Aunt Drew A Firm Boundary Around Babysitting Time, But Her Sister Still Expected Extra Help Whenever Other Childcare Plans Fell Apart
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Regularly helping with childcare can quietly become an expectation instead of an appreciated favor.
A young woman watches her niece five days weekly but established a firm cutoff for each babysitting shift.
Instead of honoring that boundary, her sister repeatedly pressured her to extend one afternoon after childcare plans collapsed.
11 refusals somehow still weren’t clear enough.
AITA for not wanting to take care of my niece?
I (22F) have been taking care of my niece for my (24y) sister, I’d say roughly 5 days out of the week for a year or two by now.
It varies honestly depending on how helpful the father of my niece is that week.
Mostly, I do so in the mornings from anywhere between 9am-4pm. I’ve made it clear I won’t be taking care of her till night and she has agreed upon it.
HOWEVER, this “deal” was made because previously I would take care of her daughter from 9am-1pm and then she’d be home to take care of her till she starts her second job at 4-5pm so then I’d take over in caring for her again until my sister decides to come home..
That doesn’t seem like it was part of the rules.
This deal was almost broken yesterday. Her shift was suppose to end at 4pm, soo considering the drive she would’ve gotten home by 4:30ish pm.
But I received a message from her at 4:21pm that stated; “I’m still stuck at work the person that was suppose to be here at 4:15 isn’t here yet.
If she doesn’t show up ima have to stay around till 7:30 or 8ish.
I’m sooo sorry I’m at work frfr and I could use the extra hrs that I’m going to miss Wednesday and Tuesday.”
I told her that its not my problem, she went on to saying that she’s aware that it’s not my problem but that she’s letting me know about her situation so I asked then who’s going to be taking care of her daughter then.
This girl needs to plan better.
She said that she’s asking if I can watch her just for today since she cant find anyone last minute to watch her since she called my nieces father and he didn’t pick up, even said she’ll buy me anything I want if I do so.
Told her then pay a babysitter, she said she’ll pay me or will tell the baby daddy to pay me.
Ive rejected about 11 times by that point, constant saying how it’s just for today and that she can’t leave her job and that she totally understands how I feel but that it’s just for today and that she’s sorry but I flat out said “I said no stop trying to convince me.”
And that’s final.
Then she hit me with a double message saying “well I don’t have anyone dude” & “what part of that you don’t get” she did say that lol I wish I was joking.
I then told her “and what about u? What part of “no” do you not get?”
After all that she ended up telling me to just pack her stuff since an aunt will be picking her at up at 5:15pm (assuming she called within the two minutes she didn’t reply to my message) and that’s that.
AITA? Please feel free to give your honest opinions on this matter and if you have questions I’ll try to answer them.
Most people agree she was right to hold firm on her boundaries.
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This person says she’s being exploited.
This person say this has become a full-time job.
If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a mother who thinks it’s the school’s job to discipline her unruly child, not hers.
And this person says she owes her sister nothing.
This aunt already provides extensive childcare, and she wasn’t wrong for refusing an unexpected extension beyond their agreed schedule.
Her sister found another relative almost immediately, proving that repeatedly pressuring the original babysitter wasn’t her only available option.
She asked eleven times like “no” might eventually unlock a bonus level.
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