A Toast to Family Double Standards: Drunken Adventures in Babysitting
Gather ’round, dear readers, because today we’re diving into a whirlwind of family drama and drunken escapades. Inspired by a real Reddit post from a 17-year-old heroine of the night, this story has everything: alcohol, rural German fields, and a boatload of hypocrisy. Let’s see if our young protagonist is the villain in this tale.
The Scene: Family Reunion in the German Countryside
Picture this: A sprawling house in some sleepy village in Germany, surrounded by fields that stretch till forever. It’s an annual family reunion where everyone, including the dog, gets together to celebrate… well, just being a wild and chaotic clan. Cue the adults getting sloshed while the youngest attendee acts as the babysitter. It’s been the tradition for years.
The Young Guardian: Growing Pains at 17
Meet our protagonist. She’s 17, responsible (usually), and looking forward to this year’s reunion for one specific reason: it’s finally her turn to join the drinking festivities. After years of being the unofficial babysitter for her cousins aged 3 to 13, she thought she’d finally graduated from juvenile duty to join the ‘boozy adults club’.
But wait, a curveball! Despite the anticipation, a gang of extended family members swoops in and declares, “No drinks for you.” She isn’t babysitting that evening, wasn’t asked to, and figured, “Why the heck not?” and helped herself to some drinks. And here’s where the plot thickens just like your drunk uncle’s speech – the kids come looking for her because their tipsy parents sent them over.
The Family: A Cauldron of Hypocrisy
Our highly responsible 17-year-old stumbles back with the kids, only to get a tongue-lashing from her perplexed, moderately inebriated family members for being drunk ‘around their precious children’. This is particularly rich considering these kids have seen enough adult drunken debauchery to write a tell-all memoir. And here’s a kicker for you: the same family members who berated her have given alcohol to a 13-year-old cousin so the 14-year-old sister can babysit. Fascinating, isn’t it?
The Fallout: A Storm in a Boozy Teacup
As dawn breaks, so does the family’s collective hangover and sense of moral superiority. The narrative twists into accusations of neglect, potential lost children in fields, and keeping our heroine away from the kids for the rest of the reunion. The babysitting baton is now passed to a 14-year-old and a very, um, sophisticated 13-year-old cousin. Our protagonist is left feeling vilified and confused, pondering the cosmic fairness of it all.
Roger’s Witty Verdict: When Double Standards Collide
And so, dear reader, it’s time for ol’ Roger to sprinkle some commentary on this merry-go-round of madness. Here’s a hot take that’s crisper than the German countryside air:
First things first, let’s recognize the lunacy here. The extended family’s approach to responsible drinking is about as steady as a Jenga tower on a trampoline. Our protagonist isn’t the asshole. Why, you ask? Because if you’re going to set rules, make sure they apply evenly. Telling someone they can’t drink at 17 while their younger cousin’s got a glass in hand just screams, “We have no idea what we’re doing.” Ah, family – it’s like watching a soap opera on an endless loop.
Responsibility is a beautiful thing, folks. But handing it out like random playing cards in Uno leaves everyone confused and more than a little frustrated. Our young heroine did what any reasonably rebellious teenager would do when faced with arbitrary rules: she got herself a drink. Was it smart? Maybe not. But was it utterly justified given the circumstances? Absolutely.
Here’s the memo, family members: next year, why not try being sober enough to look after your own children? Or invest in a professional babysitter who doesn’t have to play by your laughably inconsistent rules. Our protagonist is entitled to her adolescent rebellion – especially when the only adults in the room are acting like anything but. Cheers to her for navigating the messy labyrinth of family expectations and flawed logic with a drink in hand.
So there you have it, folks. A night of unnecessary drama over some well-deserved tousling of the rules. Let’s raise a glass (responsibly) to calling it like it is and recognizing that sometimes, it’s the system, not the individual, that’s the real mess.
Original story
I (17F) am on holiday at a family reunion. Every year we rent out a big house as a whole family.
We are currently in a rural town in Germany so the house is connected to feilds.
So obviously you don’t want my cousins 3-13 to get lost. Ever since I was 12 I’ve been in charge of looking after my cousins in the night at family reunions because I’m the most responsible and all the adults get wasted so I’m in charge of keeping them safe.
I had older cousins who were 13-17 but I was the most responsible.
Usually there’s a tradition in my family that once you’re 17 you get to join the family in getting drunk. All my older cousins got the opportunity to.
I’m now 17 so I assumed I’d be allowed to join the adults but no yesterday I was told not to drink by my family (not my parents but my extended family?).
I wasn’t babysitting at the time and never agreed to babysit. So I took some anyway and got drunk on my own.
Then my cousins come to be asking to play with me and I said go back to your parents together. They said they told them to come be with me I said I’m not well go back to them.
So I go back with them. The family then see I’m drunk and get pissed off im drunk around their kids.
(I was not acting in any erratic way and they have seen several drunk people before including my older cousins)
This morning they were saying I neglected them and they could’ve ran off into the feilds and stuff. So today they have been keeping the kids away from me even though I’m sober now obviously but they are keeping me away from them and saying that my 14 year old sister and 13 year old cousin are now responsible for them because I can’t be trusted.
But I come to find out that my 13 year old cousin has been GIVEN ALCOHOL. BY THOSE EXACT SAME FAMILY MEMBERS.
Because my sister doesn’t drink so she can look after them for tonight. I feel like the whole family hate me but idk.
Maybe I might be the asshole because I knew they usually make me babysit but got drunk anyway. Am I The Asshole?
TL;DR I’m usually expected to babysit my cousins but wasn’t asked so just got drunk but it turned out I was expected to babysit.