Bored Panda works better on our iPhone app
Continue in app Continue in browser

We and our trusted partners use technology such as cookies on our site to personalize content and ads, provide social media features, and analyze our traffic. You can read more about it and change your preferences here.
Agree
BoredPanda Add post form topAdd Post
Tooltip close

The Bored Panda iOS app is live! Fight boredom with iPhones and iPads here.

Parents ‘Make’ Aunt Babysit Even Though She Warned Them She Was Unavailable, Family Drama Ensues When She Then Leaves The Baby With A ‘Stranger’
933
Other

Parents ‘Make’ Aunt Babysit Even Though She Warned Them She Was Unavailable, Family Drama Ensues When She Then Leaves The Baby With A ‘Stranger’

Parents 'Make' Aunt Babysit Even Though She Warned Them She Was Unavailable, Family Drama Ensues When She Then Leaves The Baby With A 'Stranger'Aunt Leaves Niece With A “Am I A Jerk For Refusing To Babysit My Niece And Leaving Her With A Stranger Instead?”Parents Are Furious At This Woman For ‘Dumping Her 1-Year-Old Niece With A Stranger’ As She Left For A PartyWoman Asks If She Was Wrong For ‘Dumping Her 1-Year-Old Niece With A Stranger’ To Babysit When The Parents Knew She Was UnavailableWoman Wonders If She Was Wrong To Leave Her 1-Year-Old Niece With A Woman Blows Up At Sister For The Internet Can't Decide Whether This Aunt Did The Right Thing Leaving Niece With Someone Her Parents Didn't Know
Open list comments 64
Vote arrow up
Vote arrow down

87

Open list comments

64

ADVERTISEMENT

Recently, a story from a 24-year-old woman went viral on the AITA community, leaving people with split opinions. The author who goes by the handle Still-not-sure introduced herself as an aunt to her 1-year-old niece Ava, a child who found herself at the center of a family conflict.

“My sister and BIL live close to me so I babysit for them sometimes. They don’t pay me but I’m happy to do it anyway,” the author wrote. On one such Friday, Still-not-sure “provisionally agreed” to babysit Ava as her parents were having an anniversary.

Suddenly, the author’s plans changed when her old college friends told her they were stopping by her town on the same day. “I gave my sister 5 days notice that I could no longer babysit on Friday,” the author said and added that “she didn’t respond to the text, but she read it, so I assumed it was OK.”

Now the Friday arrived and the author’s plans went awry with Ava left on her doorstep. All confused and in a hurry, the author made a decision that felt reasonable in the given situation. Now, however, she wonders if she didn’t mess it up big time.

RELATED:
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Image credits: Karolina Grabowska (not the actual photo)

    Image credits: Timur Weber (not the actual photo)

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Image credits: still-not-sure

    Many people showed their support for the author in this situation

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Others, however, thought that everyone was to blame for leaving a toddler with a person she didn’t know

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Anyone can write on Bored Panda. Start writing!

    Follow Bored Panda on Google News!

    Share on Facebook
    Vote arrow up

    87

    Vote arrow down
    Open list comments

    64
    Vote arrow up
    Vote arrow down

    87

    Open list comments

    64

    Justinas Keturka

    Justinas Keturka

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    I'm the Visual Editor at Bored Panda, responsible for ensuring that everything our audience sees is top-notch and well-researched. What I love most about my job? Discovering new things about the world and immersing myself in exceptional photography and art.

    Read less »
    Justinas Keturka

    Justinas Keturka

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    I'm the Visual Editor at Bored Panda, responsible for ensuring that everything our audience sees is top-notch and well-researched. What I love most about my job? Discovering new things about the world and immersing myself in exceptional photography and art.

    Read less »
    Liucija Adomaite

    Liucija Adomaite

    Writer, Community member

    Read more »

    Liucija Adomaite is a creative mind with years of experience in copywriting. She has a dynamic set of experiences from advertising, academia, and journalism. This time, she has set out on a journey to investigate the ways in which we communicate ideas on a large scale. Her current mission is to find a magic formula for how to make ideas, news, and other such things spread like a virus.

    Read less »
    Liucija Adomaite

    Liucija Adomaite

    Writer, Community member

    Read more »

    Liucija Adomaite is a creative mind with years of experience in copywriting. She has a dynamic set of experiences from advertising, academia, and journalism. This time, she has set out on a journey to investigate the ways in which we communicate ideas on a large scale. Her current mission is to find a magic formula for how to make ideas, news, and other such things spread like a virus.

    Read less »
    What do you think ?
    Add photo comments
    POST
    beth_24 avatar
    Gabby Ghoul
    Gabby Ghoul
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I might say ESH but the phrase "step up to [her] responsibility as an aunt" grates on me. You had a child so now I have more responsibilities? I think not.

    Vote comment up
    45
    45points
    Vote comment down
    reply
    karladolman avatar
    Karla Dolman
    Karla Dolman
    Community Member
    2 years ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    Uh, do you think having children is a lifestyle luxury choice and not in fact vital for the future stability of society, especially with a currently aging population and falling birth rate? Do you not think family members have basic responsibility towards each other as requirement of being a part of a family, things like not agreeing to help and then cancelling for selfish reasons? I think I'd expect better from my siblings than that.

    Load More Replies...
    kaylaj avatar
    Kayla J
    Kayla J
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I think the OP did as best as she could in this situation and I don't think dropping off Ava at Jade's was that big of a deal. If Jade is a babysitter and a close friend, she will have OP's number in case Ava doesn't respond well to her and can call OP to have her cut her night short. My only suggestion to OP is to learn next time if its an important message to don't just accept it as being "read" with no communication after. Pick up the phone and call, confirm they understand even if it is family esp ones that take advantage of your free services.

    Vote comment up
    42
    42points
    Vote comment down
    reply
    benmaharaj avatar
    BenMaharaj
    BenMaharaj
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Beat me to it. Absolutely call and make sure they acknowledge and understand you are not available.

    Vote comment up
    8
    8points
    Vote comment down
    reply
    Load More Replies...
    vernon_bear avatar
    Gavin Johnson
    Gavin Johnson
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I have a daughter, 12, I also have a brother, he has two children,13 & 15,, we both have times when we use each other to look after each other’s children, they all get along very well. MY daughter is not his responsibility, HIS children are not my responsibility. With 5 days notice of changes to a plan for my daughter then it is on ME to be organised and work out a plan if that’s not possible then it’s on ME, she is my child and the number one priority is her so I have to rearrange my plans. That’s called being a parent, yes we use grandparents who love spending time with their grandchildren, yes we try to help each other out but there’s zero pressure to be ‘a good uncle’ or be inconvenienced by someone else’s lack of planning. FFS take ownership of your family and your commitments. You don’t come first, that ended when you decided to become a parent, yes your time is important but when it is your child that may suffer then it’s on YOU to take the hit. Tough.

    Vote comment up
    39
    39points
    Vote comment down
    reply
    Load More Comments
    POST
    beth_24 avatar
    Gabby Ghoul
    Gabby Ghoul
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I might say ESH but the phrase "step up to [her] responsibility as an aunt" grates on me. You had a child so now I have more responsibilities? I think not.

    Vote comment up
    45
    45points
    Vote comment down
    reply
    karladolman avatar
    Karla Dolman
    Karla Dolman
    Community Member
    2 years ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    Uh, do you think having children is a lifestyle luxury choice and not in fact vital for the future stability of society, especially with a currently aging population and falling birth rate? Do you not think family members have basic responsibility towards each other as requirement of being a part of a family, things like not agreeing to help and then cancelling for selfish reasons? I think I'd expect better from my siblings than that.

    Load More Replies...
    kaylaj avatar
    Kayla J
    Kayla J
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I think the OP did as best as she could in this situation and I don't think dropping off Ava at Jade's was that big of a deal. If Jade is a babysitter and a close friend, she will have OP's number in case Ava doesn't respond well to her and can call OP to have her cut her night short. My only suggestion to OP is to learn next time if its an important message to don't just accept it as being "read" with no communication after. Pick up the phone and call, confirm they understand even if it is family esp ones that take advantage of your free services.

    Vote comment up
    42
    42points
    Vote comment down
    reply
    benmaharaj avatar
    BenMaharaj
    BenMaharaj
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Beat me to it. Absolutely call and make sure they acknowledge and understand you are not available.

    Vote comment up
    8
    8points
    Vote comment down
    reply
    Load More Replies...
    vernon_bear avatar
    Gavin Johnson
    Gavin Johnson
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I have a daughter, 12, I also have a brother, he has two children,13 & 15,, we both have times when we use each other to look after each other’s children, they all get along very well. MY daughter is not his responsibility, HIS children are not my responsibility. With 5 days notice of changes to a plan for my daughter then it is on ME to be organised and work out a plan if that’s not possible then it’s on ME, she is my child and the number one priority is her so I have to rearrange my plans. That’s called being a parent, yes we use grandparents who love spending time with their grandchildren, yes we try to help each other out but there’s zero pressure to be ‘a good uncle’ or be inconvenienced by someone else’s lack of planning. FFS take ownership of your family and your commitments. You don’t come first, that ended when you decided to become a parent, yes your time is important but when it is your child that may suffer then it’s on YOU to take the hit. Tough.

    Vote comment up
    39
    39points
    Vote comment down
    reply
    Load More Comments
    Related on Bored Panda
    Related on Bored Panda
    Bored Panda's Original TV Shows
    Arrow point to left
    Arrow point to right
    Trending on Bored Panda
    Also on Bored Panda