Even though most people babysit as a side job, “easy money” as it were, babysitting is not exactly easy.
In addition to having no idea of what the temperament or energy levels of your young charges will be, there is also the stress of making sure the children are safe and healthy while under your watch.
This is why it is equally important for parents to make sure that babysitters are well taken care of while they are watching their children.
Redditor Wrong_Net_5989 had a fairly enjoyable time on a recent babysitting gig watching two young children.
However, when the original poster (OP) recapped her evening to her employers at the end of the night, she was surprised to find herself scolded for partaking in something that wasn’t intended for her.
Wondering if she had, in fact, done anything wrong, the OP took to the subReddit “Am I The A**hole” (AITA), where she asked fellow Redditors:
“AITA for eating at the children I babysit for’s house?”
The OP explained why she found herself in hot water with the parents she recently babysat for:
“I (20 F[emale]) babysit for some extra cash on the side.”
“This just happened and it’s eating me up so here we go.”
“So, the family ordered pizza for dinner.”
“Mom left cash on the table for me to pay.”
“It was me, and two boys (7 and 10) large cheese pizza and breadsticks.”
“I have always been under the impression that the babysitter is allowed to have a reasonable amount of dinner if they’re expected to serve dinner.”
“I’ve babysat a few times in the past and have never encountered this.”
“When the parents came home to relieve me they asked how tonight went.”
“I said fine, and said that the pizza place was really good as I had never ordered from there before.”
“Mom looked at me puzzled, and asked why I ate the kids dinner.”
“I said I just had two pieces of pizza and a breadstick.”
“I feel as if this was not an inappropriate amount to eat.”
“However, the parents disagreed.”
“Dad said that they didn’t expect to have to feed me dinner as well, and told me not to eat their family’s food.”
“Overall, I am very uncomfortable and confused by this experience.”
“Both boys were fed, and did not complain about being hungry for the rest of the night.”
“I personally have always assumed, perhaps wrongly, that if I am expected to serve dinner as a sitter than I am welcome to have a serving.”
“Is this something anyone else has experienced?”
“AITA?”
Fellow Redditors weighed in on where they believed the OP fell in this particular situation, by declaring:
- NTA – Not The A**hole
- YTA – You’re The A**hole
- NAH – No A**holes Here
- ESH – Everyone Sucks Here
The Reddit community unanimously agreed that the OP was not the a**hole for eating the pizza she ordered for her babysitting charges.
Everyone agreed that it was entirely reasonable for the OP to assume she could eat the pizza she ordered, as being fed is always considered part of the job, and the OP should think very carefully before agreeing to babysit for these parents ever again.
“NTA.”
“Eating when you feed the children is absolutely the norm.”
“When I was younger and baby sat the parents would always tell me to raid the pantry after bedtime and I tell my babysitter for my kids now the same.”
“That’s just crazy what did they expect you to do just starve?”- Neutral_buoyancy
“NTA.”
“Cross them off your list, they’re cheap and unreasonable.”
“It’s just a matter of time before they try to stiff you on the agreed upon payment.”
“I treated my sitters like gold.”
“They were watching my children.”
“I made sure they had plenty to eat and their favorite snacks in the pantry.”- Heloise_Morris
“Wow.”
“NTA.”
“That family is rude and cheap AF.”
“I usually order extra to accommodate for babysitters, ask their preferences for pizza toppings, etc., if we order pizza or any kind of food.”
“I also let them know where the snacks are, and to help themselves to water, soda, Gatorade etc in the fridge.”
“I nannied and babysit for many many families over the years as a teenager and young adult too, and it was always like this as well.”
“What an AH family.”
“Don’t babysit for them again.”- Disastrous_Dingo_309
“NTA.”
“I’m sure they had enough to eat.”
“Were they expecting leftovers?”- SumguyJeremy
“My daughter started as a babysitter and now is a nanny during summer and during school breaks, and she has never not been offered snacks or a meal.”
“Since my daughter has IBS she sometimes brings her own food and every family when daughter babysat again made sure there was food that was safe for my daughter to eat.”
“In fact the family she is an nanny for changed their shopping and some eating habits for the children so my daughter could eat with the children.”
“Never babysit again and explain why and you are NTA.”- Slightlysanemomof5
“NTA.”
“It is customary that if you have to feed the children you’re watching by any means (whether they leave money to place an order or you cook), you also get to eat.”
“That’s how it’s always been when I babysat or when someone sat with my kid.”
“If they call you again to sit for their kids I would go over to their house and show them this post and tell them you won’t sit for them again if you are expected to starve while the kids eat in front of you.”
“Maybe entitled parents these days are different so to be on the safe side.”
“Anyone who asks you to babysit that will be during a lunch or dinner time, ask if you will be provided the same lunch or dinner as the children.”- GardenSafe8519
“NTA.”
“Hopefully they call you again so you can politely decline due to their lack of common decency.”
“Also, I would highly recommend you do not babysit for them again, ppl like this can create real problems if anything ever arose or happened, trust me you will be blamed, denounced and slandered if they ever had a reason in their minds to.”
“How you do one thing is how you do everything and they clearly are ungrateful, entitled and selfish.”
“Even if you need money it is not worth the possible bs.”- Digfortreasure
“NTA.”
“You didn’t eat an excess amount.”
“What parents gives the babysitter money for food but doesn’t want the babysitter to have some as well?”- kspi7010
“NTA.”
“That’s so rude of them to order takeout and not expect you to eat it! If you’re at their house during a meal time then a meal should be provided.”
“Honestly I would just not babysit for them again.”
“That’s so weird and rude of them.”- my-kind-of-crazy
“NTA.”
“And I would have assumed the same thing.”
“Sounds like it’s time to raise your rate to cover the cost of feeding yourself.”- 2inthestink45
“NTA.”
“LOL, w.t.f?
“I’m actually afraid of these people. this is some sh!t aliens posing as humans would do.”-Active_Pooter
‘Never babysit for them again unless they agree to feed you.”
“NTA!”
“I started cooking while babysitting at age 10.”
“We all 3 sat and ate.”
“Every family after that first one provided enough food for kids and sitter.”
“It is outrageous that they expected you to starve.”- Regular-Switch454
“NTA.”
“I wouldn’t be babysitting for them again unless they paid me double or at least time and a half.”
“They were mean!”
“It’s not you!”- LoveBeach8
“NTA.”
“I can’t imagine being this cheap, petty, and demeaning to someone.”
“I am actually thinking that if I found out my kid was treated this way as a babysitter, I would tell them never to babysit for that family again.”
“I think I would probably have words with the parents too for being completely AH humans.”
“I don’t know about where you live, but historically… finding a babysitter is more difficult than finding a babysitting gig.”- nomoreroger
“NTA.”
“Never babysit for them again.”
“Their behaviour is outrageously rude.”- cathycul-de-sac
“NTA, Their reaction to you having some of the pizza tells you that they do not see you as a human being.”
“You are there to SERVE them and therefore, you are not equal to them and entitled to kindnesses.”
“I would not work for this family again.”- Misha220
“NTA.”
“I’ve babysat about a million times and every single time the family ALWAYS told me to help myself to dinner and snacks and whatever.”
“That’s absolutely insane.”- Lefty-mom
It would be one thing if the OP cooked herself an extravagant meal using the parent’s expensive ingredients without checking in with them first.
But any parents who don’t approve of their babysitter sharing a pizza they were instructed to for the children they were watching need to stop and re-evaluate their methods.
One can only hope that the OP will find a family who values her time as much as she values the health and safety of the children she’s been assigned to watch.