Parents sometimes see their adult kids as children.
Navigating the transition from childhood to adulthood can be difficult and often confusing, particularly when it comes to the relationship between parents and their children. Many young adults find themselves in a situation in which their parents alternate between treating them as capable adults and treating them as children, depending on the circumstances. This inconsistency can cause tension and frustration as young adults strive for independence while also seeking guidance and support from their parents. While I understand how difficult it can be for parents to see their child as a fully grown adult, that doesn’t mean they can treat them as a child or adult whenever it suits them.
For example, some parents will harp on their children to be more responsible and take care of their own belongings because they are adults, only to turn around and tell them they cannot have privacy because they are still children. Simply put, you cannot have it both ways, no matter how much you want it. That is also the issue raised by the original poster (OP) in this story. She is 19 years old and wanted to have a good weekend, but she was stuck babysitting her cousins because she is a ‘child’. As you might expect, this didn’t sit well with her.
Scroll down to read about how she handled this situation.
Source: Reddit
Many parents give their kids pocket money until they start working and earning money for themselves.
OP is 19 years old, and while she still lives with her parents, she does have a part-time job.
Her family was over for a vacation, and everyone was really excited to have some fun until the group was split between adults and kids.
OP was put into the ‘kids’ group even though she is an adult, and it was clearly because they wanted free babysitting.
So OP had to spend her weekend babysitting her cousins, and while she had fun, it wasn’t what she had imagined her weekend to be like.
Via Reddit
After all, she just wanted to have fun on her own and not get stuck taking care of the kids while on her day off.
When the weekend ended, the ‘adults’ in the family decided to give pocket money to all the children except OP, which was understandable.
However, OP was a bit annoyed since she was called a kid earlier, but she was not being treated as an adult once more.
That is why OP decided to put on the biggest fake smile she could and asked for her pocket money since she was still a ‘kid’ as they had lamented earlier.
She did receive the pocket money, but her parents were quite embarrassed by her behaviour overall.
Via Reddit
In my opinion, she was a complete a**hole, which is perfectly fine, and I do not mean that negatively. Sometimes you have to use this type of behaviour in life, or you will never get your way. Her parents, aunts, and uncles were clearly bigger a**holes, so they got what they deserved.
And if OP’s parents didn’t want to be embarrassed, they shouldn’t have treated her as a child and then as an adult whenever it was convenient for them. Furthermore, she should have asked for babysitting pay because she is not permitted to ask for pocket money.
The people in the comments were all on her side.
I am pretty sure that she wasn’t paid for her services.
They are definitely not going to stick her in the ‘kids’ group when they learn that she is asking for pay.
Maybe they should have been a bit more empathetic as well.
So many parents have this weird double standard.
Via Reddit
After all, you can’t have it both ways.
This would be the perfect move to make her parents realise that they are the ones in the wrong.
I would not have been this clever in the heat of the moment.
Sadly, a lot of people do this around the world.
According to the parents, she is a kid, so she should be treated as such.
Via Reddit
What are your thoughts on how OP dealt with the situation? Do you think it would have been preferable if she had simply kept quiet so as not to cause any dissent? Do you think she should have asked for payment for babysitting? What would you have done if you were in her position? Comment below to let us know, and don’t forget to share this post with your friends so they can contribute with their stories as well.
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings