Babysitting might seem like an easy job, because we let young teenagers do it, but in fact, it’s one that can be not a lot of fun.

OP babysits for extra money and because she likes kids. One family, though, has gotten on her last nerve because the mom never comes home when she says she will.

I (28F) do babysitting on the weekends to make some babysitting on the weekends to make extra cash.

There is one family I definitely should’ve fazed out by now but the kids are cute and if I don’t have another job, it’s easy money. My issue is, the mom is never home on time.

She used to not give me return times but finally I started asking as it made it impossible to get anything done on the weekends. I’d go babysit so she could go to “brunch” but she’d be gone from 11 AM to 7 PM. My whole day was gone.

OP has tried asking for hard return times, has told the mom she has other plans, etc, but nothing has worked.

After that, she’d start giving me times but never stick to them. She wouldn’t even call to tell me, she’d just stay out.

This night, she promised (in writing) to be home by 9 because OP had plans of her own. When midnight came and went, OP told the woman (over text) that she was going to call the police if she wasn’t home in an hour.

On Saturday, I got to her house at 6 and she was supposed to be home by 9. I told her she needed to be on time because I had plans to go out with friends. I was even getting ready at their house after I put the kids to bed.

She promised.

Of course, 9:00 rolls around and she’s not home. I call her, no response. Text, no response. Another hour. Nothing. Still calling and texting.

Finally, it is midnight. By this point, my plans are long ruined but I’m mad and exhausted.

I call her and leave a voicemail saying if she’s not home in the next hour, I’m considering the kids abandoned and calling the cops. I also text her this.

The mom did not respond to calls or texts, so after the hour plus some grace time, OP followed through and called the police.

I try calling her 30 minutes later and it goes to voicemail on the second ring, I text her again and she leaves me on read. If she had reached out saying “Hey, I’m staying out until x time”, I would’ve stayed. I don’t know any of her family nor the father of the kids so I can’t call them.

I gave her a grace period of 15 minutes and tried calling again, finally called the cops (non-emergency line).

They took the kids and OP woke up at home to a frantic call from the mom. When OP told her to check the police station, the woman cursed her out.

They showed up and I showed our agreement in text from earlier in the week confirming that she’d be home by 9. They try contacting her, didn’t answer.

I was dismissed and they took the children to the police station. I go home and go to bed.

I am awoken at 3 AM by a frantic call. It’s her. Where are the kids? Why am I not here? I tell her I followed through on my threat, check the police station.

She cursed me out, I hung up and went to bed.

Now, the mom is being investigated and the kids’ father is involved, and OP’s friends with kids say she went too far.

The next day, she sends me an essay saying the kids’ father was called and there’s a DCF investigation launched against her.

She called me every name under the sun but I didn’t think I was wrong until I spoke to a friend with kids.

She said I should’ve just waited it out and refuse to ever sit for her again. She asked if her potentially losing her kids was worth me being petty.

Does Reddit agree?

The top comment says mom was basically a missing person at that point.

This person points out that she could have been ignoring emergency calls, for all she knew.

And this commenter says the mom totally knew she was taking advantage and would have continued.

They say there is just so much wrong with this behavior.

This person says it sounds like this might be the wakeup call the mom needs.

This mom is behaving irresponsibly.

This is what happens. Sorry not sorry.