In an ideal situation, parents take care of their kids. Parents are the caregivers, mentors, teachers and supporters.

What would you do if the situation were flipped, and you, a teen, were tasked with taking care of your parent?

Would you step up and do what needed to be done, or would you eventually feel so worn out that you really needed a break?

In today’s story, one teenage girl is more of a nurse to her mother than she is a daughter.

She loves her mother, but she also really wants a couple hours to herself.

Is that too much to ask?

Read the whole story to decide.

AITA because i don’t want to wait during my moms surgery?

AITA for not wanting to wait at the hospital during my mom’s surgery?

I (16f) have always been my mom’s (45f) keeper.

When my grandmother died in 6th grade, I couldn’t even process her death because I was too busy taking care of my mom—cleaning, comforting her, and holding everything together.

She feels more like a nurse than a daughter.

Last summer, when my mom had surgery, I stayed at the hospital the entire time.

Afterward, I helped her bathe, went on mobility walks with her, and made sure she was okay.

On top of that, my mom and I were taking care of my grandpa (now deceased), but honestly, it was like I became a second nurse.

I spent my whole junior year juggling school, caregiving, and cleaning.

She has been through a lot and done a lot.

Every hospital visit, I was there.

When she had to work, I stayed back with him to make sure he was safe and monitored.

Right before I left for Nationals, we had to rush my grandpa to the hospital again.

I stayed up all night with zero sleep and got on a plane the next day—only to return and find out he had passed away.

I was devastated.

This time, she wanted to do things differently.

Now, my mom is having another surgery due to a hard-to-reach tumor in her stomach.

The night before, I asked her if it would be okay for me to stay home until the surgery is over—then I’d come to the hospital and step into my usual role as her caretaker.

I even told her that if she truly needed me there, I would come.

She blew up at me and called me selfish.

She understands why her mom is upset.

I get that she’s scared, but I feel like I’ve already done so much, and now I’m just asking for a little breathing room.

My mom is all I have, and I think she sometimes uses that to her advantage.

AITA for asking to stay home during the actual procedure?

What a hard and sad life for this teenage girl!

I feel so bad that she has become a caregiver and has nobody to take care of her.

I don’t think it’s too much to ask to chill at home for a few hours instead of sitting in a hospital.

Let’s see how Reddit reacted to this story.

This person encourages her to take the breathing room she so desperately needs.

This person calls the mom self-centered.

Another person agrees that the mom is being selfish.

She really deserves a break.

Someone who works at a hospital weighs in.

Staying home is the right thing to do.

This relationship is all out of balance.

If you enjoyed that story, read this one about a mom who was forced to bring her three kids with her to apply for government benefits, but ended up getting the job of her dreams.