Seasoned babysitters are aware that the kids they’re looking after can surprise them with wacky shenanigans, even if they’ve been perfect angels up until then. That’s why people who’ve been in this profession for a while need to know how to handle each situation, regardless of how weird it is.
This is exactly what happened to one woman who had been babysitting for her coworker, but finally wanted to stop after the kid secretly harmed her guppies. This bizarre situation made the caregiver reconsider helping her colleague.
More info: Reddit
Folks who work in childcare often need to set strong boundaries, especially if the kids they’re looking after misbehave and are enabled by their parents
Image credits: prostooleh / Magnific (not the actual photo)
The poster shared that she had been babysitting her coworker’s child for free for the past three years, and that one day she noticed that the kid had harmed her fish
Image credits: starast / Magnific (not the actual photo)
When the woman realized what the nine-year-old had done, she told her coworker that she would no longer babysit, as she didn’t want to put her fish in harm’s way
Image credits: jet-po / Magnific (not the actual photo)
The coworker tried to justify her kid’s actions instead of taking accountability, and refused to accept it when the poster suggested therapy for the girl
Image credits: freepik / Magnific (not the actual photo)
The poster also felt bad for refusing to babysit for her coworker anymore because she knew the woman was a single mom who often had to work two jobs
Image credits: dikushin / Magnific (not the actual photo)
Eventually, the poster confronted the child about her actions, and the little one justified it by saying she was only helping by getting rid of “extra” guppies
Image credits: BigONerd
The poster didn't know whether to believe the kid's explanation, but didn't probe further because the little girl got upset
The author explained that she had been looking after her single-mom colleague’s child almost every weekend for free, just to help her out and because the little girl was quite sweet. Unfortunately, one day, the woman found out that the kid had been taking her guppies out of the tank and secretly tossing them.
It can be quite creepy to find out that a little child has been harming animals, and research has found that sometimes this behavior could be due to curiosity, peer pressure, or even a reenactment of what they’ve observed before. So, adults need to monitor their actions and seek professional guidance on how to deal with it.
That’s why, when the OP realized what the nine-year-old was doing to her fish, she immediately told her coworker she wasn’t going to babysit her anymore. She didn’t think it was right to put her pets in harm’s way at all, even if she had been looking after the young girl for several years.
It can be really difficult to set boundaries as a babysitter, but most professionals say it’s important to do so immediately when your safety or time is threatened. This can look like giving parents consequences if they act too entitled or if their child gets out of line despite repeated complaints.
Image credits: Lap Dinh Quoc / Pexels (not the actual photo)
The poster felt guilty about refusing to provide childcare for her coworker, since she had been the little girl’s babysitter for almost 3 years. She also enjoyed the kid’s company because she was sweet and quiet, and hardly ever gave any trouble until now.
It also felt like a tough situation to put her colleague in because the other woman was a single mom who worked a lot. Despite that, she kept helping the poster out by covering shifts whenever needed, which is why the OP had decided to make things easier for her by babysitting for free almost every weekend.
In any other situation, the poster would probably have relented and provided childcare again, but this time she wanted to protect her pets. Experts also say the best way to get kids to stop engaging in such harmful behavior is to help them understand the importance of caring for animals and to appeal to their sense of compassion.
This is exactly what the OP tried to do when she met the girl again later, and she did her best to understand the kid’s perspective. She realized that the child only wanted to help her out by getting rid of some extra guppies, and that she probably didn’t understand that her behavior was wrong.
What do you think about the kid’s explanation, and do you feel the poster did the right thing by refusing to babysit again? We’d love to hear your honest thoughts on this story.
Folks felt that the girl and her mom needed to be held accountable and told the poster not to keep in touch with them anymore
