We try to take our nephews ALL THE TIME, honestly the whole family does.

But their parents don't want to be away from their kids, at all, ever. Every event or outing or engagement that they could possibly bring them to, they bring them to..

In fact, the grandparents had a big anniversary come up, so we planned an expensive fancy dinner at a big restaurant in the city. Black tie. We also coordinated a universally loved family babysitter to watch their kids, and our nieces as well from another family.

They. Were. Pissed. Not because of who we coordinated to watch the kids, but because their kids weren't invited to the dinner. The fancy expensive black tie dinner. These kids were like 2 and 5 at the time. Insane.

It's never gotten better. I never get to see my friend anymore, not without his kids. Going to their house is a circus, madness, kids running and screaming. And I don't just mean in a "oh you don't like kids" way. I mean, they are in your face, pulling and poking and prodding you as much as themselves. No personal space, and the parents see no issue with this. They just talk loudly over them like nothing is happening.

This goes on for hours. And you know what? Parenting styles are different, I don't have kids,I can't judge. But at least when they go to bed, we can stay and have adult conversation for an hour or two.

But wait.. bedtime has come and gone, and the children are still awake and insane and in everyone's face?

Well you see, the children really enjoy having company over, so it would be mean to send them to bed. N they can stay up...

And they do...

For as long as we stay, they stay. Midnight even.

So. We don't. Sadly. Not anymore. We've tried talking to them about it countless times.

Now we still come over, because we still like them, and the children. But we do dinner, stay an hour, then go.

Have to, for our sanity.