AITA for refusing to babysit for my siblings anymore and telling my family they can't use me as free childcare and treat me like s**t for being an unwanted pregnancy?
The individual, a 16-year-old male, describes a difficult family dynamic stemming from his birth, which occurred years after his parents believed they were finished having children.
His four older siblings, who are all more than eleven years his senior, reportedly resented his arrival, sometimes calling him "mom and dad's mistake." The feeling of being an outsider extended to his parents, who the poster claims treated him like a burden, often dismissing his needs for attention or comfort when he was younger.
This pattern continued into his teenage years where he became the default, unpaid babysitter for his siblings' children, leading him to question his place and finally decide to set firm boundaries.
Subscribe to our Newsletter
Get the latest stories delivered to your inbox.
The poster is currently facing significant backlash from his entire family after refusing to act as free childcare and confronting them about years of feeling unwanted and mistreated.
He is emotionally exhausted by being used and ignored, leading him to stand his ground against their expectations of his availability.
The central conflict is whether the poster was justified in speaking up and enforcing boundaries against a long history of neglect and exploitation, or if his reaction was too harsh given the es**blished family structure.
Readers must weigh the right to self-respect against the potential fallout of confronting deeply ingrained family roles.
Commenters Came in Hot with Their Takes:
This one sparked a storm. The comments range from brutally honest to surprisingly supportive — and everything in between.