'AITA for putting myself first and saying no to babysitting my sibling's children on my only day off?'

A 28-year-old Redditor, going by the username BRRYCWUNCH, recently shared their frustration on the r/AITAH subreddit over a recurring family issue.

They explained that with a demanding job that leaves them with only one full day off each week, they use that time to rest, handle personal tasks, and recharge.

Redditor struggles with sibling's demands for babysitting

However, their sibling, a 33-year-old, parent of three young children (aged 7, 5, and 2), has repeatedly asked for help babysitting on that one precious day off.

In their post, the Original Poster (OP) recalled agreeing to babysit their nieces and nephew several weeks ago when the sibling and their spouse wanted some time to themselves. What was supposed to be a couple of hours of help quickly turned into a full day of babysitting, leaving the Redditor exhausted and unable to tend to their own plans.

The OP wrote, "Helping my nieces and nephew bring me joy so I happily agreed to their care. Their request for a quick babysitting turned into a full day so I finished drained and unable to complete my plans."

Another week, when their sibling asked for help again, the OP declined, explaining that they needed the time to rest, "I told my brother I required my day off for personal rest."

The sibling wasn’t pleased with this response, accusing them of putting their needs above family obligations. "He lost his temper by accusing me of putting myself first with his response of 'family helps family'," the Redditor shared.

In addition, OP’s parents sided with the sibling, telling them they didn't understand how much work it is to raise children and that they should be willing to help.

The OP explained, "I fail to grasp how much work supporting your own family entails. They expect me to contribute because I am available for tasks. I am just trying to keep myself together instead of filtered my response to his direct attack."

Redditors overwhelmingly support OP’s decision to prioritize mental health

The post quickly garnered a range of responses on Reddit. Many Redditors supported the OP’s decision to prioritize mental health.

A user said, "Your parents took his side. They can also do the babysitting. Not your monkeys, not your zoo."

Another added, "Totally! If “family helps family,” then your parents can step up and babysit. You’re already stretched thin, and it’s not your job to sacrifice your only day off. You’re not a free nanny just because you don’t have kids."

One commentator remarked, "NTA. If you only have one day off a week, you need that day. People can hire babysitters but you can't hire someone to relax for you, and you will burn out and/or get seriously ill if you don't have downtime."

"NTA – Your one day off isn’t a community property. Helping once is kind, but being guilted into sacrificing your only downtime is a recipe for burnout. “Family helps family” works both ways—maybe they can help by respecting your boundaries," a supporter of the OP wrote.

One individual stated, "NTA—you deserve your time off to be about you. Also, if your brother and his wife have too much free time, they might end up with baby number 4…"

Another chimed in, "If "family helps family" then how does your brother help you? I'm guessing that he doesn't. NTA"

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