AITA for refusing to cook for my family three nights a week unless my parents take kid bathroom duty off my chore list?

Imagine this: You’re a 16-year-old who actually enjoys cooking—yes, a rare species among teens. But instead of being celebrated, your love for the kitchen turns into a family-wide expectation. Now, they want you to take over three nights a week, but there’s a catch: You’re already stuck with the most nightmare-inducing chore imaginable—cleaning a sibling-infested bathroom straight out of a horror movie.

That’s exactly the predicament one Redditor found himself in. His parents, who despise cooking, saw his talent as a golden ticket to three nights off stove duty. But when he proposed a trade-off—no more bathroom duty in exchange for extra cooking—his parents shot him down. So, he put his foot down and refused. Now, the internet is debating: Is he justified in setting boundaries, or should he just suck it up?

‘AITA for refusing to cook for my family three nights a week unless my parents take kid bathroom duty off my chore list?’

On the surface, this situation might seem like just another sibling dispute. But it actually taps into a bigger issue—parentification. This happens when parents offload responsibilities onto one child while letting others off the hook, often under the excuse of “they won’t do it right.”

Dr. Joshua Coleman, a psychologist specializing in family dynamics, explains: “When parents unevenly distribute household responsibilities, it can breed resentment among siblings and lead to long-term issues with family relationships.”

And the imbalance here is glaring. OP’s sisters were excused from cooking just because they didn’t like it and weren’t good at it. But OP, who has a talent, is expected to shoulder even more work—without negotiation. Meanwhile, his siblings aren’t held accountable for basic hygiene, leaving OP to play janitor.

From a practical standpoint, family therapist Dr. Tina Payne Bryson suggests a structured approach: “Chores should be assigned fairly, and all children should be given the chance to develop skills—even if they struggle at first. Unequal distribution of labor can create unhealthy family dynamics.”

Here’s what people had to say to OP:

The Reddit peanut gallery did not hold back.Others raised concerns about the bathroom being a biohazard, with some even recommending getting a school counselor involved. “Take pictures and report it. That level of filth isn’t okay.”

Let’s be real—this isn’t just about cooking versus cleaning. It’s about fairness. If OP’s parents want him to take on more responsibility, they need to meet him halfway. Otherwise, they’re just reinforcing a system where responsibility is a punishment, not a shared effort.

So, what do you think? Should OP stand firm, or is there a middle ground? And if you were in his shoes, would you accidentally burn dinner as revenge? Let us know in the comments!