Being an uncle or an aunt is the best. You get to do all the fun without the responsibility of raising the kids. On a popular Reddit thread on the Am I the A**hole Subreddit, one aunt learns her sister may not be disciplining her child. Here's her story...
AITA for using a spray bottle to train my nephew
My nephew is a rainbow baby. My sister had a lot of trouble conceiving, and he was a miracle. She was 42 when she finally managed to give birth. She was on bed rest for the last three months of her pregnancy.
My nephew is now six, and while I love him, he is a monster. He throws tantrums when things don't go his way. He screams if he loses playing a game. He refuses to understand why he can't ride my seven-year-old St Bernard.
And he thinks any food is his. My husband is diabetic, and he loves cookies. I found a bakery that makes terrific sugar-free cookies but is expensive. I budget for them because my husband deserves his treats when he gets home from work.
My sister was visiting, and my nephew was running around like a squirrel. He tripped and started crying, so my sister picked him up. He saw the cookie container on the counter and started asking for some. I said no, that they were special cookies for his uncle.
I offered him a regular cookie or some fruit, but he got all upset that he was being denied. My sister asked if he could please have a cookie. I relented and gave him one. He took a bite, said it was yucky, and threw it on the ground. I was a little upset.
A little while later, he came back and asked for another cookie. I said no. My sister said to give him one. I told her no, and he wasted the last one. He started screaming that he wanted a cookie. I stood my ground. He eventually went away.
The next time he came, he didn't ask. He just went for the container. I grabbed the spray bottle I used to keep the cat off the counter. I gave him a couple of squirts and said, 'NO.' He got startled and ran away. My sister said her son isn't an animal to be reprimanded with water. The next time he entered the kitchen, I put my hand on the spray bottle. He didn't even look at the counter, and he went away.
My sister called my parents to tell me to treat her kid like that. They are mad at me for not giving in to the poor baby.
NTA (Not the A**hole).
Does the spray bottle work on your sister
It's not the kid's fault; it's the mother's. So when she fails to discipline him, grab the spray bottle and squirt her until she controls her kid. NTA.
NTA. If mom doesn't do the hard work of parenting, then you're left to your own devices. That message seemed to get through. I suspect it was a more knee-jerk reaction rather than your best 'parenting,' so I wouldn't repeat it, but that kid needs to learn about boundaries.