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The original was posted on /r/AmItheAsshole by /u/Possible-Increase146 on 2023-09-02 13:08:12.

My parents called for a family meeting last Sunday and said they were realizing that we didn’t have the happy little tight knit family they had expected to have. They expressed that we had all been closer when we were little kids. For context it’s me (16m), my brother James (14m) and my other brother Easton (12m). But now it felt like we never spent time as brothers, especially me and James, and that sharing a room they would have expected more from us. My parents said they wanted us to all be totally open and honest about how we felt and to express if we had any issues with the family to get out of the way. They said they weren’t going to take a turn until after the three of us spoke first. And we couldn’t leave until we opened up and said everything.

I told them I felt like they had somewhat unrealistic goals, that they ignored some stuff that had been mentioned to them in the past that would have made the lack of closeness less of a surprise, and that it was weird for them to pretend they had no idea of anything going on.

I admitted that I hate sharing a room with James. That personality wise, he and I clash, and that he relies too much on being the younger brother and getting his own way, which annoys me. I said I had told them this before. James will set up these sleepover nights for him and me on the floor and he’ll expect me to play football outside with him until it’s close to midnight and then go in and watch movies that bore me to tears and sleep in our sleeping bags instead of our beds. I said he started insisting we do things he enjoys when we were like 8 and 10 and ever since that point hanging out with him has not been fun for me, it has not made me feel closer to him. I admitted that I would rather share with Easton. I also said I had brought this stuff to my parents attention before. And even complained when he was messing up my side of the room and left me to clean up, which my parents expected me to do instead of him. I also mentioned that I hate hanging out with his friends who I have nothing in common with.

I told my parents they overlook James being mean to Easton. That it might be due to jealousy and resentment that I’m closer to Easton or it might be due to Easton being the youngest. But they would never let me say to James what James can say to Easton.

I also said they treat us like we’re little kids. They will tell us to go hang with much younger kids and do their activities at family houses and they’ll tell us no video games until we play outside. And that even after 16 years of knowing me, they still can’t accept that I don’t like sports and it’s not my idea of fun to kick a ball or run around and it never has been.

James was upset about the stuff I said about him. Especially about not wanting to hang out with him and his friends. My parents were furious with me and said I had no right to say all that. I said I was doing what they asked and they said that wasn’t what they asked for.

AITA?