The phrase “family helps family” can carry a lot of weight — sometimes a little too much.

One woman discovered this the hard way when her sister guilted her into babysitting during her vacation.

But when she declined due to scheduling conflicts, her sister suddenly accused her of being selfish.

You’ll want to read on for this one.

AITA for Refusing to Babysit for My Family While They Go on Vacation?

I (29F) don’t have children of my own, but I have three nephews (8, 6, and 3) who I love dearly.

My older sister (34F) and her husband are busy people, and I often help out with occasional babysitting when they need a date night or have errands to run.

I’ve always been happy to do this, but recently, they asked me for a much bigger favor.

This time, it felt less like a request and more like a demand.

Last week, my sister called me and explained that she and her husband had booked a week-long vacation to a resort.

The catch? They wanted me to watch their three kids for the entire week while they were gone.

Her sister’s reasoning was as self-serving as could be.

She framed it as an opportunity for me to “spend quality time” with my nephews and assured me that it wouldn’t be too difficult since the kids are “pretty independent.”

Immediately, this aunt thinks about what she would have to sacrifice to make this work.

Here’s the thing: I work full-time and don’t have a partner or extra support to help with three young kids for seven days.

I’d have to take time off work, adjust my entire schedule, and essentially put my life on hold for them to have a break.

So when she refused, it sparked a dramatic standoff.

I told her as much and politely declined, explaining that I couldn’t commit to something so demanding, especially on such short notice.

She didn’t take it well.

She accused me of being selfish, saying that “family helps family” and that I owe her because I don’t have kids of my own to worry about.

Then her sister got the rest of the family involved.

My mom even got involved, saying it was just one week and that I should step up because I have the “freedom” to do it.

I stood firm, but now I feel guilty.

My sister is upset, my mom keeps calling to guilt-trip me, and even a few family members have chimed in to say I’m overreacting.

It’s making her second-guess her choices.

Meanwhile, I’m struggling with whether I’m being unreasonable.

I do love my nephews, but this feels like too much to ask, especially since I wasn’t even part of the planning.

So, AITA for refusing to babysit my sister’s kids for an entire week while they go on vacation?

Entitled parents are always so quick with the guilt trips.

Redditors are sure to have some strong opinions about this.

This wasn’t a request — it was practically a demand.

The biggest mistake here was her sister not securing dependable childcare sooner.

It’s time for grandma to put her money where her mouth is.

Many reasonable people would never consider any three year old “independent.”

If anyone crossed a line here, it was the sister who booked a vacation before having all of her ducks in a row.

Helping out is generous, being volunteered is not.

If you liked that story, check out this post about a group of employees who got together and why working from home was a good financial decision.