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“My Aunt Sees The Can And Starts Screaming”: Man Sick And Tired Of Always Having To Babysit Relatives At Family Events, Solves The Problem
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.
RELATED:
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
What do you think ?
Bart 2 years ago
Force me to babysit? All good but your kid is going to swear like a drunk sailor by the time you get back 😂
Carol Emory 2 years ago
My brother once offered to take my son camping with him and his buddies. I said "No thanks. I know how you guys behave when you go camping and the last thing I need is his teachers sending notes home saying my son won't stop burping and making farting sounds with his arm."
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Tamra 2 years ago
It blows my mind that some people assume a child free person will always be willing to babysit their kids, especially if they're family. Seriously. Those kids are YOUR responsibility, no one owes you free babysitting, ffs. And I'm a mom! Also, this guy needs to just come out and say that he won't be her designated babysitter - some people need to be hit over the head with bluntness. And I don't mean a bat. Necessarily. 😂
Anne Reid 2 years ago
When I was growing up, I was the youngest of my generation. At family gatherings, I was the de facto babysitter once I was old enough to do it (my brothers did it before me). I loved it…because my younger cousins were so much fun. BUT their parents not only asked me if I wanted to, they paid me! I was kinda bummed once I was one of the adults and the torch got passed to the oldest of the next generation.
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AW 2 years ago
I love the petty revenges in the comments following this post, especially the sticky, chocolate-covered hands comment. As a parent, I would never expect or assume someone else will watch my kids.
Amused panda 2 years ago
Sticky fingers are immediate impact, but I wish we had more info on the teaching kids the wrong colours one. You'd need to get stuck babysitting them from a young enough age that they wouldn't know, but then what...did the parents find out when the kid declared the sky is green and grass is pink?
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Bart 2 years ago
Force me to babysit? All good but your kid is going to swear like a drunk sailor by the time you get back 😂
Carol Emory 2 years ago
My brother once offered to take my son camping with him and his buddies. I said "No thanks. I know how you guys behave when you go camping and the last thing I need is his teachers sending notes home saying my son won't stop burping and making farting sounds with his arm."
Load More Replies... Tamra 2 years ago
It blows my mind that some people assume a child free person will always be willing to babysit their kids, especially if they're family. Seriously. Those kids are YOUR responsibility, no one owes you free babysitting, ffs. And I'm a mom! Also, this guy needs to just come out and say that he won't be her designated babysitter - some people need to be hit over the head with bluntness. And I don't mean a bat. Necessarily. 😂
Anne Reid 2 years ago
When I was growing up, I was the youngest of my generation. At family gatherings, I was the de facto babysitter once I was old enough to do it (my brothers did it before me). I loved it…because my younger cousins were so much fun. BUT their parents not only asked me if I wanted to, they paid me! I was kinda bummed once I was one of the adults and the torch got passed to the oldest of the next generation.
Load More Replies... AW 2 years ago
I love the petty revenges in the comments following this post, especially the sticky, chocolate-covered hands comment. As a parent, I would never expect or assume someone else will watch my kids.
Amused panda 2 years ago
Sticky fingers are immediate impact, but I wish we had more info on the teaching kids the wrong colours one. You'd need to get stuck babysitting them from a young enough age that they wouldn't know, but then what...did the parents find out when the kid declared the sky is green and grass is pink?
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