Dear Prudence,
I am the only family my sister has nearby. She married a lazy man who has never done a chore in his life without being nagged into it. He wanted a high-energy dog for his birthday, so my sister caved and got him. She ended up walking the dog three times a day so it wouldn’t go stir crazy and destroy the house. Her husband works from home. She constantly complains about him to the point when she told me she had good news to share, I thought she was finally getting a divorce. Nope. She was pregnant. I guess I rained on her parade by asking how she plans on taking care of an infant when she already has a kid with her husband? Could they afford a nanny when my sister complains they can’t afford a dog walker? She got really defensive and said she has everything under control.
I apologized, but since then she has been dropping hints about what she thinks a good auntie should be doing, which is essentially everything. Cooking, cleaning, and even staying overnight to help with the feeding. Where is the father of her child in all this? Planning on a two-week vacation with friends about a month after the baby is due. I love my sister and I want her to be happy, but I am not going to be sucked into being a second parent here. How do I avoid this without completely tanking my relationship with my sister? I’m honestly thinking of asking for a transfer and using it as an excuse to run away.
—Run Away