I have a niece and nephew, aged under 3. My sister in law has a lot of friends, including her brother's girfriend. They are all younger than me and into different things - makeup, tv, clubbing etc. I think that's part of the problem, the age gap and different likes isolates me and I feel quite left out at times as this other girl, Aunty M, spends much more time with my niece and nephew than me, despite not being a blood relative. I feel like an outsider, even though it's my brother's kids and he and I are pretty close, he usually confides in me about things etc I don't see that much of the kids. Anyway, Aunty M... they have sleepovers at her house, she takes them to the mall, or to the playpark. My niece and nephew have never even set foot in my house, despite living 10 mins away and I've taken them to the park once their entire lives, and my mom came along too. I don't know if this is often the way with the paternal relations, the kids' mother's side of the family is more involved? I'm jealous of this girl, funny enough I'm not jealous of her boyfriend maybe because he's actually related. Every time I go to see the kids (I always have to make contact and ask to see them, I'm never invited over unless it's a special occasion) if she's there Aunty M is fussing over the kids and scooping them up like they belong to her whenever I arrive. I want to be there for these kids and have a good relationship with them but can't compete with Aunty M. I'm not really a kid person but try to have fun with the kids when I do see them and I worry they won't like me.
It's frustrating. She is also always posting pics and videos of the kids on FB, the sound of her squeaky voice as she baby-talks at them makes me want to hit something. She is always buying them gifts and I worry they will get spoiled and come to expect that kind of thing all the time. How do I become more integrated into my niece and nephew's life without resorting to constant gift-giving?
It's frustrating. She is also always posting pics and videos of the kids on FB, the sound of her squeaky voice as she baby-talks at them makes me want to hit something. She is always buying them gifts and I worry they will get spoiled and come to expect that kind of thing all the time. How do I become more integrated into my niece and nephew's life without resorting to constant gift-giving?
Most Helpful Opinions