It’s one thing to babysit your relatives’ kids for a weekend, but it’s another when you’re treated like a child yourself and not in the fun way.
This woman, 19 years old, agreed to watch her nieces and nephews while the adults in her family enjoyed their vacation weekend together. Though she didn’t mind helping out, she was taken aback when she wasn’t given pocket money like the kids were.
After all, she was told she was a “kid” too, so why shouldn’t she get the same treatment? She politely asked her uncles and aunt-in-laws for the money, but her request quickly led to an uncomfortable exchange.
Now, her parents are upset, calling her out for embarrassing them and for “losing face” in front of the family. Is she wrong for asking for the same treatment, or did her family miss the point?
A 19-year-old babysits her cousins during a family trip, but is left out of pocket money
Money often carries meaning beyond its face value. It’s not just cash, it’s symbolism, expectations, and the way families communicate value and appreciation. Even small sums can become emotionally charged when tied to social roles and who deserves recognition in a family setting.
In this situation, the OP wasn’t asking for a large payment or trying to claim entitlement to adult income. She had already spent a whole weekend caring for five children during her extended family’s visit, essentially acting as an unpaid helper who kept kids entertained, safe on outings, and out of trouble.
When adults were departing and handing out pocket money to each child, she was pointedly left out simply because she was older than the kids but not yet financially independent. That exclusion stung because her role over the weekend was equal to and in some ways harder than what the younger children did.
Her casual reminder that she “was a kid too” was her way of calling out the awkward contradiction between how others treated her and the expectations they had placed on her presence. Getting some pocket money acknowledged her contribution in a way that speech alone arguably didn’t.
Different cultures and families have vastly different norms about giving money during gatherings.
In some Asian traditions, for example, “lucky money” given to children at holidays like Tết carries symbolic meaning related to blessings and good fortune rather than transactional value. It’s meant to connect generations and pass on well‑wishes, not treat money as a wage or literal paycheck.
However, the practice doesn’t have a rigid rule about who should be included or excluded, often it’s decided on relationships, age, tradition, and family expectations.
In many families, once a child reaches adulthood or has financial independence, they are no longer considered part of the “pocket money” group. But that social rule isn’t universal across households and it becomes especially murky when the adult is asked to play an active caregiving role during a family event.
What made this situation more complicated isn’t just the money. It’s the mixed messaging the OP experienced:
- She was assigned to the “kids’ group”, essentially expected to babysit.
- She contributed effort and responsibility comparable to what younger relatives did.
- She was excluded from the symbolic gesture of appreciation that the children received.
Families often use “pocket money” or gifts as a way to honor contribution and connection. The OP’s choice to ask politely for a share wasn’t about greed, it was a request for acknowledgment.
She didn’t demand big sums, only the same kind of small gesture given to the children she had looked after. Even though the tradition doesn’t formally include adults, it wasn’t unreasonable for her to seek a bit of recognition for her labor and presence.
The uncomfortable reactions from her parents reflect social expectations, not objective logic. Some families operate on unspoken rules about adulthood and roles but those rules aren’t universally fair or clearly defined.
The OP’s discomfort is valid, and asking for recognition of contribution isn’t inherently wrong. What matters most and what often gets lost in these situations is communication about expectations, not assumption.
Check out how the community responded:
These users agreed that OP’s family manipulated them by switching between treating them as a child and adult depending on what was convenient for the family
This group celebrated OP’s “boss move” and acknowledged how the family unfairly expected free labor while treating OP like a child
These commenters supported OP for pointing out the family’s double standards and suggested that OP’s actions were well-deserved and clever
These users empathized with OP, relating their own experiences with unfair treatment based on age and celebrating OP’s ability to call out the hypocrisy
This group took a more nuanced stance, acknowledging that both sides contributed to the tension, but still supporting OP’s right to assert themselves
These commenters praised OP for their clever way of highlighting the absurdity of being treated as both a child and an adult, and supported their decision
![[Reddit User] − NTA. Perhaps you should let your parents in on the age old saying: play stupid games win stupid prizes.](https://dailyhighlight.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/wp-editor-1770091359503-62.webp "Woman Got Pocket Money For Babysitting Her Nephews... And Her Parents Are Fuming")
What could have been a simple act of asking for fairness turned into a full-blown family drama. Many readers supported the woman’s request, seeing it as a necessary response to years of being manipulated into roles that didn’t serve her.
Do you think the woman was justified in asking for pocket money, or did she go too far in calling out her family? Should the “cool aunt” role come with benefits, or is it an unpaid, voluntary position? Share your thoughts below.
