Working from home doesn’t mean being available 24/7.

When one woman’s sister learns her job is fully remote, “flexibility” suddenly becomes an excuse for free babysitting.

The misunderstanding quickly turns into her whole family conspiring to make her feel like an awful person.

Keep reading for the full story.

AITAH for refusing to babysit my sister’s kids for free now that I work from home?

So, I recently got a fully remote job.

It’s been great—better pay, more flexibility, and no commute.

But her family soon misconstrued her flexibility with availability.

My older sister (35F) has two kids (4M and 2F), and ever since she found out I work from home, she’s been asking me to watch them during the day “since I’m home anyway.”

I told her I can’t. I have actual work to do.

I’m in meetings, I have deadlines, and I’m not just sitting around watching Netflix.

Her sister didn’t understand this at all.

She pushed back, saying that since I don’t have to leave the house, it wouldn’t be hard to keep an eye on them while I work.

After saying no multiple times, I finally said that if she wants me to babysit, even part-time, she’d need to pay me just like she would with a nanny or daycare.

Her sister then managed to turn the entire family against her.

She got really upset and accused me of being selfish.

She said family should help each other and that I “don’t understand what it’s like to be a mom.”

She then told our parents, who are now saying I should be more supportive because she’s “struggling.”

But she thinks this is totally unfair.

I love my niece and nephew, but I also love my job and don’t want to jeopardize it by turning into a free babysitter.

I offered to help on weekends or in emergencies, but apparently that’s not enough.

AITA?

When will people understand that remote work is real work?

Redditors chime in with their thoughts.

If her sister is this ungrateful, maybe it’s time to stop helping her altogether.

Capitulating to her sister could have serious consequences.

Her sister seems to be the one who lacks understanding.

When you’re forced to split your time between jobs, you’re bound to perform worse at both.

She offered support where it made sense, not where it risked her job.

At the end of the day, a remote job is still a job, not free childcare with Wi-Fi.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check this one out about a man who created a points system for his inheritance, and a family friend ends up getting almost all of it.