Every sleepless night, every interrupted sleep, deepened the chasm between his need for rest and his love for Leo, leaving him caught in a storm of emotions. The weight of responsibility pressed heavily on his young shoulders, blurring the line between childhood and adulthood as he struggled to find his place in a home filled with noise and uncertainty.
My parents had me (16M) kinda young and just last year they decided to have another baby. My brother Leo is 2 months old. I love him but he cries nonstop every night. My dad and his friends are doing some renovations to the bedroom downstairs which was supposed to be Leo’s room but some stuff came up and it delayed now.
They told me for a little while Leo is gonna be in my room because my dad needs to do early for work and he can’t sleep if my brother is in their room. It’s been annoying af. Leo cries, it takes my mom time to get to my room then she turns on the lamp in my room and it takes like a half hour sometimes for her to get him back to sleep.
I really hate it. I’ve kept talking to them about when his room gonna be ready. My parents say it gonna be a while but they still say no he can’t be in the room with them. Monday night I got real annoyed because my mom was knocked out so I had to get up and change his diaper at like 3 in the morning.
When it was night time I moved his crib to their room and told them that I’m tired of hearing him cry all the time in my room. My mom started telling me stuff then my dad did too when he got home.
But I locked my door from inside. They gave up and said fine if that’s what I want and they kept my brother in their room. My dad was pissed the next day when he got home cause I’m sure Leo woke him up whenever my mom needed to do something.
Actually they both look really mad at me then my mom told me I acted real unfair to them and we’re a family who handles stuff together so she don’t think it’s right I’m not tryna help them a little here with my brother.
So yeah she do think I’m an ass for that since Leo being in my room means my dad does have to take up everytime my mom needs to feed him or whatever and he the one who also provides for us.
AITA?
Conclusion
The original poster (OP) experienced significant distress due to the disruption caused by the infant brother staying in his room and took decisive, albeit unilateral, action by moving the crib to the parents’ room. This action directly conflicted with the parents’ expectation that the OP should contribute to managing the baby’s nighttime needs while respecting the temporary living arrangements they had established.
Was the OP justified in asserting his need for sleep and space by physically relocating the infant, or did this move violate the expected familial duty to support the parents through this challenging transition period? The debate centers on the boundary between personal needs and shared family responsibility during a temporary crisis.
Here’s how people reacted:
It was their decision to have a baby, and when you make that decision to take care of that baby. Ya, getting up three or four times a night sucks. But you made that decision. Suck it up and deal with it.
Its not ok to dump that on your other children, ask nicely for a night or two sure. But semi permanently, no.
Imagine only 16 years ago, you were annoying your parents as much as the little one is annoying you and your parents now. Get used to it, there will be 2 years of teeth popping through gums soon enough.
I always got up with them and made bottles and changed diapers. They finally finished my room when my teacher called them saying I was falling asleep in class all the time 🙃
I feel your pain. NTA
Especially when it was THEIR decision to have another kid and the fact ANY parent will tell you that being sleep deprived is pretty standard for being the parent of a newborn!
Parentification is the process of role reversal whereby a childis obliged to act as parent to their own parent or sibling.
They are going to cause trauma for you and resentment not only for them but likely for your sibling.
NTA.
You are not a parent. It is not your obligation, or role, to tend to your younger brother. Guess whose “job” is it!
THAT’S RIGHT… Your parents.
Edit to add: Shame on your Dad for not helping his wife with the baby, too.
The parents should not be forcing a 16 year old to look after a new born but a 16 year old is also old enough to realize the people working to pay for the home need rest/sleep. There should be a mix of responsibility here.
Granted, I’m not saying you shouldn’t help out at all. Definitely be open to watching him and babysitting briefly.
it was their choice to have a baby, they look after it.
How horrible of them to do that…their baby…not yours!