Nanny Goes Viral With 1.8M Views After Sharing Her Text Conversation With Delusional Parents

No, your babysitter is not your maid, nor are they your cleaning service. Unless your contract with them specifically states that you're paying them to clean your home, they are not obliged to do so. And yet, some parents are furious that babysitters simply do just what they're paid to do—look after their kids, nothing more.

One babysitter, Paige, went viral online after revealing the toxic text messages that her entitled clients sent her after she didn’t clean their incredibly messy home. Keep scrolling for the full story, including the internet’s mixed reactions to these parents’ massive egos and audacity.

Paige’s TikTok videos sparked a serious online discussion about the boundaries, challenges, and expectations babysitters face in their line of work. Many netizens supported her decision not to do any work for which she wasn’t paid. Especially work that wasn’t discussed beforehand. However, some internet users noted that they would have gone above and beyond their job description.

From our perspective, babysitters, like any other working professionals, need good communication to thrive. If your clients are unable to explain their needs and set the right expectations, they are setting themselves up for failure. It is emotionally messy to criticize someone for not reading your mind and for doing the job you agreed they’d do.

Moreover, it is unethical to threaten to withhold a part of someone’s pay for not doing secret tasks, like cleaning the home, that weren’t discussed and agreed on earlier.

If you want your house cleaned in between your child being taken care of, then you either need to agree to those terms (for much bigger pay, of course) with your babysitter, or you should hire a maid or cleaning service. Trying to guilt-trip your babysitter into taking on more (unpaid) labor reeks of greed, cheapness, and entitlement.

Nanny Magazine emphasizes that no nanny should feel like they’re being taken advantage of. What’s more, no family should hire a babysitter who “isn’t clear on the scope of their duties.”

“Communication is key. Both the employer and the employee should bring up job duty expectations and limitations early on in the relationship. It makes for a happier home and more pleasurable work environment.”

The key thing to remember is that if you’re not sure that the job you want to ask your nanny to do falls under their duties, then it most likely doesn’t. So, it’s important that you do not ask them to do it.

“You should never ask your nanny to perform duties that have nothing to do with your child unless this has been previously discussed and your nanny is being fairly compensated for the extra task,” Nanny Magazine explains.

“If you need your house cleaned, don’t ask your nanny to do it, and please refrain from offering her $50 extra a week to clean. While you may be tempted to think she would be interested in the extra money, remember that cleaning houses is not the job or career she chose for a reason. Offering a bit of money for someone to scrub your toilet does not make you respectful or considerate. It is unfair to associate your nanny’s chosen career with all other service-based jobs and assume they are interchangeable. Nannies care for and educate your kids. If nannies wanted to clean houses they would clean houses.”

You can set expectations and clear boundaries early on. For example, when you’re discussing your babysitting duties with your potential clients, you could mention something along the lines of your job being limited to taking care of their children, as well as cleaning up any messes made throughout the day.

Meanwhile, if you are willing to take on extra housework and chores, you can mention this and ask for a competitive rate. If you’re not, you can suggest a cleaning service. One of the hardest parts of working as a babysitter is avoiding feeling guilty and stopping yourself from saying “yes” to duties that you’re not paid to do.

What’s your perspective, Pandas? Whose side are you on? How would you react if your clients suddenly started guilt-tripping you for not doing something they never asked you to do and never agreed to? Have you ever worked as a babysitter before? What are the best and worst clients you've ever had? What are your tips for protecting your boundaries? Once you’ve finished reading everything, share your insights, opinions, and experiences in the comments below. We’ll see you there.