There’s quite a debate going on right now when it comes to how people with kids should behave in a society where there are a growing number of people who do not want kids of their own.
I think it’s fair to say, though, that no one should be expected to watch children not their own – especially without at least asking first.
OP is a single person who was at a family-friendly cookout with friends and co-workers. The age range was large and some people brought their children.
It was an indoor-outdoor situation with a backyard that was not fenced but backed up to a wooded area instead.
I(27m) was at a backyard cookout with some friends and coworkers. So the ages were late 20s to early 40s. It was a family friendly event so people brought their kids. They were playing in the yard while most of the adults hung out on the backyard deck. And like always, the parents saw other adults in the area and decided to just walk away and go inside.
I don’t know why this is a thing a lot of parents tend to do. Parents, why do you just walk away at outings and expect other people to watch your kids? I don’t get it. I could see if it is your immediate family but even then I would warn someone that I was not going to be watching for the safety of my kids.
Also want to note that the backyard is NOT fenced off. She brought that up a lot and I just retorted with “even more reason to stay with your kids.” The backyard was one of those open ones that opens into the forest.
No one was really watching the kids as they played outside – not even when it got darker and a bit cooler and most of the adults migrated indoors.
It was near the end of the night so some people were gone. It was also getting dark and colder so people were inside.
The kids were still running around the playing outside I decided to go home.
OP eventually decided he wanted to leave, said goodbye to the host, and made his way out to his car – only to be accosted by a parent asking why he was leaving the kids without telling anyone.
I went inside and said goodbye to the host. Then I got in my car out front and was on my phone for a minute and someone angrily walked up and asked me why I left the backyard. They said I was back there and they were counting on me to watch the kids.
Note that this was never said to me. They just went inside and said nothing. I was on the deck and at no point in the night was I ever paying attention to the kids. Nothing dangerous happened to the kids.
The parent just saw me walking to my car and freaked out.
He replied he wasn’t watching the kids, no one had asked him to, and it’s not his responsibility.
I told her it’s not my job to watch your kids but I probably would have stuck around IF I was asked. I was just sitting on the deck drinking beer and minding my own business.
I had already been going back and forth from outside to socialize the whole night like everyone else. Not sure why I was the one singled out.
There were times when another person happened to be outside and I was inside.
As a child-free person, he’s wondering whether or not he unknowingly did something wrong.
Did they assume we were taking shifts? I don’t get the mentality of parents but maybe I’m the a$$hole here.
Enter Reddit, who might honestly be a little bit confused…
The top comment points out that OP was there as a guest, not a babysitter.
Image Credit: Reddit
And this person pointed out that her assuming he was a babysitter without even speaking to him was super weird.
Image Credit: Reddit
This commenter says that, oddly, this is a thing that actually happens.
Image Credit: Reddit
They say beware, single people.
Image Credit: Reddit
This person says that a good parent would never expect anyone else to be responsible for their children.
Image Credit: Reddit
Y’all, this is a wild story.
I am responsible for my kids, full stop. How is this a thing?
