Sisters children and step child and our holiday

But that's not your responsibility - if your sister says you take all or none of them, she's making the decision that your nieces are missing out.

Isn’t this so typical ! The person with the childcare issue is the poor child’s father. Not you, not your sister .. her father !!
How much angst and worry has he put into this dilemma ?? Fuck all I suspect .. just copped out with ‘I have to work’ .. seriously @FallingDream you need to tell your sister to grow a fucking backbone . His kid .. his problem. Either he speaks to his own parents or his ex PIL and sorts it. Or HE takes the time off work and looks after her. Btw No I don’t think you should dump the plan for your sisters teenage kids . Sounds fun for all concerned.
Btw .. how well does your sisters step child know your parents ??

Her mum is on holiday and this is her dad’s time

There’s your answer OP.

It certainly dosnt help the poor 7 year old. I'm sure its because she isn't blood rather than she is 7 that you dont want to take her.

The girl being a stepchild is not a red herring, it is the primary reason OP should have nothing to do with this. Taking a completely unrelated child whose mother you don’t even know abroad with you would be madness. What happens if she is ill or injured? If she needs medical attention in the other country? If anything else happens to her? I would absolutely not be making myself liable like this.

I’d say no to all of them. Your sister is prioritising her boyfriend and his poor planning over her own children which is unfortunate but not your problem.

As the parent of a 7yr old, there’s no way I would be happy with her spending a week in a foreign country with people she barely knew, and she would also refuse to go.

My parents have offered to take her and her brother away for a few days next summer and my DH isn’t comfortable with this despite them seeing my parents weekly and them having had sleepovers there on the regular since 6months old

Has the Dad not got any relatives that can help? Seems a bit odd to send his DD away with someone she barely knows.

Honestly OP just say you’re happy to take your two nieces as they’re older but not the 7 year old as she’s too young, needs looking after and you all want to relax

Even if it bothers you, you don’t need to bring into it that she is a step niece. If both the parents weren’t working and/or the 7 year old was a blood relation and her 2 parents asked you to take her with on your holiday you’d not want to as you don’t want to have to look after a young child so just stick with that as the reason

Will the country you're visiting allow her entry without one of her parents?

Why isn't she spending the time with her father? He can't expect other people to mind his child when he's away.

Nah no nope. No good deed goes unpunished. I’m sorry but in what world is it ok that the dad is working away and the child is being passed around. She’s not your responsibility and I appreciate “it takes a village” to raise a child but what about the added financial burden and supervision. No just no. IMO stick to your plans if your parents are desperate to see that side of the family they should arrange something at another time. Sister is wanting a break by the sounds of it. I wouldn’t take any of the nieces. No negativity here but have your family holiday and leave it at that.

Another shitty Dad who expects his new wife, or wife’s kid, or wife’s sister to prioritise looking after HIS child so he can do whatever the fuck he wants 🙄

Maybe saying you won't take any would be better all round. Stick to the holiday you had planned. If you only say no to the youngest your sister may end up keeping the older ones home anyway to help with the 7yo.

This is the dad's problem to solve.

He needs to arrange childcare if his new domestic support human can't look after his child that week.

Don't take any of her children. Be difficult to leave one behind. It will cause trouble or just don't go.

No, no and again for those at the back, NO! Piss poor planning by the 7yr old's father is not your problem to solve OP. As pp have said, what if there is a medical emergency involving parental decisions? You'll need letters of authority to leave/enter the country. DSis and her partner are well into CF territory. It'll completely change the dynamic too.

YANBU.

Again, poor stepchild.

So what would the niece be doing if you weren’t going to see your parents? If you were all stoping in then for half term, you’d hardly be expected to have your 7 year old niece then - and your Sister or her husband or niece’s Mum would have to sort something. It will completely change your holiday to have a 7 year old and you will have to enter her as the older ones will want to spend the time together and with GPs. As other have said, it’s the age that is the issue - your husband doesn't want to take her so won’t help- it will all be you - and it’s not your problem to solve.
Niece may have two sets of GPs of her own in the uk who may be happy to help - has that been explored?

Why can’t your sisters kids look after their step sister during the school holidays at home? That surely solves childcare. 15 is old enough I’d say.

If your parents are desperate to see their HC why can’t your sister use her annual leave to take them? Or put them on a plane - they’re 15 and 13 and capable of flying assuming it’s not somewhere remote with multiple changes

I think you shouldn't take any of your sisters children. Its not fair to the SD, even though you have made it clear she is not your family.
If your parents are so desperate to see thier grand children then your sis should make arrangements to take them her self when her DH is home and he can look after he's daughter. I feel really sorry for the unloved SD. Its so horrible.

I'd say no to all of the kids. You have two of your own, you don't need another 3. Even the teenagers need looking after (or at least watching over) to some extent when abroad. I wouldn't be able to relax with other people's children, no way. If they want their children to go, one of them MUST go along with you.

EDIT: If their teens are so independent as to not cause you any trouble while you're away, they can fly alone? Surely.

You could simply say 'Your two older children are welcome to join us but we can't take little Daisy; she is very young and doesn't know us or our our parents well enough for such a long trip away from home. In time hopefully this can happen, but we're not there yet'. Then refuse to discuss it.
Your sister may prefer to keep the teens at home, to help with childcare!

leave the child and take the nieces, they may like a break from her on holiday. Do they end up having to look after her when she's at theirs for the week?