Canva

Helping family can be tough when it means giving up a routine that protects your health.

This woman’s sister needs her to drive a bullied 10-year-old to a new school every morning.

Instead of respecting her mental health classes, the sister claims they matter less because she doesn’t have children.

Now one person’s emergency is becoming another person’s daily job.

AITAH for not changing my class schedule so I can get my niece to school in the mornings?

My sister wants to send her daughter (f10) to a different school because of bullying.

The only other school that is an option is quite a bit further away.

They’ve run into a timing issue because neither of them can drive her to school because they have to be at work, but they also can’t drive her earlier because the school doesn’t allow kids on the property before 7:15.

Since the school is so much further away she couldn’t take the school bus and there aren’t any other kids around where they live that go to that school so she can’t get a ride with someone else.

So basically I’m their last resort.

But this would be a significant interruption to her life.

However, I have classes in the mornings.

Now these aren’t college classes they are more like wellness classes that help me with my mental health because I have anxiety and depression.

Right now I really don’t want to mess with a routine that is working for me, but I do technically have the option to take these classes in the evenings.

However, I really am just not a night person and I feel like the morning classes help me feel better and more productive for the rest of the day.

Which helps a lot because I work form home on my own schedule.

I don’t think the evening classes would do as much for me because by then I would only have a couple hours before I go to sleep and I’m not much a night person in the first place.

So, what takes priority?

My sister is less than sympathetic because she doesn’t think I need these classes at all because I don’t have kids and my work is easy compared to hers.

So in her mind I don’t have reason to have anxiety or depression while her daughter obviously does and I technically have the ability to help her with that.

As someone who’s had decades of mental health struggles, I’ve tried explaining to my brain it doesn’t have a reason to feel this way.

Hasn’t worked.

I should probably also add that taking my niece to school also makes me feel iffy because of how crowded and noisy it will be an I worry that it will make me on edge for the rest of the day.

People responded in the comments:

Never Miss a Story

Sign up to get our BEST stories of the week straight to your inbox.

Remember, “no” is a full sentence.

Something’s gotta give – that doesn’t mean it has to be you.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a mom who thinks her daughter should have planned a whole two-week vacation around her needs.

These are arguments there’s just no point miring yourself in.

This woman isn’t wrong for keeping morning classes that help manage her anxiety and depression.

Her niece needs safe transportation, but her parents can’t dismiss someone else’s health and expect her to become their permanent driver.

Being the last option doesn’t make her the automatic option.

Add TwistedSifter to your Google News Add us as a preferred source on Google

Author

Chris Allen