As I write this, my one-year-old niece is napping in the other room, worn out from playing outside and watching Lilo and Stitch. I’m about to put dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets into the oven for myself. My sister’s house is a little chaotic, but that’s understandable when you have many small children. And I’ll try to tidy it up before she comes home.
This picture is not uncommon for those who are fortunate enough to be an aunt. I was only six-years-old when my first nephew was born so I don’t know much else. Since that nephew was born, I have been blessed with three more nephews and four nieces. That’s eight adorable children from ages nine months to 13 years. I feel like I’ve already become the weird aunt, and that’s just how it’s supposed to be. Here are some reasons why being an aunt is awesome:
1. Guaranteed babysitting jobs
Sometimes, this means watching kids for free, but it’s still worth it.
2. Little admirers
Nieces and nephews (or niblings, which is a word for both) look up to their aunts and see them as some of the greatest people in the world. If you can inspire one of those kids to do anything, even pick up their toys, it is one of the greatest feelings in the world.
3. Free hugs
No further explanation necessary.
4. Getting to be a kid
With any little kid, you get to embrace your inner child. But when you’re in charge of someone else’s children, it seems more important to be the adult and to be responsible. When you’re an aunt, you know your brother or sister is the responsible one and you get to be the fun one.
5. Watching your sibling grow
Getting to see your brother or sister adjust to being a parent is kinda crazy. Sometimes you think, “You were so mean to me when I was little, how will your child survive??”. But they do and your siblings become more well-rounded, nice people as they grow as parents.
6. Birth control
With all these babies crawling around, you know you can wait many many MANY years to have your own kids.
7. More people = more love
The bigger your family is, the more love there is to go around. With each little niblings’ arrival, you will find that your heart will always have room for another baby to love. And though families always have their issues, babies and kids are a good way to get people to overlook their differences and love one another.
