Babysitting has long been a go-to solution for parents needing some time off or assistance with childcare.
Finding a trustworthy babysitter is often the most challenging part, but even then, it’s essential to communicate personal parenting boundaries.
One babysitter learned this lesson the hard way, sparking a debate after an incident with two young children left their mother furious.
Taking to Reddit’s AITA (Am I the A*****e) community, the babysitter turned to the internet community for advice on navigating this stressful situation.
The babysitter, a 19-year-old identified as OP, had been babysitting for two years and had experience with various families. When a new family hired her 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.
Wanting to treat the kids for their good behavior, the babysitter offered to buy them chicken nugget Happy Meals. However, she was unaware 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.
When the mother returned home unexpectedly and 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 received a demand for $600 for “emotional damage.”
Despite the mother’s threats, 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.
Redditors overwhelmingly supported the babysitter, placing the blame on the mother for failing to communicate the dietary restriction.
One person wrote: “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.”
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.”
Tge 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!
If you liked this story, you may be interested in reading this one about a man who was chastised for eating a burger next to a vegetarian on a flight!
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