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Pregnant Woman Assumes Her Roommate Will Help Her Raise Her Baby, Gets A Reality Check
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Pregnant Woman Assumes Her Roommate Will Help Her Raise Her Baby, Gets A Reality Check

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Relationships come with obligations. Whether you need to comfort a friend during tough times, help an old neighbor carry their groceries up the stairs, or refrain from ramming the jerk who cut you off on the road, that’s just the reality of living in a society.

However, Reddit user Choice_Cherry_9641 started feeling that her roommates were pushing the limits too far. Even though the woman had been contributing to managing the household more than they had, the couple began throwing hints that they also expected her to take care of their newborn whenever they needed.

She refused to do so, but the two took it personally.

RELATED:

    Healthy relationships require boundaries

    Image credits: Jonathan Borba (not the actual photo)

    But when this woman refused to babysit her roommates’ child, they refused to reach an agreement

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    Image credits: Anastasia Shuraeva (not the actual photo)

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    It sounds like the woman had been putting up with quite a lot

    Image credits: cottonbro studio (not the actual photo)

    Roommates.com has conducted some research in the US into the biggest housemate red flags, and the couple from the post ticks off a lot of its boxes. The top pet peeves were:

    • Leaving the bathroom messy;
    • Leaving the kitchen messy;
    • Leaving dirty laundry out;
    • Someone who drinks all the time;
    • Pets (Not taking responsibility for them, etc.);
    • Playing loud music at night;
    • Inviting friends over too often;
    • Not paying shared bills.

    So a lot of people probably wouldn’t have put up with them as much as the Redditor did.

    As her story went viral, the woman released an update on the situation

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    Image credits: cottonbro studio (not the actual photo)

    Image source:

    And provided more information in the comments

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    If the couple, indeed, is struggling financially, they should be more thoughtful of childcare

    Childcare has long been one of the largest expenses for families, so a couple who is already having money troubles should be very deliberate about it.

    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) states that child care is considered affordable when it costs families no more than 7% of their household income, but according to the Care.com 2024 Cost of Care Report, parents are spending 24% of their household income on child care (vs. 27% in the prior year), with 60% spending 20% or more and (as compared to 67% last year) and 84% spending 10% or more (compared to 89% last year).

    According to the report:

    • the average weekly nanny cost is $766 (up 4% from $736 in 2022);
    • the average weekly daycare cost is $321 (up 13% from $284 in 2022);
    • the average weekly family care center cost is $230 (up 0.4% from $229 in 2022); and
    • the average weekly babysitter costs $192 (up 7% from $179 in 2022).

    Looking after a kid is a demanding job, and many people even pay their relatives if they are asking for substantial amounts of time. You cannot simply dump the burden on your roommate who has a life of their own whenever you want.

    Most of the people said she was behaving completely normally

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    But some think she could’ve expressed herself more empathetically

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    Ieva Pečiulytė

    Ieva Pečiulytė

    Author, BoredPanda staff

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    I'm a Visual Editor for Bored Panda. I’m also an analog collage artist. My love for images and experience in layering goes well with both creating collages by hand and working with digital images as an Editor. When I’m not using my kitchen area as an art studio I also do various experiments making my own cosmetics or brewing kombucha. When I’m not at home you would most definitely find me attending a concert or walking my dog.

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    Ieva Pečiulytė

    Ieva Pečiulytė

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    I'm a Visual Editor for Bored Panda. I’m also an analog collage artist. My love for images and experience in layering goes well with both creating collages by hand and working with digital images as an Editor. When I’m not using my kitchen area as an art studio I also do various experiments making my own cosmetics or brewing kombucha. When I’m not at home you would most definitely find me attending a concert or walking my dog.

    Rokas Laurinavičius

    Rokas Laurinavičius

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    Rokas is a writer at Bored Panda with a BA in Communication. After working for a sculptor, he fell in love with visual storytelling and enjoys covering everything from TV shows (any Sopranos fans out there?) to photography. Throughout his years in Bored Panda, over 300 million people have read the posts he's written, which is probably more than he could count to.

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    Rokas Laurinavičius

    Rokas Laurinavičius

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Rokas is a writer at Bored Panda with a BA in Communication. After working for a sculptor, he fell in love with visual storytelling and enjoys covering everything from TV shows (any Sopranos fans out there?) to photography. Throughout his years in Bored Panda, over 300 million people have read the posts he's written, which is probably more than he could count to.

    What do you think ?
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    Jessica Olson
    Community Member
    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That's why I picked set strict boundaries because it kindA does include every and more

    Load More Replies...
    Jane
    Community Member
    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I don't think people realise how screwed up the housing situation is in Australia where the OP is. There is a nation wide housing shortage and rental prices are through the roof. In my capital city there is a vacancy rate of less than 1% and one of my friends applied for 350 properties before getting one with an hour commute to work and a ridiculous amount of money. So for anyone who thinks that the OP can just move out, it's just not that simple, even when looking at a share house situation.

    Ge Po
    Community Member
    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In that case, this will become a hard lesson on setting your own boundaries and keeping them in place. It is the only way she will be able to finish her study and not be burnt out by then.

    Load More Replies...
    clairebear
    Community Member
    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I know this is a tricky situation, but she should stay put until she has finished her training. She will be in a much better position to move jobs/area when she is qualified. She can keep a look out for a room, or another shared place but until she is on more wages she is stuck.

    Aelin Wildfire
    Community Member
    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    She's never going to be able to finish her training if she's being drafted into caring for a newborn... They're going to loop her into this, and she won't be able to get out. If she's going, she needs to go -now-.

    Load More Replies...
    Load More Comments
    Jessica Olson
    Community Member
    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That's why I picked set strict boundaries because it kindA does include every and more

    Load More Replies...
    Jane
    Community Member
    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I don't think people realise how screwed up the housing situation is in Australia where the OP is. There is a nation wide housing shortage and rental prices are through the roof. In my capital city there is a vacancy rate of less than 1% and one of my friends applied for 350 properties before getting one with an hour commute to work and a ridiculous amount of money. So for anyone who thinks that the OP can just move out, it's just not that simple, even when looking at a share house situation.

    Ge Po
    Community Member
    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In that case, this will become a hard lesson on setting your own boundaries and keeping them in place. It is the only way she will be able to finish her study and not be burnt out by then.

    Load More Replies...
    clairebear
    Community Member
    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I know this is a tricky situation, but she should stay put until she has finished her training. She will be in a much better position to move jobs/area when she is qualified. She can keep a look out for a room, or another shared place but until she is on more wages she is stuck.

    Aelin Wildfire
    Community Member
    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    She's never going to be able to finish her training if she's being drafted into caring for a newborn... They're going to loop her into this, and she won't be able to get out. If she's going, she needs to go -now-.

    Load More Replies...
    Load More Comments
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