Kid Gets Herself Banned From Future Trips With Aunt And Uncle, Her Mom Throws A Fit

Quality family time for kids doesn’t only mean time with parents. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins – they’re all important, so it’s great if the little ones get to spend time with different family members.

This redditor wanted to make sure that she and her husband spend plenty of quality time with their nieces and nephews. That’s why she took her brother’s and her sister’s kids on an overnight trip, to see if they were ready for longer trips away from their parents. And while the brother’s kids showed that they were, for the OP’s sister’s child, it likely was the last outing with aunt and uncle for a while.

How close or distant one is with their aunts and uncles—or any other relative, for that matter—depends on numerous factors. However, one that plays a rather significant role is the relationship between the aunts and uncles and their siblings.

Studies suggest that when adult siblings have a close relationship, they are more likely to have a close relationship with each other’s children, too. And it’s not difficult to see why: when a parent has a good relationship with their sibling(s), they set a good example for forming and maintaining family connections. In addition to that, a close sibling bond often also means the family spending time together, which is a key element in most relationships.

Writing for Psychology Today, Professor Emeritus of Family Relations at the University of Maine and author of The Forgotten Kin: Aunts and Uncles, Dr. Robert Milardo noted that the relationship between adults and their siblings’ children changes and adapts, depending on the children’s age and the needs of their parents. During infancy and early childhood, for instance, they might help out more by providing child care, while during the adolescent years, they can ease or mediate conflicts between the youngsters and their parents, provide much-needed support, or serve as “testing grounds for the identity development” of their nieces and nephews.

Bearing in mind the significant roles aunts and uncles play when they maintain a close relationship with their siblings, it’s evident that the time they spend with their nieces and nephews is extremely important, too. Even more so if it becomes a ritual of some sort, be it an ice cream date every other Sunday or a weekend getaway every summer. Studies suggest that family rituals and routines can have a positive impact on adults’ marital satisfaction, adolescents' sense of personal identity, children's health, academic achievement, and stronger family relationships.

However, for the OP, creating a ritual with all of her siblings’ kids wasn’t an easy task. She found it difficult to deal with her 10-year-old niece’s outbursts and difficult behavior, so she set a clear boundary, which her sister wasn’t too happy about. After reading her story, some netizens sided with the redditor, saying that her refusing to take her niece on trips didn’t make her a jerk. Others, however, shared a different opinion.