There’s nothing more complicated than sibling relationships… unless you throw child custody into the mix.

This brother stepped into a fatherhood role for his niece when her dad slacked off.

So is it wrong for the uncle to act like a dad?

Let’s see if he stands his ground or decides to cry “uncle.”

AITA for deciding to take my niece to a father-daughter dance without asking her father?

I (20M) have a niece – going to call her “Macy” in this post. My sister got custody when Macy was an infant, as our brother is a deadbeat, and the biological mother terminated her rights.

Taking on parental responsibility is no small decision.

Macy is five now, and she only sees her father when he decides to visit her. He’s missed birthdays, her first day of kindergarten x2, recitals…all things that he said he was attending, but ended up as no-show.

Disappointing dads are nothing new, but that doesn’t mean daughters ever get used to it.

Despite all of this, Macy still adores him and thinks the world of him. So we don’t tell her when he’s coming to an event now, to save her the disappointment. She just thinks it’s a fun surprise when he does show up.

I’d say this dad is less reliable than a weather forecast.

There is a father-daughter dance coming up at Macy’s school, which she is begging to go to. I said I’d take her, and she was super excited.

But she mentioned it during one of the visits, and now my brother is mad. He says that I shouldn’t be taking over, it’s a father-daughter dance and Macy is his kid – not mine.

Does Dad have the right to be riled up over this when he’s absent so much of the time?

AITA for deciding to take my niece to a father-daughter dance without asking her father?

Hmm does the comments section think father knows best?

This person says the brother has no leg to dance on.

This commenter says all that matters is the little girl having a dance partner.

This person says let the dad do his worst and be waiting in the wings.

Another commenter says dad forfeited his rights with his lack of reliability.

Lastly, this person has some brotherly wisdom to offer.

This is definitely a brotherly love/hate relationship.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check this one out about a man who created a points system for his inheritance, and a family friend ends up getting almost all of it.