It’s easy to want the best for the kids you care about, even when they’re not your own.

One man offered to help out with his niece and nephew, but when his brother’s secret trip made that choice feel more like enabling than helping, it left him wondering where to draw the line.

Read on for the whole story.

AITA for telling my brother to spend more time with his kids and less time doing things like taking his Yoga teacher to Japan?

My brother got divorced last year after having an affair with a coworker at his law firm.

I’m still friends with his ex, especially since she is the mother of my niece and nephew, my brother’s kids, who both mean a lot to me.

It was tough to pick up the pieces, but he did the best he could to help out.

The affair and divorce were rather rough on everyone, as could be imagined.

We all live in the same area.

But his brother appears to have no interest in cleaning up his act.

So a few days ago, he tells me that he is planning to take his yoga instructor on a trip to Japan.

But he is going to tell his kids that he will be on a work trip.

So of course, the responsibility to actually watch his kids fell elsewhere.

He asked me if I’d take his son to summer football practice, and of course I will. I like spending time with his kids (I don’t have my own).

So he decided to stand up to his brother.

But it irked me, and I told him he’s being kind of a bad dad.

Maybe he could spend more time with his kids over the summer rather than taking a trip with his latest fling.

Who then had some choice words to retaliate with.

He said that since I don’t have kids, I shouldn’t be telling him how to parent.

I don’t want to cause a rift between him and me, but I also think it’s okay to push back a bit when I think he is being too selfish—especially since he is asking me to cover for him.

AITA?

Parenting doesn’t stop just for a passing fling.

What did Reddit think?

This complicated situation requires a delicate dance.

Simply put: some people just aren’t meant to be parents.

It doesn’t seem like this dad is even trying to be a good person.

The optics of this really aren’t great.

He may not have had kids of his own, but that didn’t make his concern about his niece and nephew any less valid.

Ultimately, standing up for the kids felt more important than keeping the peace.

If you liked that story, read this one about grandparents who set up a college fund for their grandkid because his parents won’t, but then his parents want to use the money to cover sibling’s medical expenses.