Sure, it’s important for every member of the household to help out in their own way that suits their age, and it’s important for teens to learn about taking on more responsibility so that when they finally leave the house, they have some idea how to take care of themselves and don’t end up like that roommate we’ve all had at some point in our lives who is practically infantile in their ability to take care of themselves and their living space. But there are limits and boundaries to this. It’s equally important for a teen to have the chance to work on their own growth and development and spend time on things that will lead them to their own future.
Often, the oldest siblings, particularly when there’s an age gap, will end up being de facto parents and will be pushed into parenting duties when they and their siblings’ parents are busy or tired from work. This comes in varying degrees of having responsibility forced onto them and at its most severe and worrying keeps the teen from being able to spend time on the other things they need to be worrying about, like development, getting a part-time job, and education.
This teen called her mother out for “parentifying” or “momifing” her and getting her to take on a parenting role with her younger siblings, something that her mother and brother didn’t like despite being the ones to give her the nickname of “mini mom.”
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