It’s a tale as old as time: the oldest sibling shoulders most of the chores while the younger ones get off easy.

For this 16-year-old, though, it’s not just about chores; it’s about fairness.

His parents won’t pay him an allowance for his long list of household duties, even though his younger siblings get paid for theirs.

Now they want him to babysit—for free—and he’s refusing.

Who’s in the wrong here?

AITA for refusing to babysit when my parents asked because they wouldn’t pay me?

My parents have me (16M) and my younger siblings (12F, 10M and 7F).

My younger siblings get an allowance for the chores they do, which is one chore each and for that they get $20 a week.

While I never got an allowance for doing my chores and I have five chores; making four beds every morning, keeping the kid living room tidy, doing laundry twice a week, cooking for the family once a week and cleaning my siblings lunch boxes after school.

That doesn’t seem fair.

I always had multiple chores.

This list has been the same for five years.

Before that the only difference was cooking since I didn’t cook one night a week.

But laundry was added when I was like 7 or 8.

My siblings chores are; carry dishes to whoever washes up (7F), start the robo vacuum (10M) and make sure the fridge always has bottled water (12F).

I asked my parents why my siblings get paid but I don’t even though I do more.

They told me it was the responsibility of being the oldest and they shouldn’t need to pay me to be a good brother and son.

Nothing like the weight of the world on a 16-year-old’s shoulders.

Then they hated when I got a job because some of my chores were done at different times than they used to be.

I told them I wanted money and since they decided I wasn’t worth paying like my siblings were I got a real job instead.

To be clear I still do my chores.

But instead of the lunch boxes being done right after school on Friday it happens after work.

The kid living room is messier longer because I’ll be at work while my siblings are making a mess.

Beggars can’t be choosers.

My parents want to go on an overnight date night and they asked me to babysit.

I asked them what they were paying and they said nothing, it would be another chore.

I told them I won’t babysit then and I’ll only babysit if I get paid.

They told me they can’t afford to pay me and I replied that I was tired of being screwed over by them while they pay my younger siblings

. They told me I was being a brat and they can make me babysit.

I reminded them that they get what they pay for. AITA?

So when they ask him to watch his siblings for a date night, he doesn’t see why he should add “free babysitting” to his chore list.

Reddit’s jury has been quick to chime in on whether he’s setting a healthy boundary…or being selfish.

The verdict? He’s NTA.

This person says his parents are actually insane.

This person would go so far to call it abuse.

Guess fairness is expensive—even for family dynamics!

This kid is definitely getting the short end of the stick.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check out what happened when a family gave their in-laws a free place to stay in exchange for babysitting, but things changed when they don’t hold up their end of the bargain.