Comments on: How to Be a Neighborhood Aunt, Teenage Version

By: Jen

Jen — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 14:19:09 +0000

In reply to Meg.

Thank you for sharing. I checked this out and it’s wonderful

By: Adrienne

Adrienne — Sun, 13 Apr 2025 06:04:54 +0000

I have the honour and the privilege of being an actual auntie to my sibling’s 4 daughters, and because I’m significantly younger than my sibling, I’m actually closer in age to my nieces ages — think just shy of a ten year age gap. I used to live under the same roof with them when I was fresh out of college and trying to deal with finding a place to rent while under a load of student debt, so I had been around the girls since they were little, but we had never been all that close. Then I moved out but their parents still had me join them for Sunday dinners just to touch base and stay in each other’s lives. Once I showed up to the dinner with just the girls even though their parents were out of town, just to chit chat and make sure everyone was all right, the house hadn’t been burned down in their absence, etc. So I was pleasantly surprised when one of them opened up to me about teen relationship drama, made more complicated by the fact that the antagonist was one of her up till then close cousins. She asked me to keep it secret from her parents, and I agreed only if no one involved was in immediate danger. She poured her heart out and I just listened. Honestly I think she just wanted an adult to weigh in who wasn’t her parents (who are mostly cool but can also a tad bit judgmental at times), and to tell her that her feelings were valid. No one was in actual danger so I kept her confidence, and told her she could come to me for advice anytime she wanted or just a place to vent. Later on when another cousin spilled the tea (including the fact that I knew all about it) and all the parents involved were in an uproar, my sibling was low key shocked that I knew but hadn’t said anything. But my loyalty was to my niece, and the most important outcome was the sometimes misunderstood teen realized that here was an adult she could trust to have her back. Of course if there had been any sign that the parents should’ve been looped in I would have told the teen I had to inform her parents, but there was no such indication so her confidence could be safely kept between us. As a result we talk a lot more even today and I like to think she’s more secure in knowing that there are ppl in her extended support system she can rely on for help.

By: Kate

Kate — Sun, 13 Apr 2025 02:12:24 +0000

This is what we all hope to have for our kids!

I am an “elder cousin” and when I was about 26, my aunt asked me if I could help my cousin (who was about 14) with his science homework weekly. I LOVED this ask, and spending time with him.
I read a great article by Katherine Randell this year (probably linked on C of J) where she described why so many kids books depict parentless kids – to centre the other supportive adults in a way to help kids see those in their own lives. Yes yes yes

By: Dana

Dana — Sat, 12 Apr 2025 04:01:43 +0000

The pic where Toby is holding Leah’s daughter’s hand is just priceless. What a great kid he is!

By: Martha

Martha — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 19:51:20 +0000

In reply to Elizabeth.

Anon, take it from someone who’s also a reluctant loner, but raised by extroverted and community-minded parents in a house rarely without weekend visitors: sometimes we just aren’t our parents! Hosting makes me very anxious in spite of how well it was modeled for me. I wished I loved hosting like my parents do, but it’s just not my thing.

By: Kate

Kate — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 15:49:02 +0000

In reply to Kate.

How beautiful <3