Teen Faces Family Backlash for Choosing College over Sister’s Baby

“If I wasn’t at school, my parents would demand that I go home and help my sister with her baby. I had no life, no privacy, and no love or attention since my sister had her baby.”

“I know, obviously, the baby and mother take priority, but I felt so alone. At 14–15, it was very hard for me to come to terms with my parents not asking me how I’m doing anymore, not congratulating me on my achievements, coming to my games, taking care of me when I’m sick, etc. I became resentful of Mary and my parents, but I did a pretty good job at never showing them that. I knew the feeling would pass, and it did by the time I was 16.”