Sickened By How Children Are Overstepped in Their Boundaries

       It is sickening how unaware and unconscious people treat children. It made me feel sick, and I wanted to save these children and tell them to run and be free. I went to visit my mother who was babysitting my sister's 4 year old twins and my father (whom she is divorced from but she still pities him because he is mentally deteriorating and anti social. She doesn't understand and see that he chooses to stay locked in his room and she doesn't try to understand his emotions and talk to him about them anyway. When I tell her it's useless, she asked incredulously, "Do you not have compassion?" and I say not if it affects and drains my own health. She claims she is healthy and lives well balanced because she goes to the gym and takes care of herself too). The way she and my aunt treat the kids, like they are cute little dogs to play with, makes me want to cry. My mom gives in to my nieces yelling for more and more ice cream, and gives some to my nephew even though he says he doesn't want. She answers absently that he must have some, and as they're eating it he says he doesn't like it. She says why? And I haphazardly say I'll take it, trying to give over some sense of normalcy. He gives it to me readily, and watching me eat it, he decides he might want. So he says he wants ice cream, and my mother happily gives him more. After eating a bit he decided he does not like it after all, so he throws it out. He acts kind of wild, giggling nervously and throwing heavy things on the floor. I see my mother is triggered, and she lets her temper out on him, grabbing him roughly and telling him he better stop. I wince inside and tell her not to be so rough, he does not need that. She laughs mockingly, and turns to my aunt and says, "she thinks she knows everything about children you see." I flinch inside and hurt and anger bubbles. I look downwards and try to keep my peace, and help those children as much as I could. I want to leave, but something inside makes me want to stay with them, a feeling of love and protection for my niece and nephew whom I used to play with as babies and was there right after they were born. I asked them if they remembered me, I used to go over much more and play with them. The boy answers yes, and he seems to have good memories. The girl keeps begging for more sweets, and I realize she needs them as an escape from the emotional absence in her life. My heart goes out to her, she so reminds me of my own lonely childhood. I realize that their mother is there for them, but her strict schedules and calculations do not allow them freedom to be themselves, and feel unconditional love. Kids need autonomy, and if they keep being held down and shouted at "careful" and "don't touch that, don't go there!!" They feel constrained and untrustworthy of being able to do things. I hated how, when my niece asked to look in the fridge, my aunt jumped over (it was in her house) and opened it, standing over over her what do you want? My niece was quiet and became unsure. I looked away, dejected and angry at my aunt. My mother and aunt did the drill of "how is school" and when my niece said "we do nothing" my aunt said *sarcastically* in a cutesy way, "oh so you just sit and do nothing? That's fuuun!" I flinched, and my niece was quiet and then she said something annoyedly, and I recognized her hurt over the comment. These grownups don't see that sometimes the questions are ingenuine and they need to feel human connection too before becoming more personal. I guess the adults used to fake interactions, and have no patience for getting to know a child authentically. Or they see children as space monkeys. As I took my niece for a walk to get away, she held my hand. I felt honored that she was trusting me but apprehensive. I didn't know if I was ready to be fully there for her, cause a part of me felt scared of her rejection when I was too much like the others. I told myself, just be present, the kid will show who she is. I felt she was too used to ignoring of her emotions by then, though, and she wanted more sweets. So I bought her some. When I left because stress got to me, I watched them staring at me and I wished them luck inside.