If you don’t live near any family members, it can be very helpful to have trusted friends and neighbors who are happy to help when you have a new baby in the house.

In this story, two couples are in that situation. They live in the same neighborhood, and they often help each other out. Actually, more specifically, one couple often helps the other couple out. I’m not sure they’ve ever actually returned the favor.

None of this was a problem until one day when the neighbors needed a last minute babysitter for their older child. Only, they made a mistake and forgot to mention that they actually needed a babysitter for their baby too.

Now, the couple who has been happy to help for so long might not be willing to help anymore. Is the friendship over? Should it be? Let’s read the whole story to decide.

AIO for not wanting to help neighbours and babysit for them?

We have neighbours (K is the husband and S is the wife) from the same country that we are from, who we met about 6 months ago.

For context, we both live abroad with no families at all that can help with babysitting etc.

When I found out S is expecting a 3rd baby, I offered to help as much as I could since she couldn’t call her parents over this time around due to her husband losing his job when she was in her 3rd trimester.

I would cook meals and have them sent to their home so they wouldn’t have to worry, and when she had her c-section and had the baby we often visited the hospital and even did school pickups for her other 2 kids.

OP is a mom too now, but the neighbors are still asking for favors.

Now I have my own 10 month baby who is a handful, and I am the main caretaker with no househelp or nannies as I am a SAHM.

My husband also lost his job a week after our neighbours so he’s been helping as much as he can.

Now a few days ago, K calls my husband to ask if I can go upstairs and stay for 30 to 40 mins while they go to the hospital for S to have her stitches checked. The reason I was to stay upstairs was because their elderly 9 year old girl was sick and the cleaner was home, so they just wanted me to supervise her.

I received the same call from S at the same time that K was on the call with my husband, and she said the same to supervise the cleaner etc etc.

But they didn’t just want her to watch the 9-year-old.

I go upstairs with my 10 month baby who hasn’t had her bottle so I take her bottle/diapers too. I was also feeling unwell which I had mentioned to S early that morning.

My baby starts fussing and I give her the bottle. She’s still midway when I hear another baby cry.

S and K had left their 7 day old at home without mentioning it to me. No instructions, no preparation as to where the diapers or formula or feeder etc are. Just no mention that they’re leaving him home in my care.

I of course have to stop my own baby’s care and feed and am scrambling around asking the 9yo where the feeder and formula are and what water I’m supposed to use.

It was a lot.

My baby is meanwhile feeling jealous and is whining.

I do what I can, burp him and put him in his little foamy holder and lie him down on the sofa while I try to juggle my own baby.

S and K show up after another hour or so, calling every half hour or so asking how it is.

When I mentioned that I didn’t know you left the baby here S acted shocked that K didn’t tell me.

She’s pretty appalled at their behavior.

I am beyond surprised at the disrespect after having taken care of them at their beck and call.

They just left a 7 day old in my care without considering my own baby and without even guiding me on his stuff.

I think it’s a big deal but to them it might not be so serious, and now I don’t feel like doing anything for them anymore to help her postpartum time.

Yikes! Those neighbors certainly sound entitled, but more than that, a 7 day old baby? I can’t imagine leaving a 7 day old baby with anyone, even a trusted neighbor, especially without any warning!

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a skate shop employee who got in trouble with parents for trying to protect their toddler.

Let’s see how Reddit responded to this story.

This person thinks the situation sounds scary.

This person encourages her to say “no” from now on.

Here’s another vote for saying “no.”

A former babysitter weighs in.

I can’t imagine forgetting to mention that your 7 day old baby will be at home too. How does a new mom forget to mention her baby and fail to provide childcare instructions for her? That’s crazy!

I don’t blame her if she never babysits for them again. It sounds like the relationship was awfully one-sided anyway, a lot of give, and give, and give, with the other couple happily taking without ever giving back.

Maybe they can talk it out and recover the friendship, but I agree with just saying “no” to babysitting from now on. She doesn’t need to justify it or explain why, although having her own 10-month-old baby to take care of sounds like a good excuse to me.

It was good while it lasted, but now she needs to just say “no.”