Family disputes can be fraught with anger, tension, and often blame. A case in point is that of a teen who wrote to Reddit about an unhappy situation she seemingly feels trapped in at home. The heart of it is this: her folks have given this teen a great deal of ongoing responsibility for her young sibling's care. To her, it now feels like way too much of a burden.
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Per Yahoo!Life via People, the teen sounds conflicted. On one hand, she loves her sibling and parents and wants to be helpful. On the other hand, she is navigating adolescence, which is tricky at best. She also has significant care-taking tasks for a 6-year-old child being thrust onto her shoulders.
What The Teen Wrote About Her Predicament
The emotional post was evidently written by an 18-year-old high school senior. For some time, she has ambivalently been in the role that feels like being the "second mom" to her little brother. Her duties include overseeing homework, cooking meals, and watching him after school. Trying to cope with it is clearly weighing on her heavily.
This is how she explained what is going on. "I told my mom that I no longer want to babysit my little brother because it's taking up too much of my time, and she got really upset. She and my dad think I'm being selfish and ungrateful because they rely on me, and now they're both mad at me."
She continued, "...I know my parents work hard, and I understand that they need help. Maybe I should have just sucked it up and helped them instead of making a big deal about it. But at the same time, I feel like I'm being forced into a role I never agreed to. Am I wrong for wanting my own life?"
There Was A Recent Incident That Brought Things To A Head
The girl was not able to attend a concert she really wanted to go to because she had to babysit her brother. She tried to reason with her mom, who got distraught. "When I told her I already made plans, she got really upset and said, 'You know we rely on you for this. You can't just abandon us last minute.' "
"She got quiet, then started crying, saying she and my dad are 'doing their best' and that I'm being 'selfish and ungrateful.' "
People Reacted Strongly To The Painful Situation Described By The Teen
Many who expressed their opinion on Reddit took the part of the put-upon teen.
Wrote one, "Is it nice of you to help out when you can and want to? Of course. Is it your responsibility? No, absolutely not."
From another, "You did not choose to have a child - they did, so he is their responsibility. It's one thing to watch him in a pinch, but not everyday after school and to give up your nights and weekends to take care of THEIR CHILD"
A third noted, "Tell your parents that they might be trying their best, but they need to do better, because you didn't sign up to be their co-parent."
