I never realized the glory about being an aunt until I became one two years ago with my niece and then a few months ago I upgraded my title with a nephew.
Parenting can be tiring and you constantly are asking yourself if your child is eating enough or learning enough, etc. But, as an aunt, it’s not like those things don’t matter … it’s just that, it’s not really your responsibility.
With regards to respecting boundaries, matters about how they are being parented are never discussed unless your in-laws or siblings are directly asking you for parental advice or stories from your own experiences.
With no need to worry about technicalities, doesn’t it mean we have every right to spoil? Well, aunts do have their limits. The major spoiling role is typically destinated to Grandma and I wouldn’t want to be stepping on anyone’s toes. But, doing silly things and making sure they have fun are definitely on the top of your priority list.
My niece is the cutest little princess and my youngest reader. When I published my first book, my sister-in-law showed it to her so she can recognize how I look like. Ever since then, she would associated certain books with me, which I thought is really cute. My sister-in-law lives in the States, so we stay connected to watch her daughter grow up via FaceTime. We are very fortunate that technology has advanced enough for this to be possible.
When I released my second book, my niece was a lot older, so when she received a copy of it, she kept hugging it and pointing to my picture. I would never forget seeing the video my sister-in-law recorded of her reaction. Knowing that one of my books can be loved by such a young reader who probably doesn’t understand any of the content written in there quite yet is still really special. I hope one day she can read through it and be inspired by my words of wisdom. Until then, I’m going to continue spoiling her and enjoying tea time with her virtually.
Being an aunt is a pretty awesome title.