Partying all night and babysitting don’t really mix, now do they? Vacations are designed to help you relax, let loose, sip mojitos by the pool, and momentarily forget you actually have a life outside of the fancy hotel. Or at least, that’s the plan. But when someone ambushes you with babysitting duties, it’s less partying and more nap time.
One Redditor’s dream escape turned into a potential babysitting gig when his brother and sister-in-law decided to crash his party and book the same hotel, at the same time.
More info: Reddit
Vacations are all about sunshine and relaxation, until someone shows up with a kid and a favor
Image credits: Valeriia Bugaiova / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
One man’s fun getaway took a sharp turn when his brother and sister-in-law crashed the party, demanding he babysit their kid so they could relax
Image credits: Getty Images / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
The man’s brother books the same hotel for his family, at the same time the man and his friends would be there
Image credits: Brooke Cagle / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
The brother tells the man how excited he is he will be there to help with babysitting so he and his wife can relax
Image credits: gulghy
The man doesn’t want to babysit his niece while on vacation, as he is looking forward to just partying, drinking, and relaxing with no responsibilities
The poster of this story (let’s call him Sam) is a 29-year-old who was looking forward to his first weekend off in months. Sam and his friends had meticulously planned a glorious weekend of partying, poolside relaxation, and zero responsibilities.
The destination? A fancy hotel that’s more about cocktails than milk bottles. For Sam, this was more than just a trip – it was his first break in months, so he was pretty excited for it.
But weirdly enough, his brother and sister-in-law announced they’d booked the same hotel for a “family getaway” with their four-year-old daughter, at the exact same time Sam would be there. Oh, and they had a tiny request for him – play babysitter for his niece while they relaxed.
Wait, what? Sam was floored. Babysitting? On his vacation? The same vacation he’d been looking forward to for months and splurged on? The one that involved pool parties, not playdates? To make matters worse, these entitled people even told Sam that he “doesn’t have anything better to do anyway.” I’d probably be livid at this point, wouldn’t you?
Sure, Sam adores his niece. But that doesn’t mean he’s ready to swap his margaritas for mac and cheese duty. Plus, his brother and sister-in-law’s “surprise” was less of a happy coincidence and more of a manipulative ambush.
And our guy admits he struggles to set boundaries. His brother and sister-in-law knew this, which is why they were so confident they could rope him into their plan. So, Sam was stuck in a lose-lose situation: either spend his vacation chasing after a four-year-old or risk being labeled the “bad uncle” who doesn’t love his niece.
Image credits: Andrej Lišakov / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
I get it, it can be difficult saying no to family sometimes, but setting boundaries doesn’t have to be as scary as it sounds. It’s about communicating your needs and sticking to them, even when guilt trips are thrown your way like confetti at a wedding.
The pros say the trick is staying consistent, firm yet respectful. Start by clearly stating what you can and can’t do, or what you are not willing to do. And remember, saying “no” to unreasonable demands doesn’t mean you love your family any less – it just means you’re prioritizing yourself. Trust me, they’ll survive without you for a weekend. After all, it’s their entitlement that landed them in that situation.
Dealing with entitled people is never fun, especially if they’re your family members. Experts say that entitled people are self-centered and show little concern or empathy for how their actions affect others.
These folks often believe they are deserving of exceptional treatment, for some reason, and they anticipate receiving privileges and favors without considering any justification for such special treatment. So, it’s basically a “The world owes me” type of mentality.
Yup, I’ve met a few people like that in my life, and I know you can’t change their behavior, so the next best thing is not to feed their sense of entitlement. Stay calm, stand your ground, and don’t engage in their manipulative tactics. If they try to guilt-trip you or play the victim, just call it out politely. Keep it short, sweet, and drama-free. You get bonus points if you can escape the conversation with your cocktail intact.
What do you think of this story? Drop your comments below!
Netizens say the man is not a jerk for not wanting to babysit his niece while on vacation, urging him to set boundaries and tell his brother “no”
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