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Kids Completely Wreck Aunt’s Apartment, Mom Gets Defensive When She Loses Her Free Babysitter
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Kids Completely Wreck Aunt’s Apartment, Mom Gets Defensive When She Loses Her Free Babysitter

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Finding childcare as a single parent can be challenging. Statistics show that single parents rely on weekly childcare more than households with two parents. Not every single parent can afford to pay for childcare, and that’s where family members come in. But lately, few want to do it at all.

This woman, for example, refused to babysit her sister’s kids again after they “trashed” her place. She shared her story online and asked people whether her stance was as unreasonable as her sister and the rest of the family were making it out to be.

This aunt had to deal with a trashed apartment after babysitting her sister’s kids

Image credits: deriabinanatalia / envatoelements (not the actual photo)

When she brought it up to her sister, all she got was the good old “Kids will be kids”

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Image credits: Drazen Zigic / freepik (not the actual photo)

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Image credits: Infamous_Angle_385

Babysitting may seem like an easy job, but looking after small children can be a real challenge

Image credits: Kireyonok_Yuliya / freepik (not the actual photo)

There were many different opinions about who was at fault in this story. Although the majority agreed that the woman by no means should feel obliged to babysit again, some pointed out that she was simply not ready. The OP writes in her story that she loves her nieces and nephews and would probably babysit again if they would be, like the mother promised, “on their best behavior.”

But, in some cases, the reality is that children up to age six can be real mess-makers. As one commenter noted, “You literally have to keep an eye on them.” Another Redditor made a brilliant observation: “You need arms like an octopus.”

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Asking family members to babysit has its advantages: it’s definitely less costly and parents don’t have to make any special arrangements. Parents also might feel the children are safer with a family member than with a stranger.

However, babysitting isn’t a walk in the park, especially when there are three kids! Experts often have guidelines for first-time professional babysitters. So, it’s no surprise that the OP had a hard time, considering she’s not experienced in childcare.

Professional babysitters often have to complete courses where they learn age-specific knowledge and how to handle common kid behaviors like tantrums, separation anxiety, and bedtime battles.

“It really is a responsibility to take care of someone so young; so many things could go wrong,” Leanne Hoekstra, a babysitting course instructor and author of “The Ultimate Babysitting Course Manual,told Care.

Ultimately, small kids need a lot of attention and care. Perhaps some netizens are right to say that the OP was naive to expect that three kids under the age of six would behave like adults. Still, the sister’s blasé attitude towards the damages is worrying at best, and the author is under no obligation to babysit for her again if she doesn’t want to.

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The best ways to handle misbehaving children are to distract them and childproof their surroundings

Image credits: rawpixel.com / freepik (not the actual photo)

Children misbehave – that’s just the unfortunate reality. While they are unruly more with their parents than with relatives or babysitters, they might still misbehave. The experts at Michigan State University Extension recommend being ready to meet the challenges that might arise while babysitting in any context.

First, it’s helpful to childproof the surroundings. Perhaps the biggest mistake the OP made was to leave any precious belongings that the kids could get into out in the open. It’s a good prevention strategy: removing hazards is easier than constantly chasing after the kids.

Children often misbehave because they seek attention or feel bored. Since small children have short attention spans, a babysitter’s best bet is to divert their attention elsewhere. Be it toys, storytime, or even screens: anything that doesn’t involve destruction.

Michigan State University Extension advises ignoring the bad and positively reinforcing the good. Notice when they’re doing something good, like sharing toys or eating in front of the kitchen table instead of the sofa, and praise them. Granted, that’s mostly for the six-year-old since neither the four-year-old nor the two-year-old can fully grasp that.

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Many people said the woman wasn’t at fault, but, if she babysits again, she should do so at her sister’s place

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However, some thought that it was her own fault for expecting little kids to behave like adults

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Kornelija Viečaitė

Kornelija Viečaitė

Writer, BoredPanda staff

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Hi there, fellow pandas! As a person (over)educated both in social sciences and literature, I'm most interested in how we connect and behave online (and sometimes in real life too.) The human experience is weird, so I try my best to put its peculiarities in writing. As a person who grew up chronically online, I now try to marry two sides of myself: the one who knows too much about MySpace, and the one who can't settle and needs to see every corner of the world.

Read less »
Kornelija Viečaitė

Kornelija Viečaitė

Writer, BoredPanda staff

Hi there, fellow pandas! As a person (over)educated both in social sciences and literature, I'm most interested in how we connect and behave online (and sometimes in real life too.) The human experience is weird, so I try my best to put its peculiarities in writing. As a person who grew up chronically online, I now try to marry two sides of myself: the one who knows too much about MySpace, and the one who can't settle and needs to see every corner of the world.

Viktorija Ošikaitė

Viktorija Ošikaitė

Author, BoredPanda staff

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I'm a visual editor here at Bored Panda and I enjoy a good laugh. My work ranges from serious topics related to toxic work environments and relationship difficulties to humorous articles about online shopping fails and introvert memes. When I'm not at my work desk, checking if every single pixel is in the right place, I usually spend my free time playing board games, taking pictures, and watching documentaries

Read less »

Viktorija Ošikaitė

Viktorija Ošikaitė

Author, BoredPanda staff

I'm a visual editor here at Bored Panda and I enjoy a good laugh. My work ranges from serious topics related to toxic work environments and relationship difficulties to humorous articles about online shopping fails and introvert memes. When I'm not at my work desk, checking if every single pixel is in the right place, I usually spend my free time playing board games, taking pictures, and watching documentaries

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Cee Cee
Community Member
3 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Shouldn't have had these kids in her place. Babysit them in their own home.

Nina
Community Member
3 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yta seem a bit unfair. She doesn't have kids so has no idea how to control them. The sister already raised them like s**t, but it's not totally her fault for the trashed apartment.

Tabitha
Community Member
3 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Honestly, it sounds like the sister is the one who doesn’t know what it’s like to be a parent, even though she’s had three kids with only two years in between them. BTW, where’s the father—-or fathers?—-and their families in all this mess? Why aren’t they being roped in to babysit?

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BewilderedBanana
Community Member
3 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I never understand why someone would be an AH, or even need to ask whether they are an AH, for not wanting to baby-sit someone's kids. Whether they wrecked your apartment on a previous occasion or not, if you don't want to do something like that, you have every right to not do it, without the need to justify yourself. If anyone asks you for a favour, and you say no, you're not an AH. Whenever you ask someone for a favour, you have to be prepared for a possible refusal. Otherwise it's not a favour but an obligation and that's a completely different kettle of fish.

StumblingThroughLife
Community Member
3 days ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This! ⏫ So many relatives (and parents) act like it's (mostly) a woman's DUTY to babysit, and become AHs when you decline. Women being sexist towards women, basically, like it's 'a female's place', expecting them to agree - and instinctively KNOW how to look after kids. They're only berating her because she's dared to say no, and she should say "Well, what's stopping you from doing it?" and listen to the excuses.

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Cee Cee
Community Member
3 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Shouldn't have had these kids in her place. Babysit them in their own home.

Nina
Community Member
3 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yta seem a bit unfair. She doesn't have kids so has no idea how to control them. The sister already raised them like s**t, but it's not totally her fault for the trashed apartment.

Tabitha
Community Member
3 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Honestly, it sounds like the sister is the one who doesn’t know what it’s like to be a parent, even though she’s had three kids with only two years in between them. BTW, where’s the father—-or fathers?—-and their families in all this mess? Why aren’t they being roped in to babysit?

Load More Replies...
BewilderedBanana
Community Member
3 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I never understand why someone would be an AH, or even need to ask whether they are an AH, for not wanting to baby-sit someone's kids. Whether they wrecked your apartment on a previous occasion or not, if you don't want to do something like that, you have every right to not do it, without the need to justify yourself. If anyone asks you for a favour, and you say no, you're not an AH. Whenever you ask someone for a favour, you have to be prepared for a possible refusal. Otherwise it's not a favour but an obligation and that's a completely different kettle of fish.

StumblingThroughLife
Community Member
3 days ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This! ⏫ So many relatives (and parents) act like it's (mostly) a woman's DUTY to babysit, and become AHs when you decline. Women being sexist towards women, basically, like it's 'a female's place', expecting them to agree - and instinctively KNOW how to look after kids. They're only berating her because she's dared to say no, and she should say "Well, what's stopping you from doing it?" and listen to the excuses.

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