‘Suddenly I'm expected to help’: 26-year-old refuses to “babysit” 18-year-old brother while parents are on vacation after parents kicked him out of their apartment

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Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Jul 24, 2026 2:00 PM EDT

How old is too old to need someone else to babysit you?

The switch between becoming the one in need of babysitting and the one who babysits happens almost instantaneously in our young minds. One day, you are watching a movie with your babysitter while your parents go out for the night, and the next you are in charge of other kids' dinner and bedtime. But at what age does that switch usually happen? How old were you the last time someone babysat you, and how long passed since then until you became a babysitter yourself?

We assume that the early teenage years are usually the range in most households. Kids at the age of 13 or 14 don't want a kid two years older than them to make sure they eat dinner or go to sleep on time; they can do it all by themselves. They are also old enough to spend an evening alone in the house, and even take care of their younger siblings while the parents are out. Then, a couple of years later, after they've had enough experience watching their own siblings, they can expend those skills and offer their babysitting services to other families. That is usually how this "business" works.

So, if you are an 18-year-old young adult, we can all probably agree that you are way too old to need a babysitter of your own. An 18-year-old is supposed to be one foot out of their parents' door, ready to take on the world and experience adult life. 

That is not the case for the 18-year-old below. His parents want someone to stay with him while they are on a week-long vacation. They turned to their eldest, a 26-year-old, who was recently forced to move out of their house because they didn't have room for him anymore. The 26-year-old sibling didn't love the parents' request, both because they are still mad about getting kicked out and because they don't think their 18-year-old brother requires a babysitter…

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  • A sad man sitting on his bed.
    via Victoria Romulo

    A sad man sitting on his bed.

    Subject is a model.

  • AITA for refusing to "babysit" my younger brother after my family effectively kicked me out?

    I'm 26 and until recently I was living at home with my mum, stepdad, and my 18-year-old stepbrother (my stepdad's son).
    via RyuzioO0
  • For as long as I can remember, it's always felt like my stepbrother has been the clear favourite.
    via RyuzioO0
  • I've tried to ignore it over the years, but recent events have really brought those feelings to the surface.
    via RyuzioO0
  • My family rent, and our landlord recently told us she needs the property back because her son is moving in.
    via RyuzioO0
  • We had to find somewhere else to live. There were multiple three- bedroom properties within the same budget, but my mum and stepdad decided to rent a two-bedroom house instead.
    via RyuzioO0
  • That decision meant there was no room for me, so I was effectively told I needed to find somewhere else to live.
    via RyuzioO0
  • As a result, my girlfriend and I are now having to bring forward our plans to buy a house by about a year.
    via RyuzioO0
  • We'll make it work, but it's added a lot of financial pressure and stress that we weren't expecting yet.
    via RyuzioO0
  • Now here's the part that's really annoyed me. My mum and stepdad are going on holiday for a week, and they've asked me to move back into their new house for that week just to stay with my 18-year-old stepbrother because they don't want him to get lonely.
    via RyuzioO0
  • He's 18. He's legally an adult. And after choosing a house that had no room for me, they now expect me to come back and play house- sitter and keep him company.
    via RyuzioO0
  • Part of me feels guilty because it's only a week, but another part of me feels like I'm only being included when it's convenient for them.
    via RyuzioO0
  • When it came to choosing a house, I wasn't important enough to have a bedroom. But now they need something from me, suddenly I'm expected to help.
    via RyuzioO0
  • Man standing alone in a living room.
    via Erik Sandybaev

    Man standing alone in a living room.

    Subject is a model.

  • Am I overreacting for not wanting to do it? Would you go back after feeling like you'd been pushed out, or is it reasonable for me to say no?
    via RyuzioO0
  • KatzAKat NTA. They don't get to demand your presence when they demanded your disappearance.
    via KatzAKat
  • Cat/dog sitters get paid $50 to $100 a day. An adult human needing "babysitting should require more money for watching him. Tell them that you'll do it for $150 day and meals.
    via KatzAKat
  • FairyFartDaydreams NTA if an 18yo can't survive for a week they have failed him
    via FairyFartDaydreams
  • PracticalPrimrose NTA. Keep your response short. Don't add the other details (though they are valid; it will add conflict).
    via PracticalPrimrose
  • "Sorry I can't. My schedule is more full these days given some recent life things. I hope you guys have an awesome trip though."
    via PracticalPrimrose
  • Allergictosquirrels You're 26. They chose the 2-bedroom house because it was past time for you to leave the nest. Even if you were going to move out in
    via Allergictosquirrels
  • a year (questionable), then they'd be stuck with an extra bedroom they didn't need.
    via Allergictosquirrels
  • Don't babysit your brother if you don't want to. It's a weird and unnecessary request. Does your step brother even want you there?
    via Allergictosquirrels

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Tags

family drama kids mother adulting siblings parenting babysitting family step brother parents children Father vacation
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