Zinnia, a 15-year-old girl, has been tasked with babysitting her younger brother, Cameron, since he was 6 months old. This responsibility has caused her resentment as it interferes with her social life and academic pursuits. Given a similar experience, the questioner feels compelled to address the situation with Zinnia's parents. It is important for them to understand the burden on Zinnia and explore ways to reduce her babysitting responsibilities to ensure a balance in her life between family support and personal development.
It's not merely appropriate for you to say something to Zinnia's parents, it's critical. While it's very common for parents to look to their eldest daughters for support caring for younger children, you don't need me to tell you how unfair and burdensome that can be.
Your brother likely has no concept of how difficult it was for you to care for him when you were young. He's clearly assumed that this dynamic is appropriate.
Urge them to lessen Zinnia's load. If they are leaning on her for financial reasons, be empathetic, but encourage them to try and reduce their reliance on Zinnia as much as they can.
It's OK for her to do a little bit of babysitting, but it should have no impact on her studies and little impact on her ability to socialize.
Collection
[
|
...
]