Burning yourself out for weeks over exams and then being asked to babysit on your one free day is the kind of request that tests even the most patient person.

A student who had barely slept in two weeks preparing for major exams, with a two-day conference immediately after, had planned her single day off as a recovery window before the next commitment kicked in.

So when her aunt called last minute asking her to babysit two young cousins so she could take their grandmother to a checkup, she said no because her only available appointment was already booked.

Her grandmother decided that meant she never takes responsibility for anything and stopped speaking to her over it.

Now she’s wondering if declining one last-minute request after weeks of running on empty makes her the bad guy. Spoiler alert: It doesn’t.

Keep reading for the full story.

AITA for not taking care of my cousins to get my nails done?

I (18F) have just finished one of the most important exam weeks of my schooling.

This led to an intense period of studying for her.

I’ve been working so hard and have probably slept for about five hours total over two weeks to study and prepare for my tests.

I’ve also been working toward my DALF C1 test, a language level certification, because I want to go to university in France.

After these exams, I had a conference lasting two days that I was a board member of, so it was quite important.

So when she had her first break, she was determined to treat herself.

I had one day between my exams ending and the conference, so I set up a nail and hair appointment and a shopping day for myself, just to relax and shake off the exam stress.

But then family started getting in the way.

After I had done all this, my aunt (47F) called me asking if I could take care of my two cousins (M10, F4) so that she could take my grandmother to the hospital for a checkup.

She’s honest with her family, but soon they started guilt tripping her.

I explained the situation and said that I couldn’t, because the time of my nail appointment clashed with the time of the doctor’s appointment and my nail technician had already told me she had no other available times.

Now my grandma is mad at me for not “taking responsibility for once in my life” and is refusing to speak to me because I “let her down.”

AITA?

Sometimes you just have to put yourself first.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a stepmom who says stepson isn’t doing enough, despite the fact that he’s working 12-hour shifts to pay for his own college.

What did Reddit have to say?

A “no” is often best kept short.

Her aunt could have taken the kids with her if she really needed to.

It’s just not fair to pass this responsibility off on someone else.

A more traditional babysitting arrangement is always an option too.

This student had one day. One day between two of the biggest academic commitments of her year, and she filled it with a pre-booked appointment and some time to breathe.

Her grandmother looked at that and saw irresponsibility.

The person who slept five hours over two weeks to get through her exams is now getting the silent treatment for not rearranging an appointment that couldn’t be rearranged.

Saying no to last-minute childcare when you have nothing left in the tank isn’t a character flaw. It’s basic self-preservation.

She doesn’t owe anyone her only recovery day.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a man whose celebratory post-grad school vacation is being ruined by his family’s insistence he’s being lazy.