begrudgingly.
_{Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.}
"AITA for not making my kid do a sleepover"

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There's nothing disrespectful about setting comfortable, rational boundaries, full stop.
The only reason why the parents' sister feels so slighted is that she now has to deal with the aftermath of her son not always getting what he wants. Even still, her son is justified in getting upset about a sleepover that's no longer happening. However, it's an important lesson in emotional regulation. How can she ever expect her son to move through hardship healthily if she doesn't teach him (and herself) how to accept a “no”?
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A young boy sits on the floor, head in his hands, in grief.
_{Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.}
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