Folks, this isn’t cool…

Unless you clear it with someone first, don’t speak up and volunteer them to do ANYTHING.

And especially don’t volunteer them to watch someone’s kids.

That’s what happened to this woman and she asked the fine folks on Reddit if she was wrong for putting her foot down and refusing to do it.

Read on and see what you think.

AITA For Not Watching My Neighbor’s Kids?

“My neighbor asked this morning for people to watch her kids (7 and 9) this week.

It is spring break, so they are out of school. She had a sitter lined up but things fell through at the last second, and she cannot take time off work all week at the last second without being fired.

A number of our neighbors agreed to watch them for certain periods of time, ranging from a few hours to a couple of full days, so it seems like she’s mostly covered but just has Friday afternoon left to go.

Thanks a lot…

My immediate next door neighbor, a retiree who is watching the kids today, chimed in that “PolkaDotPenguins1945 works from home on Fridays. You should ask her to watch them.” She tagged me in the comment, and then the mom replied by tagging me again and saying that would be great and she’d really appreciate it.

I said, “I’m sorry, but I can’t watch them.” It quickly turned into the Inquisition–Why not? Am I going into the office that day? If I’m going to be home, what’s the problem? If my house isn’t child proofed, I can watch them at hers, so what’s the problem?

Well…

Firstly, I don’t want to. It isn’t just that I know nothing about kids (which I don’t!) but also I am actively uncomfortable around them. More importantly, I will be in my home office actually working. I can’t supervise them. I don’t know how much active supervision 7 and 9 year olds need, but my house is full of expensive things.

I also have zero child proofing and couldn’t even tell you for sure where all my chemicals and rat poison are kept. I have an enormous dog who is clumsy, excitable, and has never been around kids except from a distance on walks.

And I can’t just watch them at her house instead, because I NEED to be in my home office working. It isn’t the kind of job I can easily do on a laptop screen. (I use a 45-inch monitor at home.)

I explained this all briefly in response to questions (“My house is the opposite of child proofed”; “I can’t go to her house because my job requires the set up I have in my home office”). I didn’t mention the I don’t like kids part.

These people need to mind their own business.

The neighbors are all piling on and commenting negatively. Saying it’s “just excuses,” that if they worked from home / wouldn’t be at Disney World / didn’t have a softball game / whatever they’d absolutely watch her kids for her.

I am tempted to comment “What’s stopping you from taking her kids with you to your softball game, if it matters that much to you?” but I haven’t.

I’m not going to watch her kids either way, but I need a sanity check here.

Am I really that big of a jerk for not stepping up and watching a neighbor’s kids for a few hours, or have I just accidentally moved into a hive of mama bears who all have the same mass delusion?”

Reddit users shared their thoughts.

This person said she’s NTA.

Another reader agreed.

This individual shared their thoughts.

Another person said she’s NTA.

And this reader shared their thoughts.

Babysitting other peoples’ kids in not something you volunteer other people to do.

If you enjoyed that story, read this one about a mom who was forced to bring her three kids with her to apply for government benefits, but ended up getting the job of her dreams.