Auntie Drama: When the ‘Nibblings’ Are From Different Branches of The Family Tree
Buckle up, buttercups! This tale, plucked straight from the deepest trenches of Reddit’s “Am I the Asshole?” community, is a rollercoaster of familial twists, turns, and all the sass one can muster. Picture this: a coffee klatsch with a gaggle of moms—plus one honorary auntie, our story’s protagonist—turns into a case study of who loves whose kids and why. Grab your popcorn, because we’re about to stir the family pot!
The Cast of Characters
Meet our leading lady—a devoted aunt who, despite being childless, dives headfirst into the whirling world of toddler ballet recitals and mommy playdates. Her brother’s kiddos, whom she affectionally calls “niblings” (uncle or aunt lingo for nieces and nephews), are her absolute joy. But throw in her Sister-in-Law (SIL), lovingly nuanced as *highly sensitive*, and the stage is set for some jaw-dropping drama.
The Scene
Last weekend was no ordinary weekend. Our protagonist joined her SIL and three other dance mommies for coffee. Now imagine this cozy scene: frothy lattés in hand, they chitchat away when one mom, let’s call her Olivia, throws in a knowing curveball. She recaps a Reddit story where a widow bans her kids’ aunt from seeing the kiddos because the aunt isn’t willing to bond with the widow’s new spouse’s offspring. Pass the teapot, honey. Things are about to get spicy.
The Gauntlet Thrown
So Olivia looks our leading lady in the eye and asks for her opinion. And darling, she doesn’t hold back. She begins with a preemptive “Sorry, not sorry”—no kids, no firsthand mom-experience, but she’s about to drop some truth bombs. She turned to her SIL and said, “In the not-really-hypothetical scenario where my brother is out of the picture, and you remarry and have more kids, those kids are not my niblings. They’re not my blood, and honey, I’m not obliged to love them.” Classic mic drop moment, except SIL’s face turned seven shades of steamed broccoli.
What’s Good for the Goose…
SIL, not willing to let this turn into a one-sided smackdown, shoots back, “But what if he remarries and has more kids?” Oh game on! Our auntie’s response? Crystal clear: “If they’re his kids, they’re my niblings. And if you’re asking whether your sisters would treat his second brood like royalty, let’s just say they couldn’t care less about the ones he already has.” Oof, if looks could kill, we’d be hosting a plot-driven drama series titled, “Buried by Family Feels.”
The Coffee Coven Weighs In
Not one to let things cool down, the supporting moms chimed in like it was free speech soapbox day at the park. All aligned with our protagonist—biological connection matters. Olivia shared that even her sister who, bless her heart, married a man with two kids rarely even sees those children. They’re hardly family in her eyes.
The Aftermath
Well, as you can imagine, the coffee buzz lingered, but the air thickened. SIL stewed in her irritation, marinating in the raw familial reality check like a spicy pickle. The vibe stayed icy for another hour, and our protagonist was left wondering, AITA? Do past actions and biological bonds really set the benchmark for who we call family?
Roger’s Grand Finale
Now, darlings, here’s Roger’s spicy take. Does family mean shared last names or shared DNA? Maybe neither. It’s about who shows up—whether it’s a dance recital, a detainment in the principal’s office, or decision-making over coffee with a straight face. So yes, you candid queen, in the land where honesty rules, you are NTA. But tread carefully, sometimes, even the clearest truth-speaking needs a drizzle of diplomacy.
Original story
Hi.
Last weekend we were having coffee with my SIL and 3 of the my nieces classmates moms. We are all kind of “friends”.
While I don’t have kids normally is me the one that take my niece to dance classes and her performance/presentation and all the dance related things while my SIL stay at home with my nephew because he is still a baby and is kind of disruptive in these situations (the dance teacher is really strict). One of my niece classmate (actually her BBF) goes to dance classes with her and that’s how I got close with that mom (lets calls her Laura) .
And even if we are not like close friends we hang out some times and when the 4 moms reunite they includes me or invites me.
While we were having coffee one of the moms (let call her Olivia) actually mentioned a story she read on reddit about how a widow doesn’t allow her kids aunt (the dead husbands sister) to see the kids because she doesn’t treat the kids of her new marriage the same way. And she asked me as an aunt my opinion.
Well the first thing I says was please to apologize me because as I am not a mom I cant sympathize at all with the mom of the story but that I feel really sorry for that aunt because the other kids are not her family. Then I say lets put an example if my brother and SIL get a divorce or my brother die, in that moment my SIL put a face like OMG!
!!
(here I can also be TA) and look directly at my SIL and says: I know you tents to misunderstood words so I am NOT saying I want or wish that to happens I am just setting an example. The other mom (Nella) laugh and says something like: We know how she is don’t worries this is just an example.
Then I continue saying that in a case like that if she remarries and have more kids then they wont be my problem at all and is not my responsibility at all to take care of them or provide for them or love them. Because my niblings are my niblings because they are my brother kids not hers.
Then my SIL ask me with a strait face: If its the opposite? Well if my brother have kids with another woman they are my brother kids they will be my niblings.
So of course I will treat them like that. And I asked her: Like you mentioned if its the opposite do you expect your 3 sisters to love or provide or whatever for the kids my brother has with another woman?
If looks could k*ll I would be in funeral right now. Since my SIL sisters don’t even care for my niblings right now.
And then all the other 3 moms agree with me Olivia even says that her sister is married with a man with 2 kids and since in 5 years she had only met them like twice a year she doesn’t even consider them niblings. And we just stayed for like an extra hour.
But the rest of the time you could see my SIL was upset.
So AITA?
Edit: Grammar