i mean, my mom walked out on my brothers and sisters and my dad when i was 9. so for 9 years all of my sisters and i took our share of raising our 3 younger brothers and now it's my turn. everyone else left off to college and things have changed at home. my aunt came back to live here and she our three cousins... and they all play together, now, i wouldn't be complaining, except for the fact that her middle son keeps cussing around my brothers the youngest has taken to copying him. i can't tell the cousin anything or his mom because then his mom will just go off on me like idk what and my cousin will just ignore me and complain to his mom about me which will cause her to go off on me again. i just don't want my brothers to be like them. every single one of her kids have failed a grade or been held back becuase of their attitude in class and always because they never learn anything with how they act. they are rubbing off on my brothers and i can't get them to stop hanging out with them no matter what. who do i settle this without cause a big uproar with all the adults????

How do you think your sisters would have handled the situation before they left?  Not that you have to handle it the same way, but there may be some motivation within that sentiment.

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Maybe you can't directly control if they hang out or want to hang out with irresponsible people. But at the very least, you can still point out your cousin's failures and give your brothers a thorough understanding of why being like them will hurt them later in life. Also, the fact that you might get bitched at for putting your foot down doesnt mean you shouldnt stand for something as important as your brothers' values, especially since you've essentially taken over as the mother figure to them.

How do you think your sisters would have handled the situation before they left? Not that you have to handle it the same way, but there may be some motivation within that
sentiment.

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to be honest, the would have talked to my cousin about it and if he still didn't listen tell our aunt. but they all had more....strength? ...than i did when it came to how they handled getting bitched at.. and i told my dad, and i've went to him in every instance of my brothers getting pulled into our cousins' crappy ways, and we've both talked to all three of them, and only one has listened. the other two are twins and since the middle cousin is the one closest to their age, they refuse to listen...