Imagine being a 17-year-old high school senior, buried under a mountain of schoolwork, and then being asked to babysit your 8-year-old cousin, Jack, who happens to be a non-verbal autistic child with a penchant for physical tantrums. A daunting task, right? Well, that’s exactly the predicament our protagonist found herself in. Let’s delve into her story…
Meet the Characters: A Teen and Her Cousin

The Challenge: Balancing School and Family

The Unexpected Request: Babysit Jack

The Refusal: Schoolwork Over Babysitting

The Fallout: Angry Aunt and a Grounded Teen

The Aftermath: Punishment and Regret

The Backstory: Why Jack Doesn’t Attend School

The Family Dynamics: Absent Fathers and Favoritism

The Revelation: A Forgotten Text

A High School Senior’s Dilemma: Schoolwork vs. Babysitting
Caught between the rock of her schoolwork and the hard place of her family’s expectations, our high school senior protagonist found herself in a pickle. Asked to babysit her autistic cousin, Jack, she chose her schoolwork instead, leading to a family fallout. Her aunt, Jack’s mother, labeled her a ‘selfish child’, while her mother grounded her for a month. As she grapples with regret, unanswered apologies, and the looming specter of Christmas chores, we can’t help but wonder – was she wrong to prioritize her schoolwork? Let’s see what the internet has to say about this…
NTA: School work shouldn’t be impacted by aunt’s poor planning

NTA. Aunt’s an a**hole, but mom’s the true a**hole – poor parenting.

NTA for refusing to babysit autistic cousin. 8 hours?
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NTA. Fair for a 17-year-old to refuse babysitting autistic cousin.

NTA. No one should be forced to be free childcare.

NTA, your aunt and mom are assholes. They should’ve arranged childcare.

Protecting yourself from a physically violent cousin. NTA

Aunt and mom’s selfishness sparks controversy. NTA stands firm.

NTA! Aunt expects too much, parents are jerks. School matters!

Empathy for the OP, frustration with entitled aunt and enabling mom

NTA. School work > babysitting. Aunt and mom are A-holes

Regret punishment, not decision. Use alone time for self-improvement. NTA

NTA- Aunt’s lack of planning, not your responsibility. ♂️

“NTA – Your Aunt and Mom are being entitled and unreasonable.”

NTA – Stand your ground and don’t let others manipulate you! ✊

NTA- Setting boundaries and prioritizing school over babysitting responsibilities.

NTA – Kids shouldn’t be forced to babysit, but what about the boy’s needs?

NTA, unfair grounding for refusing to babysit autistic cousin.

Focus on your future, not on babysitting. ✨

Teen refuses to babysit autistic cousin, faces abusive punishment.

NTA – Unfair situation, no time to prepare, feeling cornered.

Teen refuses to babysit autistic cousin, sparks hilarious text exchange

NTA. Aunt didn’t compensate or give warning. Parents are AH.

Mom’s education neglect: NTA calls out the outrageous prioritization.

NTA: You’re not qualified to babysit an autistic child ♀️

Family dynamics and Thanksgiving plans spark babysitting debate.

NTA. School work should be your priority, not babysitting responsibilities.

Aunt’s version of events: NTA for refusing to babysit?

Teen refuses to babysit autistic cousin, receives praise and support.
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Asserting independence and standing up for personal boundaries.

NTA for prioritizing schoolwork over unexpected babysitting responsibilities.

NTA. Refusing chores and grounding. Stand up for yourself!

NTA. Escape the toxic cycle and build your own future.

NTA. Parents are huge a**holes for grounding you. ♀️
