Babysitting has long been considered a go-to solution for parents who need some time off or assistance with childcare.
Finding a trustworthy babysitter is often the most challenging part, yet even then, communicating personal parenting boundaries is essential.
One babysitter learned this lesson the hard way, sparking a debate after an incident with two young children left their mother furious.
The babysitter took to Reddit’s AITA (Am I the A*****e) community to ask for advice on navigating this stressful situation.
The babysitter, 19, had been babysitting for two years and had experience with various families. When she was hired by a new family to watch their 9-year-old boy and 7-year-old girl, she accepted the job. The children were well-behaved, which made the babysitter’s task more manageable.
Because she wanted to treat the kids for their good behavior, the babysitter offered to buy them chicken nugget Happy Meals. However, she didn’t know that the children were vegetarians because their mother had not informed her of this dietary restriction. Previous babysitting experiences with vegetarian families had taught her to respect their dietary choices.
The mother returned home unexpectedly. Wgen she found her children eating chicken nuggets, she was furious. She chastised the babysitter for allowing her children to consume meat and accused her of causing emotional harm to the kids. The babysitter was promptly kicked out without payment and later she was asked for $600 for “emotional damage.”
Though the mother threatened her, the babysitter refused to pay, asserting that it was the mother’s responsibility to disclose any dietary restrictions. She defended her actions, stating that she would have respected the family’s diet had she been informed.
Seeking validation for her stance, the babysitter turned to Reddit for opinions on the matter.
Other Reddit users overwhelmingly supported the babysitter, placing the blame on the mother for failing to communicate the dietary restriction.
“The parent has the responsibility to tell you about dietary restrictions. Just like if the child had a peanut or tree nut allergy. Even though vegetarianism is growing worldwide nobody assumes you’re a vegetarian. The kids told you they wanted chicken nuggets, you didn’t just give it to them. The mom is the a—hole. You should tell her that if she doesn’t pay you for baby sitting you will take her to court for not paying for services rendered.”, one person wrote.
Another person added: “It was her responsibility to tell you her kids were vegetarian. She still owes you money for babysitting. I’d be willing to bet she has pulled this stunt before to get out of paying and maybe try to get some extra cash.”
They continued: “I find it weird that neither kid mentioned they didn’t eat meat and they wanted a happy meal.”
The consensus on Reddit was clear: the babysitter was not at fault, and the mother’s actions were unjustified.
But what do you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
