10 Things… That Happen Once You Become An Aunt

Welcoming a child into the world is a wonderful, life-changing thing... and you don't even have to be the mother. Being an aunt is pretty great. You get all the perks of children (rewatching old Disney movies, dressing them up in cute outfits, laughing when they do something really funny/cute) without any of the downsides (an endless stream of dirty nappies, extreme sleep deprivation, forgetting what a social life is). But while it might be a part-time job, becoming an aunt changes every thing. Trust us.

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You start to spend more money on baby clothes than you do on adult ones Is it just us or does everything look much cooler when it's made for a 6-9 month old? You can't help showing photos to everyone you meet Tom Hardy may once have had pride of place as your screensaver but he's no competition for a baby wearing sunglasses. You become competitive over your niece/nephew's awesomeness You might say "aww they're adorable" but you're really thinking "mine is waaay cuter". You suddenly have to be responsible about remembering important dates Your sister might forgive you for forgetting her birthday but that little one will certainly not. You sneakily try to enforce your own personality on the child If she's worn a Led Zeppelin t-shirt and watched Glastonbury before she's turned six months, that means she's definitely have good taste in music right? Right? You happily abandon social events to spend time babysitting There is no shame in turning down a raging party to hang with a hilarious tiny person instead. You suddenly find yourself getting broody Even if you've never wanted children, you'll find yourself having moments where you think 'Maybe they're not so bad after all'. Don't worry, it'll wear off next time you're sitting next to a loud one during brunch. You fantasise about being 'the cool aunt' Devoid of any responsibility for discipline, you have carte blanche to bring them for their first pint, sneak them to a festival and generally use to relive your youth! You become obsessed with buying new toys If you have €50 in your account at the end of the month, chances are that a tenner of it is going on a child's tambourine... and the parents will never forgive you for it. Your life will get immeasurably better To be honest, there isn't a better feeling that getting a big smile from your niece/nephew. Being an aunt is the best.