Balancing family events with daily responsibilities can be exhausting.

In this story, a woman didn’t want to attend her sister’s birthday dinner because of timing and logistics.

She thought it was impractical to drive for an hour, drove to and from town twice, and even went to a place where there was no available food for her child.

Her choice sparked a disagreement over what the family should prioritize.

Read the full story below for all the details.

WIBTAH if I didn’t go to my sisters birthday dinner

My sister is having a birthday dinner with our family at a restaurant.

I do not want to go for a number of reasons.

None of the reasons are personal to my sister or her birthday in any way.

So, tell me if I am being ridiculous..

This woman thought it would require too much effort to attend her sister’s birthday dinner.

The dinner is one hour after I get off work. It is about 10 minutes away from my office.

When I get off, I have to drive 25 minutes across town to pick up my child.

Then I have another 10-minute drive home. I have to get us both changed and ready to go.

Then I have to drive 30 minutes back to the complete opposite side of town.

That is the same area I already drove to and from for work. Gas is not cheap.

She had other reasons why she wasn’t excited about it.

Another thing is I do not like the restaurant. Frankly, I do not like the kind of food at all.

My very young, picky eating, food-allergy-ridden child will absolutely not eat anything at this restaurant either.

We would just be there to be there. After dinner and the 30-minute drive back home, it will be past bedtime.

I can try to work remotely from home on this day. That way, I am not doubling my drives.

I would only have to make the drive across town once.

She doesn’t want to be selfish, so she’s asking for advice.

But there is still the issue of time. There is also the issue of not even liking the food.

There is also the issue of being out past bedtime.

I do not want to be selfish or petty. I am also a recovering people pleaser.

I need help sometimes. Thanks.

For some people, attending a birthday party is more than just showing up. It entails a lot of planning, traveling, and moving things around.

I understand why OP wasn’t too fond of attending. It honestly sounds more stressful than enjoyable, especially with a child involved.

I think with proper communication, it’s okay to skip a family event when it just doesn’t make sense.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a person who abandoned their own D&D campaign when their friends stopped paying attention.

Let’s see how others reacted to this story.

This user shares their personal thoughts.

This one calls out OP.

Here’s an idea…

Here’a another suggestion.

And lastly, this person makes a valid point.

Saying no may mean saving more gas, time, and sanity than saying yes ever could.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a man whose friends say he’s privileged for wanting to eat at nicer restaurants.