People have radically different takes on spending time with young kids.

Some people love it and can’t get enough…and others think it’s a total nightmare and it drains all their energy.

The guy who wrote this story on Reddit didn’t make a secret of how he feels about this and he wants to know if he’s acting like a jerk.

Let’s see what’s going on here!

AITA for telling my sister the reason I don’t want to be an involved uncle?

“I (36m) spent a lot of time basically raising my brother and sister.

When I was 9, our parents separated for eight months. Our mother spiraled during it. She pretty much just slept when she wasn’t working.

He stepped up in a big way.

My siblings at the time were 2 and 3 and I spent a lot of time with them, made sandwiches for us at dinner time, got them to bed, tuck them in, and always waking mom up or calling dad to come take care of them.

They got back together, but when I was 13 dad passed away.

Mom spiraled worse than before. She worked, slept, and was gone most the night especially on weekends.

I did everything for my siblings at that point and when I was 15 I was able to work some weekends just to help pay for extras for us.

It went on like that until I was 18 and left right after graduating high school.

That seemed to be the kick in the *** mom needed to get her **** together.

He did his time…

I have since done therapy and mended my relationship with her but aftermath is I just really don’t want anything to do with kids now.

The thought mentally drains me.

My siblings have kids now and have wanted me to be involved since the first one was born 6 years ago.

I don’t ignore them, I show up for their parties, and I’m nice when talking to them but I don’t draw out interacting with them.

I don’t act fake excited and I don’t want to go to their events.

I don’t have them over my house despite them and the rest of my family always suggesting I do because they’re convinced I’d be a ‘fun uncle’.

Recently I was picking up my camping gear from my sister’s and my nephew asked to go with me and I told him no but definitely when he’s older.

When I was leaving my sister said I should take the kids sometimes because they’re always asking about me and my stuff and suggested that she and BIL come too if it’d help.

Ummm, no.

I told her no thanks.

She asked why I refuse to be more present in my niblings’ life because she remembers I was a lot of fun with her and our brother.

I told her it might’ve been fun for her but I was doing what needed to be done to keep them happy but it’s okay if they remember it differently because they were so young.

It’s just after that I don’t want to be around young kids. She dropped it.

Earlier today our Nan text to tell me no one would be upset if I skipped our cookout next week so I didn’t get stressed out around all the kids.

Was I wrong for telling her why I don’t get more involved?”

This is what people had to say.

One reader said he’s NTA.

Another person agreed.

This Reddit user chimed in.

Another individual spoke up.

This person shared their thoughts.

Hey, kids aren’t for everyone…

And childhood trauma can inform the rest of our lives.

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