Some background, my sister is 18 years older than me so I wasn’t out of diapers before she got married and started having kids, making me an aunt relatively early. I love her kids with my entire life and I work very hard to make sure they never go without anything they need. Sometime last year she had asked me if I could take her two oldest children (teenagers at the time) to live with me so that they can attend a better school district. I immediately accepted, (even though I was only 21 at the time I had moved out at an early age and had managed to rent a house so I can accommodate two people). Everything was great, my niece and nephew are a joy to have around and they were old enough were i didn’t have to worry about cooking or cleaning up after them too much. 

The problem started about a month after them staying over, although I rent a home, I do not own it, I do not have “house” money, I work hard and budget well and never live beyond my means because if I didn’t I would not be able to afford it and she knew that but she did not offer to help with her kids expenses at ALL. She never offered to help pay for food, toiletries or anything else they might need. I lived on my own, $30 worth of groceries could last me a week and half but $80 of food could be done within five days with two teenagers!! And I knew that bringing it up to her again would only cause a fight and the last thing I wanted to do was to make the kids think they were causing any issues. They are not the problem, they gotta eat, they need clothes etc, I was just disturbed that she wouldn’t help me knowing that I was taking them in as a favor to her and that I am not making a lot of money.

I worked two jobs at that point to be able to cover all the expenses. I’m not gonna lie, being a 21 year old girl responsible for two teenagers, all the bills of the house, plus maintenance of the house (mowing the lawn, taking out the trash, cleaning the bathrooms) and two full time jobs, it was getting to me and I smoked weed in my free time to help me relax. Weed has never interfered with my work ethic or with my responsibilities. Ive never called off or missed bills due to lack of money spent on drugs so it shook me to my core when my sister found out I was smoking and immediately went to my landlord to try and kick me out. She said she didn’t want me around her (grown) kids because I was going to get them addicted and show them to be lazy and bummy, I completely shut her out after that. I don’t talk to her when I see her at family events anymore and I live my life for the most part like I don’t have a sister. I still am in close contact with my niece and nephews and I see them rather frequently but it’s almost always in secret which feels shitty and like I’m missing out on a closer relationship with them because of her views. 