It’s not called being selfish if I want to go over to a friend and not bring some kids along with me

I love love love my nieces and nephews. I really do. And I love when everyone comes for Yom Tov. But… I do wish my siblings and their kids (and sometimes my mother!) would understand my need for occasional privacy and downtime. Sometimes I don’t mind when nieces sleep in my room, but sometimes — like when the house is packed the whole Pesach — it can get challenging to never have my own space. Please knock before you come in!

Watching my father with my nieces and nephews is hilarious to me. To me he’s my (kinda old, I’ll admit) father, and even though my older siblings think I’m spoiled and have no rules, my parents are my parents. But they turn to mush with my niece just a few years younger than me! No, it doesn’t bother me, I happen to think it’s funny!