Being the last kid at home when your parent needs daily help puts you in a difficult position.

You’re not a caretaker by training, just a college student who happened to be the youngest.

In this story, one young woman was the youngest of seven siblings and the primary source of caregiving for her mother, who suffered a stroke in her mid-40s that left her half paralyzed. But the clock on her departure was ticking.

She’s been telling her mother for a while that she won’t be there forever and has started pulling back on tasks she believes her mother can handle on her own.

But when her mother still behaved like she was somehow abandoning her, she didn’t know what to do with all the guilt.

Keep reading for the full story.

AITA for starting to refuse to help my disabled mother?

My mom is entering her mid-50s in a year or 2.

In her mid-40s, she had a stroke that left her half paralyzed with some movement regained.

I’m her youngest out of 7 kids.

She tries to let her mother know that she plans to eventually move out.

Once I finish college and get my license, I like many will move out.

I keep telling my mom I’m not going to be here to help her forever.

I’ve started refusing to help her do tasks I believe she can do on her own if she tries. As well as to make her understand, she’ll need to either move or change stuff on the house property or hire someone to help.

I’m still helping, but I’m not doing everything anymore.

Her mother hasn’t been a fan of this change, but she still thinks it’s for the best.

Obviously, I don’t expect her to lift anything heavy or take the 100-pound dog outside and put on a lead, but she is making it seem like I’m evil for making her learn to adapt and I won’t be here forever.

AITA? I think she needs to learn how to be more independent again.

The sooner her mother can start to take some action towards figuring out her next steps, the better.

What did Reddit have to say?

Maybe it’s time some of her other siblings start picking up some of the slack.

There’s a word for what this student is feeling.

Maybe it’s time to leave her mother’s care to the professionals.

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All of these decisions shouldn’t be left only to one person.

The guilt this student is feeling is real and it’s valid because stepping back from someone who needs you feels wrong when you love them.

But guilt isn’t always a signal that you’re doing something bad. Sometimes it’s a signal that you’re doing something hard that needs to happen anyway.

This young woman has done way more than her fair share to help her mother over the past few years, but eventually, her mother needs to step in to start helping herself.

This student shouldn’t be forced to put her future on hold.