It’s easy for some people to forget that childcare is a full-time job, not just a nice favor.

One babysitter tried her best to support a family she once cared about, even while managing money problems, homelessness and a new baby.

So when the family stalled a $75 payment for a month, yet kept buying luxury items, she realized her time and expertise weren’t being valued at all.

You’ll want to keep reading on for the full story.

AITA for quitting my babysitting job over $75?

A few years ago, I picked up a babysitting gig for this family in town.

I was to babysit on an as-needed basis, which meant that I was typically asked short notice to babysit, sometimes even asked to go to the store for them (sometimes spotting the bill), and even dog-sit.

I had no problem doing this, as it was just side money and I liked the family and the kids.

I liked being helpful to them.

Then this babysitter was hit with some hardships.

My lease ended in June, and I gave them notice months beforehand that we may move out of town and hours away, so they should find a new sitter.

I was also pregnant at the time and didn’t intend on babysitting with my kiddo.

Long story short, we ended up moving 3 times this summer due to becoming homeless, but ended up moving back to town.

Babysitting, understandably, took a backseat in her life.

This whole time of being homeless, and moving, and all the craziness, I was begged about when I was coming back to babysit.

I didn’t have an answer.

I never said I would come back, but I felt a lot of financial pressure from all of the moves, and pressure from the family to come back.

But when she finally came back to babysitting, she knew she needed to make some changes.

So when we moved back to town, I started babysitting again. My son came with me, and it was okay.

The big change was that it was no longer as-needed, I now had a schedule.

I raised my prices because a) I didn’t want the job, b) Covid hazard, c) regular hours, d) their dog is a jerk and e) I was watching 3 kids instead of 2.

She thought the price increase was rather reasonable.

I didn’t raise the prices that much.

For one kid I went from $12 to $14, and for both of their kids it went from $15 to $16.

But the family no longer prioritized paying her in a timely manner.

Payments started coming late.

They asked to pay biweekly because I was working regular hours each week instead of as-needed.

That was fine.

The family insisted they just needed more time.

But then Christmas rolled around. They TOLD me, not asked, about an extension on a $75 payment.

Fine.

I ended up waiting for over 1 month for them to pay me.

But the babysitter couldn’t help but notice they had no problem spending money on other things.

Each time I went over, there were more gifts under the tree for their kids.

On Facebook, the wife posted a motorized vehicle toy that she gifted to her nephew for his 1-year birthday ($200).

Then, one day, I went over, and there was a massage chair in their dining room.

I was furious.

So finally, she quit the terrible job, but the family wasn’t happy.

I decided to quit after my fiancé bought me a tablet for Christmas to pursue an art commission business, but mostly because paying me was not a priority to them clearly.

When I messaged the wife, she asked why, and I told her.

I said it’s strictly business, but on a personal level, I was struggling with money and that $75 was gift money for my own son. (By the time I got paid, Christmas had passed.)

She got very angry and stated that their financials are none of my business, and insisted that I was being rude.

The family tried to clear their names, but it was too little, too late.

She sent me a receipt for the massage chair and stated that it’s on a payment plan and she paid only $90 to get it (it’s a $1000 chair).

I told her that $75 of that $90 could’ve been used to pay me.

I put in my two weeks, and each time I went over I was met with the silent treatment.

AITA?

Sounds like this family was a trainwreck she really needed to get away from.

What did Reddit think?

Being paid on time is pretty much the bare minimum for any job.

If you turn a blind eye to late payments, certain people start feeling like they can get away with it.

This nanny knows all about advocating for her value.

This family’s behavior says a lot about their priorities.

If this family could afford a massage chair, they could afford to pay their sitter on time.

$75 is $75 — especially when you really need the money.

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.