Being an aunt is all the fun of being a parent without as much responsibility. I’m a proud aunt of 4 kiddos and I lavish my affections on them whenever I get the chance. Because I’m saving so much money by not having children of my own, I have a whole fund dedicated to spoiling the kiddos that ARE in my life—and, much to my sister’s dismay, I leap at every chance I get to be the ‘cool aunt.’

Aunts and uncles have a unique role in a kid’s life. If mom says no to that cartilage piercing, perhaps auntie will take them to the piercer to get a stud put in. And if mom can’t afford to put that ballerina angel in the expensive dance classes, perhaps it’s time for the cool auntie to step up. 

This aunt had no children, yet she treated her sister’s kids like her own. After years of bankrolling her niece’s dance lessons, she was thrilled to pony up the cost of an elite $2000 ballet summer camp. However, when she found out that her sister pocketed the refund after the niece bailed at the last minute, her generosity was curbed immediately.