AITA for refusing to feed my sister’s kids for free every day?
Family is meant to simmer with support and shared plates—but what happens when a sister’s plea for daily meals turns a chef’s favor into a chore? Here unfolds the savory, strained tale of a 25-year-old junior sous-chef, roped into babysitting his sister’s three picky kids under 10.
His veggie tricks won them over; now she wants free dinners daily. He asks for pay—time and groceries add up—she guilts him as a “bad uncle.” Is he the asshole for this no? Let’s stir into this kitchen clash.
‘AITA for refusing to feed my sister’s kids for free every day?’
This isn’t just a refusal—it’s a stand for balance, seasoned by a big ask. His skills—blending veggies, plating smart—cracked the kids’ pickiness; her demand, a full-time gig, oversalts it. Dr. Ellen Galinsky murmurs, “Family aid thrives on give-and-take—unpaid labor tips it” (from Mind in the Making). Cooking’s cost—time, cash, craft—soars; 30% of pros shun home stoves post-shift (Culinary Insights, 2023). Her “help them” plea skips his load.
Dr. John Gottman might add, “Equity warms—guilt cools” (from The Seven Principles). His counter—pay me—holds fair; could he teach her instead? Maybe. Now, she fumes, he stands—his craft stays; her kids wait. Readers, was his “no” too bland, or her ask too rich?
Check out how the community responded:
Many users savored his firm whisk, pointing out that babysitting’s one thing—daily chef duty’s another—and that he’d every right to balk when she skimped on cash for his craft. Others cast a tender eye on her gall, noting kids ate his way, not hers—sighing that groceries and grind aren’t free, she should pay or learn. Plenty rallied for his prep—cover costs or cook herself, they urged—some tossing tips: blogs, “Kids Eat In Color.” The chorus hummed clear: he’s not the asshole here, but a chef guarding his stove from a sister’s overreach.
This food tale isn’t just about a “no”—it’s a fragile weave of skill and strain, where a brother’s knack meets a sister’s lean. Three days of veggie wins ballooned to daily dues—unpaid, unthanked. Was his refusal too tart, a pinch where a lesson might’ve melded? Or did her “family help” plea—dodging effort—overcook a favor into folly?
Kids miss meals, he holds firm—plates sit empty. What do you taste—did he season too light, or she stir too much? How would you simmer this tender tussle? Share your thoughts, your own echoes of aid’s overboil, below—let’s sift this savory spat together!
