It is not an easy task to watch over a kid. It’s even more demanding when there are six, eight, or twelve of them. That is why nannies and kindergartens exist, so parents can leave their little ones in the safe hands of the professionals—people who choose to do this and get paid for it.

Some parents, however, tend to put this responsibility on others free of charge. They think that someone will look after their child without previously agreeing to it just because they’re around. A young woman on Reddit shared her story of being blamed for not looking after a child when she never agreed to it in the first place. She was expected to babysit kids at a family gathering when one of them wandered off to a nearby creek unsupervised. The dad of the kid was furious with rage and others called her a jerk for not taking care of the infants. She turned to the AITA community to be the judge of that.

Woman on Reddit discussed the time she was expected to watch over children and one wandered off unsupervised

Image credits: LightFieldStudios (not the actual photo)

Guests at family gatherings though she would be looking after their kids without her agreeing to it

Image credits: voronaman111 (not the actual photo)

Image credits: anon

Parents bear responsibility for their children from the second they’re born, so it’s understandable they seek help every once in a while. Grandparents often give them a hand in such situations. There are also nannies and people in kindergartens and schools to alleviate the load. In one way or another, all of them agree to take over responsibility for the tiny human for at least a moment.

When they do, these people are expected to ensure the safety of those in their care. But this expectation often comes from within us as well. For example, when left alone in a room with a toddler, a person will most likely stop them from reaching for any sharp objects nearby. It doesn’t really matter if it’s common sense or natural instinct that does it, but a person feels responsible for the kid all of a sudden.

There are times when parents use this trait maliciously. They get used to their kid being safe around a certain person and start shifting responsibility without any warning. It is not only unfair but dangerous as well; the person might not be paying as close attention as they would if they knew what’s expected of them. In similar cases, parents often don’t watch over their children, and if others don’t know that they should, the kid might be left unsupervised.

People at the family gathering were repeatedly taking advantage of the OP’s sense of responsibility. They never asked her to take care of their kids but then scolded her the second one went missing. Some even considered the girl to be a jerk, but is it fair to leave someone you care for unattended and blame others if something happens?

The r/AITA community had lots to say but most members agreed that the OP was not the jerk

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