Balancing work, education, and family commitments isn’t easy, especially when unexpected requests come up.

So, what would you do if a family member called for last-minute babysitting, but you had an important obligation of your own?

Would you drop everything to help?

Or would you explain why you just can’t do it this time?

In the following story, one sibling is left questioning their choice when faced with this exact dilemma.

Here’s how it unfolded.

AITA for refusing to babysit my niece at the last minute?

I work full-time and recently started taking evening classes to finish my degree.

My schedule is packed, and I rely on my evenings to study or attend classes.

My sister Emily has a four-year-old daughter named Lila.

I love my niece, and I’ve babysat her many times when she asks in advance.

Last week, Emily called me about an hour before my class to ask if I could watch Lila for a few hours.

She said she and her husband both had work emergencies.

I told her I had an important class that evening, which included a review session for an upcoming exam.

I apologised but said I couldn’t miss it and she would need to figure something else out.

Their mother was able to watch Lila, but Emily is still upset.

Emily ended up calling our mom, who was able to go over and watch Lila.

Now, she is upset with me and says I was selfish for not helping when she really needed it.

She said she would not have asked unless it was a real emergency.

My mom also mentioned that I could have made it work since Emily has a lot on her plate with her job and being a mom.

I feel bad for saying no but I also feel like I had a valid reason.

AITA?

Eek! It’s easy to see both sides of this story, but the mother did step in and help.

Let’s see what advice the fine folks over at Reddit have to offer her.

Harsh but true.

This person thinks her obligation was just as important as their work emergencies.

According to this person, maybe they just wanted date night.

Here’s someone who thinks the sister should’ve planned for times like this before having a kid.

Good point.

The sister needs to calm down.

Her mother stepped in and helped, so not sure what it matters who watches the daughter, as long as someone is there.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check out what happened when a family gave their in-laws a free place to stay in exchange for babysitting, but things changed when they don’t hold up their end of the bargain.