Babysitting can be a great way for young people to earn extra money while gaining valuable experience in responsibility and caretaking. However, as one 14-year-old babysitter recently found out, it can also come with its fair share of challenges.
On a recent Friday night, this babysitter, let’s call her OP (original poster), was watching over a couple’s children when the parents failed to return home at the agreed-upon time. Concerned for the safety of the children and unsure of what to do, OP began texting and calling the parents to no avail. After involving her mother and waiting for several hours, the babysitter made the difficult decision to call the police.
While the parents were eventually located at a friend’s house and returned home safely, they were angry with OP for involving law enforcement. They accused her of being immature and suggested that she may not be ready for the responsibility of babysitting.
It’s important to note that OP’s actions were motivated by concern for the safety and well-being of the children in her care. Babysitters, like all caregivers, have a duty to prioritize the safety and security of their charges above all else. If a parent is not responding to calls or texts and there is cause for concern, involving the authorities may be the best course of action.
Of course, it’s also crucial for babysitters and parents to communicate clearly and establish expectations and emergency plans ahead of time. If a parent is going to be late or unresponsive, they should make every effort to communicate this to the babysitter and provide alternate contacts or emergency procedures.
OP is now left feeling bad that the police had to bring the parents home from their friend’s place. She reached out to the Reddit community for advice on whether her decision to involve law enforcement was unwarranted.
User Usual-Reach2329 supported OP’s decision and agreed that she took all the necessary steps prior to involving the police. Over 18K Reddit users upvoted and agreed with the following comment:
“The parents were taking advantage of you. You did everything you should have, including trying to reach them, contacting your mother, and then contacting the police. You’ve done nothing wrong. The parents are angry at being caught out on bad behavior.”
ReadingSad3238 chimed in, agreeing that the parents were at-fault in this situation, saying:
“OP had a valid reason to be worried. They were the jerks here. Not you, op, and not your mom. If they were responsible parents they would have answered your calls or, gasp, gotten home on time as promised. Don’t let them get to you.”
Over 5K users agreed with the above comment.
Comments continued to pour in, showing support for OP’s decision. StuffedSquash said,
“Yes! OP, you sound really responsible. Good on you for checking in and calling your mom, those are perfectly responsible and mature actions to take in that situation. I would not sit for them again.”
EvLokadottr said,
“They broke their contract with you when they stated they would be home by 9. Any reasonable person, when caring for a child, would be concerned and eventually call the police when their client was 2.5 hours late and not answering their phones. That was a mature, legitimate thing to do. If anything, the parents are too immature to have a child, but unfortunately, anybody capable of making a baby gets to have one until they do something so horrible child protective services remove the child from their home.”
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While it’s natural for parents to feel protective of their children, it’s important to remember that babysitters can be valuable partners in providing care and ensuring safety. By working together and establishing clear expectations, both parents and babysitters can help ensure a positive and safe experience for everyone involved.
Overall, Redditors sided with the OP without any hesitation. What are your thoughts on the situation? Have you ever been in a similar situation?
You can find the full story here on Reddit.
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