Kids thrive on variety in friendships, but not all families see it the same way.

One parent wanted their children to have fun with neighborhood friends, while the sister-in-law insisted on exclusive cousin play.

This tension created an awkward standoff over how their kids should spend the school break: Should it be steeped in obligation, or should kids get free rein on how they spend their time?

You’ll want to keep reading for this one.

AITA for noting wanting my wife(37F) to arrange cousin play dates for our kids during fall break?

My sister-in-law doesn’t let her kids play with friends in her neighborhood or organize playdates with their school friends.

Her kids’ only interactions outside of school are at family parties we attend, where the cousins all get to play.

This creates an awkward situation for this parent.

We are going into fall break, and my kids do have friends in the neighborhood. I don’t want them to be forced to hang out with their cousins every time there is a school break.

I was forced to hang out with cousins I had nothing in common with.

The parents are divided about how to move forward.

My kids are going to have more fun with the kids in the neighborhood, but my wife feels bad saying no to her sister, who wants the cousins to play together each day during the break.

AITA?

These kids should feel empowered to grow their friendships on their own terms.

What did Reddit think?

Why not let her own kids decide?

This commenter agrees it’s time to get her kids’ point of view.

Communication is key here.

If it were up to this commenter, they would say something like this:

Family relationships are important, but so are outside friendships.

School breaks should be about freedom, not unfair expectations.

Thought that was satisfying? Check out what this employee did when their manager refused to pay for their time while they were traveling for business.