10 qualities of an awesome aunt

She’s not a cat lady, so she zeroes in on your child for affection

You’re grateful for the aunt’s presence, especially when she helps pamper your child. To her, there’s nothing more fun than spending time with her nieces and nephews.

When she’s got extra tickets to the Phantom of the Opera or Sponge Bob, you’re truly thankful that she thinks first of your child.

She remembers birthdays (and other details)

And we don’t mean in the Facebook way. The aunt will painstakingly send your child either a long text of warm wishes or a handwritten birthday card by mail. This simply shows how much she cares even when she may not be around often.

Many relatives are wont to repeat your school or company’s name wrongly even after you’ve corrected them for the hundredth time. The awesome aunt remembers and obviously cares about your family’s journey in life.

She bakes and shares treats with the family

Bonus brownie points for the aunt who knows her oven well! Happy is the nephew or niece who gets a fresh supply of baked goodies on random days, especially when it’s not a festive occasion.

This simple act of kindness exudes love and you know she is thinking of your family.

She’s the supplier of cool hand-me-downs!

We all love hand-me-downs and have thrived on them for many years growing up. The awesome aunt knows better than to throw away her old bags or odd-sized clothes because she’s sure of your child’s tastes and remembers how much he loved the green Kappa bag she gave him the year before.

To her, giving your family hand-me-downs are never a loss (even if she could have sold them elsewhere for quick buck).

She doesn’t blabber - quite the contrary, she knows her stuff

Unlike the gossipy relatives, this aunt doesn’t like talking about people each time they get together. This cool aunt is having none of that! She displays acute knowledge on general topics and speaks about things mindfully.

Surely there are better things to talk about than the nephew’s outrageous hair colour!

She invites your child out on all-expense paid dates

To her, there is no "go Dutch" with your children, and that continuously amazes you. You enjoy her generosity towards your family, and it inspires you to be generous to others too.

She gives your family real fashion advice

This aunt looks good and that influences your child to want to do the same. She pays attention to how she dresses, and that’s why your children are sure to listen when she dishes out fashion dos and don’ts.

if your tresses are all dried out after a holiday, the awesome aunt will pull out the name card of her favourite hairdresser from her purse and add the magic words, "Mention my name to get a discount." Bliss. (Extra points if the aunt is a hairdresser or fashion artist herself)!

She is genuinely concerned about your child’s wellbeing

Yes, you can sniff insincerity from a mile away. So can your child. You’re careful when someone pries too much into your life without first really getting to know you - and that includes relatives. However, this aunt is different. She asks questions without that interrogative edge, and she honestly listens to your family’s struggles while reserving judgement. Your child’s well being, in essence, is her priority. Not whether you look good enough for her own "family portfolio" or polished enough for her tastes. She understands it’s not about her, it’s about your child and she shows it.

This leads us to the next quality of an awesome aunt.

She gives guilt-free advice to your child

All her listening is not for naught. She doesn’t just listen and then let it out of her ear after the tête-à-tête. This aunt intentionally deliberates your child’s problems and provides ninja advice before giving it with no strings attached.

It’s nice to have a supporting second opinion or someone else to provide counsel and advice (without that naggy edge) for your child.

The excitement she gets when you succeed - even when your child “does better” than her own kids

This is the epitome of an amazing aunt. A rare species, we might add. How on earth is she smiling when your child got the job that her daughter also applied for? Topped with hearty congratulations! It is when you know she sees your child as an individual and not competition that leads you to believe that she’s really really quite awesome.

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Written by

Grace Phua

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