AITA for refusing to share a room with a 1yr old, twin 2yr olds and a 4yr old?

An 18-year-old Reddit user was invited to their aunt and uncle’s ranch for a 4th of July celebration and brought a friend along. They were unexpectedly assigned to share a bunk room with four young children under 5, all notorious for not sleeping through the night, while the kids’ parents and other adults had private rooms.

When the user refused and opted to sleep on the couch instead, the children’s mother reacted angrily, escalating the situation. The user ultimately left with their friend, taking a boat they had brought, causing further backlash from family members. Read the full story below to see how it unfolded.

‘ AITA for refusing to share a room with a 1yr old, twin 2yr olds and a 4yr old?’

So I F(18) was recently invited up to my aunt and uncle’s (I’ll call them aunt and uncle B) ranch house for the 4th of July, and told I could bring a friend. Now, this aunt and uncle have a pretty big house. Their ranch house has four bedrooms with queen beds, the master bedroom,

and the “kids room” which is a massive room with about ~6 beds (some bunked), and a loft. They’ve got a lot of land around the house too, so I was excited to get some time to goof off and run around with my friend (also F18). I know that other cousins are going to be there, and assume that my aunt B and uncle B thought beds through and everything like that.

The other people invited up to the house were Aunt G and Uncle G and their son M16 who I’ll call F, my Uncle P, and my Aunt and Uncle H. H’s are baby cannons. They have four kids under the age of 5, none of whom sleep through the night (I’ve been to their house before, it’s horrible).

Anyway, my friend and I get up to the house and learn that WE are expected to share the big bunk room with the kids under five, while their parents get their own room. Uncle P, cousin F, and Aunt and Uncle G, are also in their own rooms (G’s shared one).

I was upset. But, wanting to stay up there, I said okay, my friend and I can sleep on the couch.. Cue a MASSIVE explosion. The baby cannons are pissed that I don’t want to sleep in the same room as their children. Their kids are horrible at night, and someone needs to watch them, so it should be me and my friend because I got to invite a friend.

I said that if they wanted someone to, cousin F could, but cousin F apparently needed his sleep because he’s a “growing boy” and he “doesn’t know how to take care of kids”. None of the other people in the house wanted to get involved. The aunt and uncle who own the house didn’t care much and just told us to figure it out.

So I ignore the baby cannons and set up on the couch with my friend. Cue the baby cannons mother. She throws all of our stuff off of the couches and tells me and my friend that we HAVE to sleep with her kids or we can’t stay. At this point, I’m mortified by her behavior because I have a friend.

My friend is embarrassed and doesn’t know what to do.. So I tell them I’m leaving.. Cue more screaming. I drove up my father’s boat, if I leave, there’s nobody with a truck to drive the boat around, the world is ending. I say that either my friend and I are sleeping on the couch, without the small children, or we’re leaving.

Well, baby cannons weren’t okay with that. So, I packed up my stuff, reattached the trailer for the boat, and left. Now I’m getting texts from relatives that I was rude and could have handled it better, and that the baby cannons need a break from their kids and I’m young so I can be a nice family member and deal with it for them.. AITA here?

Here’s the comments of Reddit users:

MotherOfMoggies −  NTA. They should be sharing the room with their own children. They shouldn’t be expecting you and your friend (who is presumably a stranger to them) to do it.

GlitteringPatience −  **NTA** You Aunt and Uncle B invited you, they should have sorted out the room assignments, not left it to the baby cannons. Apparently they only invited you to get access to the boat.

She throws all of our stuff off of the couches and tells me and my friend that we HAVE to sleep with her kids or we can’t stay. And someone is seriously calling *you* rude? The hosts didn’t step up so you left. What do your parents say?

[Reddit User] −  NTA – they made gendered assumptions about your ability/interest in children and basically brought you as hired help. You disabused them of their mistaken beliefs.

sxmin −  NTA the baby cannons (haha) just wanted free childcare out of you. That’s not how the world works. Even if they are at this house on a vacation of sorts, they’re still parents, and still responsible for their children. I don’t blame you for leaving, especially because the baby cannons’ behavior got extremely out of hand. You offered other options, she wasn’t having it. Good on you for leaving!

CoastalCerulean −  NTA. That’s some sexist BS there. 🙄I have 4 kids. It took FOREVER to get them to sleep through the night. I also remember, all too well, how often my family and family friends took advantaged of me for free childcare as a teen.

With my own lived experiences with other people’s kids and with a lack of help with my own kids, it seems super clear to me that the baby cannons have been counting on using you to get a break from their kids. Your family was expecting you to take the hit for the peace of the aunts and uncles and are having a tantrum because they’re not getting free childcare.

Swedishpunsch −  NTA Congratulations, OP, on your shiny spine. You successfully out maneuvered a bait and switch perpetrated by your relatives. They thought that they were getting free babysitters and the free use of the boat. They assumed that you were young and naive enough not to protest. Hahahahahaha!

The babysitting wouldn’t have just been at night, either. I’m sure that they thought that they could stick you with the kiddies during the day, too. I also suspect that the others who told you to “figure it out,” or didn’t want “to get involved” knew exactly what was going on.

They told you to invite a friend knowing that two sitters were needed for their crew. These mooching relatives should have hired a professional nanny or babysitter if they wanted to relax on vacation, not try to force you and your friend to be their nursery maids.

MARIOOOOKART −  NTA Need a break from their kids???? Ok then set up a babysitter and go on a couples trip or something. It’s unfair to make your vacation hell because they want a relaxing vacation. You made the effort to sleep in another place in the house and they weren’t ok with that.

You suggested your other cousin but they made excuses and weren’t ok with that. The baby cannons or whatever you called them are completely in the wrong for trying to make you into a free childcare service. I understand needing a break from kids but that is not a fair way to do it.

Admirable-Resort −  NTA. It is ridiculous what was expected of you. Parents on vacation should care for their own children. Way to go holding your ground and not putting up with everyone’s crap. FYI – love the term ‘baby cannons’ 😜

ebwoods1 −  It’s pretty clear you and your friend were invited to be free babysitters. And provide a boat. I’m particularly fond of the expectation b/c you’re girls. The boy clearly can’t take care of the littles b/c he doesn’t know how (as if owning a uterus gives you magical powers in that department).

I need a break from my kids too but I’d never expect/demand my niece and nephews to take care of them at night. Good for you for standing up for yourself.. NTA

[Reddit User] −  Nta. They were trying to use you. And, worse, basically ignored the fact that you had a friend with you. Glad you took the boat and left.