Do I have a right to see my nephew?

[BettyDraper]

So true. And even at a lesser level, on many occasions I've seen the same parents turn out two completely different children. One with perfect behaviour and one with many behavioural challenges.

 

Exactly! Siblings often grow up in the same home and become completely different individuals.

 

Of course, every child receives a different version her parents as well.

 

I guess many people are unaware of the concepts of nature and nurture.

[Raena]

I'm glad it all worked out for you OP. I am bothered by how many people jumped on you for wanting to take your nephew to a family gathering for a day on the same day that the parents are looking for a babysitter for him. I think you had good intentions... whether you are a parent or not. Had they told you up front that he is a difficult child to manage and they didn't want you to have to deal with that without knowledge of what works for him and what doesn't then I would have more understanding of the way they put it to you. It just didn't sound right the way they brushed you off and didn't tell you the whole story about why they were saying no.

 

I never felt that way when my son was little. Heck, he was 4 months old when he went to stay with my mother for a few days while I moved from out of state to be closer to my family. I think it's important for family to be involved. Even with my own niece and nephew... I was all of 18 years old and I used to take the two of them... as a baby and toddler all over the place with me with their parents consent... all the time. That's just the way it is in my family. We help each other out. Maybe that's why it bothered me so much to hear that they wouldn't let you take him to a family gathering with people there who had already babysat the child. It still doesn't make much sense to me... it's not like you were going to be alone with him. It's the norm in my family to be a major role in each other's kids lives. Everyone from cousins to siblings, we help each other out and spend time with everyone's kids. My cousins' children come stay with me once a year without their parents too and when I was young, I stayed with my aunts, grandparents, etc. and most of them lived out of state. I just don't understand this concept of not being there for each other and feeling like you are a stranger that can't be trusted to watch their child for a few hours. You are family, not a stranger.

 

At any rate, I'm glad you walked away feeling better about their reasons why and didn't let it continue to fester. Maybe as the child gets older you can spend more time with him.

 

I don't know how this thread turned into yet another rant about poor parenting but that doesn't seem to be the reason the OP came here looking for advice so I'm not going to get into it.