Being part of a family means you are not alone, and you have people to lean on. When you have a good relationship with other family members, they’ll be one of your constants in life. You’ll cry, laugh, and celebrate important events, and holidays together. They’ll be the first people you’ll think of when you need help with something, but remember to be there for them as well. However, reaching out a helping hand is a case-by-case situation. You need to be considerate when they can’t do every favor you ask of them. Family members have lives of their own — they deal with various issues and also follow a schedule. Unlearn the behavior of an entitled person for yourself and those around you.

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Apart from that, it’s never alright to pass parental responsibility to other family members. It only applies in situations wherein both parents are unavailable or incapable of caring for their children. Poopooplatta69’s cousin failed to understand that — thinking that his relatives have the “obligation” to always follow his requests. The OP couldn’t stand such a mindset and had to be the bad cop. He was just doing his part as a family member and an older cousin — looking out for their wrongs and helping them make them right.

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“I (41m) had an argument with my cousin (28m) concerning his expectations concerning free babysitting and getting regular time off from parenting,” OP said. “He believes that family should provide free babysitting and that he and his wife should get at least one day off a week.” The cousin was indeed asking for an unreasonable favor because they were overwhelmed with parenting duties. They would ask every relative, including grandparents, to babysit their five-year-old twins, regardless of their schedules. It’s as if the couple were the only ones who can relax on weekends. OP also mentioned that it was difficult to babysit the twins, but both parents still expect gentle disciplinary methods.

There’s no problem with babysitting, the parents themselves are causing some frustration. The couple would even complain if a relative was unavailable during the weekend. “We were at a gathering, and he asked me, and I said no because I had plans and I wanted to relax that weekend. They whined and asked why,” OP shared. “I told them that they're entitled for expecting free labour and for expecting so many breaks from doing what they signed up for.” Poopooplatta69 certainly has a point because, before becoming parents, they were already aware of the responsibilities that come along with it. They should know that there’s no “day off” or “leave” when it comes to being a mother or a father.

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Although they have the right to rest once in a while, it’s still unnecessary to deprive someone else of that choice. Redditors couldn’t help but write down their thoughts about the entitled couple. “NTA. As a parent who has had less than three dates this year, all where we paid people or went during school, nope. It's NICE if people will watch your kids for you, but no one is entitled to someone else's time or efforts,” crystallz2000 commented. Offering help should be voluntary, and don’t forget to appreciate whatever aid a family member can offer. Aside from appreciation, the couple is disrespectful of other people’s time, like they don’t have lives outside of the family.

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TwstdSista wrote, “NTA. It is not your job the babysit his kids. You are allowed to say no - and "no" is a complete sentence. Don't give an excuse, just repeat no. They have no right to ask why.” Even those who share the same blood have boundaries — OP’s cousin must understand that to also set an example to his kids. If the couple really believes that they are entitled to that “once-a-week rest,” then they may have to hire an actual babysitter.

They need to find someone who babysits for a living so that they won’t have to whine whenever someone in the family draws the line. However, both still need to accept that parenting is a 24/7 duty — once you have kids, they must be at the top of your priority list. OP’s situation has started an engaging discussion in the comment section. You might want to join the conversation, too.