Do you have a close relationship with your nieces and nephews?

Sassycakes said:
On my side of the family, I have 3 nephews and 3 nieces. Then I have 1 great-niece and 2 great-grandsons and 3 Great Great granddaughters and I am very close to all of them. My Hubby came from a large family. He has 11 nephews and 7 nieces. He also has 7 great-grandsons and 6 great-grandsons and 6 great-granddaughters. He also has 5 great great and sons and 5 great great granddaughters, We are close to all of them. They gave us the name of the Relatives to go to. I love each and every one of them.
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Wow, lovely big family! Papa was from a huge family as well. 9-11 I think but due to Mother's attitude after Papa died, I lost touch with lots of the cousins. I still miss my nephew and I'm sorry he never got the funds I sent him to help him out... Cheers!
 

Very few of my family's generation had kids. So I only have 2 nephews and 3 nieces.

Nieces I'm friendly with, close but not intimate. One nephew and I are on mutual "ignore" status. Other nephew I'm friendly with but not as close as I am with his sister; we don't have much in common with his wife. But they're happily married with 3 kids of their own, so it's nice to see my sister and ex-BIL as happy and proud grandparents!
 

I have 2 nieces which are my brother’s children. They lived across the country so rarely saw them growing up. I haven’t seen them in over 30 years.
 
Back when I was married my then sister in laws daughter stayed with us for weeks at a time and often, she was the same age as my son. My sister in law was an absolute nut job and neglectful mother but I will spare you that part of the story.

I loved that girl as much as my own children and treated her that way, I thought we would be close forever. Even after I got divorced we stayed close.

Sadly after she graduated highschool she moved to another part of the country and stopped communicating with everyone, family included. I thought for sure she would stay in touch with me but she never responded to any of my calls or messages. Though she still lives far away after some years she started reaching out to her mom and grandparents, but we have never reconnected. Still makes me sad.
 
I have dozens and dozens of nieces and nephews on my side and the same for my husbands.
Also great nieces and nephews and possibly a great, great in there somewhere.
I wouldn't say I'm close with any but familiar with some on my husband's side.
We keep up with them through our siblings.
 
I have 10 sibs and 30 nibs. Loved all the nibs incredibly as babies/kids and even tho I lived out of town, spent lots of time with them and treated them all the time, some of which they remember fondly. Despite that - very little or no contact with them unless I initiate now that they are adults (many with their own kids). Partly it is that they are involved in their own lives but partly I have come to realize that each nuclear family comes to dominate itself, and if you are not a parent or sib - you are pretty much dropped. At least in a family as big as mine. None of my 30 nibs has any issues with me - it's just that I don't really matter to them anymore. A bit is probably also due to childhood amnesia - they only remember highlights. But as someone who really adored and loved each one - and who has not changed or forgotten anything - it was very painful to realize it is over. I do not hold it against them of course - 30 nibs can't be wrong, haha - but I just had to realize it was an era that has passed and move on.
 
I had a close relationship with my niece & nephew when they were kids. Their parents divorced when they were young & I helped them as if they were my kids.
But as adults, they (unfortunately) took on some of the negative characteristics of their mother (especially my nephew), so I'll have nothing to do with them now.
 
Hi Jamala -Do you have kids that are cousins to your nibs? My nibs are still close to each other, and so my sibs who are parents interact a lot with the nibs thru their kids. My husband and I do not have kids, so I guess my situation might be different? I was always the fun, cool aunt because I loved all equally. But, as I said - that seems to be over.
 
No, I don't and it's a bummer of a reality. I married my vietnam Marine in the early 80s and he was then becoming naval aircrew, meaning we had to say goodbye to our beloved state of Texas, living away for 35 danged years. My nieces and nephews mostly grew up with us around just a few holidays, on the phone, etc. Now we are retired here to our home-state, but we chose to live way north from San Antone and Austin where I lived most of my life.
Reason is that this 'ole world grows nuttier and colder, and I, much as I love many back in the two named cities, do not wish to live within less than a couple of hours drive to any large city here.
 
embee said:
Hi Jamala -Do you have kids that are cousins to your nibs? My nibs are still close to each other, and so my sibs who are parents interact a lot with the nibs thru their kids. My husband and I do not have kids, so I guess my situation might be different? I was always the fun, cool aunt because I loved all equally. But, as I said - that seems to be over.
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Hello embee....welcome!
Yes we do have children and they have always been close to their cousins, we encouraged it. When I was growing up, I was also close to my cousins. Of course being human, sometimes there are spats, but arguments are patched up.
Enjoy your stay on senior forum :)
 
No.

My brother was a raging alcoholic, and as such was always the "fun" uncle. I was the boring, studious type. I was the weird one.
 
It is a mix. I have 2 nieces and a nephew. One of the girls is sister to my nephew. My brother and sister niece and nephew are closer in age to me. If you know me, you will know that I have a closer relationship with Julie than the other two. We love closest to each other, and Julie has become my advocate, health proxy etc.
 
I have one nephew who is 38. While as a small child he was at my parents (his grandparents) every afternoon and spent every holiday at my mother's table. He remained close until he got married. After that...he didn't even call his 95-year old grandmother to wish her a Happy Thanksgiving or Merry Christmas. She died five months ago. He and the wife came the day she was buried and then rushed off home because they were having a party for her family. He is my only living relative at this point -- he hasn't picked up the phone to speak with me once since then.
 
Sassycakes said:
On my side of the family, I have 3 nephews and 3 nieces. Then I have 1 great-niece and 2 great-grandsons and 3 Great Great granddaughters and I am very close to all of them. My Hubby came from a large family. He has 11 nephews and 7 nieces. He also has 7 great-grandsons and 6 great-grandsons and 6 great-granddaughters. He also has 5 great great and sons and 5 great great granddaughters, We are close to all of them. They gave us the name of the Relatives to go to. I love each and every one of them.
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I haven't met my grandkids yet and they are grown by now.
 
Reasonably close with 2 nieces and a nephew, very close with one niece. One nephew and I don't talk, his choice - he was pi$$ed because his younger sisters were a bit scared to be around him for a while. He was hanging with a not-so-great crowd. So my RC niece asked if we would not tell him where she and her sister lived. I gave her my word that I wouldn't.

Fast-forward a couple of decades, and he finally grew up so they all reconciled. When he later found out I knew where they lived but had never told him, he got bent out of shape and decided he wasn't going to speak with me any longer. I'm mildly fond of him, but we were never super close. I certainly wasn't going to break my word to his sister unless she specifically decided I could tell him.

My younger brother talks to him, so I get quickie updates that everything's going okay for him. I wish him well, but have no problem not seeing him.
 
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