to ask how often do you look after your niece and nephews

[chocolatespongebob]

I am a sahm and for some reason this equates to free childcare for my niece and nephew.

Its usually most school holidays or whenever the kids have a inset day.

aibu to say no, they seem to think I do nothing all day I have a 2 year old and a 7 year old myself.

What irks me the most is the fact at family events they always bang on how I don't do anything yet when it suits they expect me to drop everything to watch their kids!

I don't do too much because my nephews are like wild animals and I just can't cope with it! Plus SIL does that whole 'watch them for an hour will you?' When really she means 3 hours. Very annoying. Then it takes me 3 hours to get the house back to normal after they have trashed the place. Honestly - I've got kids, but the level of mess achieved by these two makes it look like we have been burgled.

Tell them you've gotten an online job too busy mning
It's bad enough that they drop their kids on you as and when needed but saying you do nothing all day would be too far for me.

I'd stop immediately and then only take them when it suited.

When my DS was one of a cousinhood of six spread over seven years (one mine, three of one BIL, two of the other), all living close, we were there for each other - but no regular formal commitment.

I have my niece (sister's daughter) a lot, I am a teacher so have her pretty much all the holidays. I don't mind, she is fab and we share a hobby. Because of the hobby I also pick her up from school 2 days a week and have her Sunday afternoons.
I have a toddler and baby in the way and niece is 12 and helps out with toddler a lot and they adore each other.
My sister wil have my son for me but works long shifts and has a busy social life so she doesn't baby sit anywhere near as much as I do for her.
My SIL knows she can ask me to baby sit her daughter (6) any time but it is rare as her mum is pretty much always available, she is happy to babysit for us though and does so about every 8/10 weeks so we can go out for an evening.

I have my only DNeph every other weekend, all weekend. Once or twice a week he and DSis will come over for dinner after we've picked the kids up (at the same school) DSis is a "proper" single parent eg DNephs "Dad" has never seen him and remains adamant he doesn't want to be a father. DNeph has a form of muscular dystrophy inherited from his patneral side requiring physio etc and on Wednesday he will have a wheelchair (hes 4.5YO). I have him 4 nights a month because I and my DDs adore him, and my DSis deserves a bloody rest. I helped out more when she was at college and she has just landed her first job since having him and so I will be having him mornings before school and after school. I'm a SAHM and DH works, DNeph is now full time at school and so DSis feels ready to work but would not be able to without my help. She's only 22 and has worked her arse off getting qualifications so she can get off benefits and raised a disabled son singlehandedly. I am in awe of her and will do anything I can to help her, I am the only person who can therefore I do.

DSis is a plane journey away. If she was within any kind of easy distance I would have DN in a heartbeat. DSIL1 and I pull each other out with pre and post school care. DSIL2 gave up work to look after her DC who are early teens and will not assist in any way, even when my DM collapsed on the way to collect my DC, DH was abroad and I was 1.5hours away. I know she has no obligation but that hurt.

None on my side and DH's are adults, so never.

Rude to assume that you are automatically available to look after yours all the time.

They should reciprocate and babysit evenings or something to let you get out. Def taking the p.

Sadly, never. My dn has SN and my sister doesn't trust anyone except my DM to have him. Not that she doesn't trust us, maybe that's wrong word, but she's very wary of having anyone else care for him. It's a shame as I'd love to have him to give her a break.
If circumstances were different, I would expect, if one of us was a sahm, that we'd look after each other's DC during holidays etc. Not on a full time basis but the odd day to help out.

We see ours at family gatherings but never look after them. My sibling never looks after mine either. I would in an emergency.