Nobody really enjoys being forced to do something they don’t want to. Especially if they’re surprised by it! It’s a nasty feeling having your expectations dashed by someone else’s selfishness.

Though there are plenty of folks out there who are great with kids and love babysitting, you can’t lump everyone into the same category. For some people, it’s a chore and they’d rather not do it all the time. Sometimes is fine. Always is not.

Redditor u/lookoka went viral on r/pettyrevenge after sharing how he got out of babysitting his aunt’s children. He’s the de facto babysitter in the family, but this time, his mom promised him that he wouldn’t have to do it. Wanting to carve out a bit of freedom for himself, he got out of his duty the only way that he could think of at the drop of a hat—by drinking a beer. Scroll down for the full story in the OP’s own words, as well as how the internet reacted.

It turns out that this ‘excuse’ is far more popular than you’d think. When you’ve finished the story and shared your opinions on it, you might want to check out Bored Panda’s earlier post about a guy who also got out of babysitting kids in a similar way.

It’s essential to have clear boundaries with everyone, including your relatives, in order to have a healthy relationship with them

Image credits: Erik Mclean (not the actual photo)

A guy shared how he got out of babysitting his relative’s children when they suddenly sprung this duty on him at a family gathering

Image credits: Diva Plavalaguna (not the actual photo)

Image credits: lookoka

Babysitting shouldn’t be something that gets dumped on one member of the family all the time. Well, unless they’re actually completely fine with that. The point is, you should never take babysitters for granted. Even if they are related to you by blood.

Clearly, the OP thought that he was backed into a corner, that’s why he decided to drink a beer. Being the lightweight that he is, he couldn’t babysit anyone, meaning his dad took over. Does drinking solve all problems? Obviously, not.

The family needs to have an open and honest discussion about who fairly distributing the babysitting duties from now on. That way, they’ll be able to avoid further arguments and awkward situations down the line.

A parenting blogger we spoke to a while back explained that there are very clear limits when asking for help. She told Bored Panda that boundaries within families are essential. Some relatives might take on extra duties just to avoid having awkward conversations.

“I think when establishing boundaries with family members, being clear and using good communication are the best routes. You wouldn’t want a family member to misinterpret your actions for rudeness or lack of appreciation for their help with childcare. I would hope that close family members can communicate freely about expectations for child care, but I know that personalities differ and some would rather take on an extra burden and avoid conflict,” the founder of the Walking Outside in Slippers blog, Samantha Scroggin, explained to us during an earlier interview.

“Some families are very close, and the aunts and uncles and grandparents are practically other parents to the kids. Others are more distant. Once again, I think good communication is important to set the ground rules and ensure everyone is comfortable with the babysitting expectations,” she said, adding that it’s a relief to get a helping hand from time to time. But it’s vital to not overuse this privilege.

Here’s what some people thought about the family drama after it went viral online

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