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Jeez, this sounds like it’s gonna be a wild ride of family drama.
But that’s why Reddit’s “Am I the A**hole?” page is so good: because people share their real-life trials and tribulations on there when they’re torn up inside emotionally.
Are you ready for this one?
Go ahead and get started.
AITA for not adopting my niece and nephews?
“I (27F) grew up being pretty close to my cousin (also 27F). Then in high school she got really into the drugs/party thing and ended up dropping out in her senior year. She eventually had my nephew “Evan” (now 8 ).
I babysat a lot for her–I was attending college locally, so I was around to help out. Long story short, the stuff I saw ended up with me calling CPS. They determined it wasn’t bad enough yet to remove Evan but did give her some kind of parenting plan. Not sure what, as she cut off everyone in the family at this point.
Fast-forward to now, I moved away for grad school, then came back to my hometown. I haven’t heard from my cousin since she cut us off. Until recently, when she contacted me through an older email account. She said that CPS had removed Evan and his siblings Connor (5M) and Gracie (3F) 3 years ago–I wasn’t even aware she’d had other kids.
They’ve been with the same foster family all this time. Now CPS was taking away her rights for not working her plan, and she had given my name to them as a relative who would adopt them. She begged me to take them, since I was the only family member who even had a possibility to (parents have health issues, other cousins are too young/in college etc.). I agreed to meet with the kids and their foster parents in a park.
Turns out the foster parents also have my cousin’s youngest child Anna (1F)–which my cousin never mentioned! I guess since was born later in the case, she’s not on the same timeline, and my cousin isn’t losing her rights to Anna yet. All the kids LOVE their foster family.
The family had two older kids–I’d guess older teens–and I could see the bond between all of them. I decided not to try and take the kids, but the foster parents are allowing me to stay involved in their life as an aunt figure. Evan still remembers me vaguely, and was happy to see me.
On top of not wanting to take them from the only home most of the kids remember, I also don’t want to deal with my cousin–she’s still using and is not someone I want in my life right now.
When I told my cousin, she was furious. She said the kids deserve to grow up with their family, and I’m doing a terrible thing by not adopting them.
AITA?”
Now let’s see what Reddit users said about this.
This reader said that this woman is not TA in any way, shape, or form.
Photo Credit: Reddit
And another Reddit user said these kids sound like they’re already in a good place.
Photo Credit: Reddit
Lastly, another individual said that the kids’ mother obviously wasn’t up to the task but they’re now in good hands.
Photo Credit: Reddit
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