We all know someone who believes that the world revolves around their wants and needs.
It could be your higher-up that expects you to put work first, regardless of all the emergencies you might have in your life; perhaps an overly audacious neighbor who has an issue with a tree growing in your yard; or, in this case, a family member who demands you cancel your commitments and watch their pet just because they don’t want to take it with them on their last-minute trip.
Folks like that act like everyone owes them something. They’re not shy and tend to throw fits when things don’t go the way they want. Plus, they’re also known not to apply the same set of rules to themselves – they have a God complex, if you will.
Cutting ties with individuals who suffer from the entitlement mentality will help you keep your sanity, but it’s not always possible, and sometimes, standing up for yourself is all you have left.
You’re not obligated to prioritize someone else’s needs simply because they’re a family member
Image credits: Daniel Flathagen ( not the actual image )
“AITA for refusing to cancel on clients to help my parents go on vacation dog-free?” – this netizen turned to one of Reddit’s favorite communities wondering whether she’s a jerk for not letting her clients down just so her folks could go on a vacation without their 15-year-old beagle mix. The post has managed to receive 3K upvotes and 227 comments discussing the situation.
Woman questions whether she’s in the wrong for not canceling on her clients so that her parents could take a vacation without their dog
Image source: u/grassandsass
The OP’s parents decided to go on a last-minute trip and asked her to pet-sit their 15-year-old beagle mix
Image source: u/grassandsass
The author began her post by revealing that she has a business that provides dog-walking and house/pet-sitting services. She’s the only employee and usually books sitting stays 6 to 9 months out. She tries to accommodate last-minute bookings, but it’s not something she can always work into her schedule – however, the woman’s very upfront and honest with her clients regarding this matter.
In June, her parents decided they wanted to go on a vacation. They booked two separate weeks and asked her to watch their 15-year-old beagle mix. The OP happened to have a cancelation for the first week and she was able to help them out – however, the other week had been booked nearly a year prior, and she made it very clear that she would be unavailable.
She was able to accommodate the first set of dates – however, the second set was booked nearly a year in advance
Image credits: Brian Evans (not the actual image )
Image source: u/grassandsass
The first set of dates came around, and suddenly the OP was told that she’d also be watching her sister’s 3-month-old puppy. She was expected to monitor the overly energetic pup and keep its “shenanigans to a minimum” around her parent’s 15-year-old dog. She was also responsible for keeping their feeding areas separate to avoid any altercations. The dogs don’t live together regularly, and the woman admitted that it was stressful and a lot to handle since the decision to leave the puppy was so last-minute.
The second set of dates was approaching, and the author was asked whether she was excited to watch the dog
Image source: u/grassandsass
The OP reminded her mom that she was booked up and later received a text blasting her for jeopardizing their trip
Image credits: Daria Focht (not the actual image )
The second set of dates was approaching, and the author picked up a few dogs and took them on a walk in her parents’ neighborhood. Her mom found them and asked whether she was pumped to watch her beagle mix in two weeks’ time; once again, the OP reminded her that she had those days booked with another dog – the mother rolled her eyes and requested that she cancel.
Naturally, the author of the post wasn’t going to cancel on anyone just because her parents decided to travel at the last minute – plus, they were going to a dog-friendly place, so it’s not like they couldn’t take their dog with them, they just preferred not to. The OP’s beloved mother texted her a couple of hours later, blasting her for jeopardizing their trip.
What do you think about this situation? Would you cancel on your clients if you were in the OP’s position?
Fellow community members shared their thoughts on this matter
