Siblings have complicated relationships, as many have spent years going back and forth between being best friends and sworn enemies depending on the day. But when push comes to shove, most of us would do anything we can to help out our brothers and sisters. After all, we share a unique and special bond with them that just can’t be broken.
Well, it can’t be broken easily. But if you start demanding too much from your siblings, they might not be willing to lend a hand anymore. One woman reached out to the Entitled People subreddit detailing how her sister tried to force her and her great-grandmother to babysit her children for a week without even asking. Below, you’ll find the full story, as well as some of the replies invested readers shared.
It's often challenging for parents for find reliable babysitters
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But when this woman's sister tried forcing her to babysit her kids for a week, she simply refused to take them
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Image credits: EyeEm / freepik (not the actual photo)
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Using family members for childcare can be risky
Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)
It’s not always easy for parents to find babysitters. Unless they have a full-time nanny or a few on-call sitters, there will likely be times when Mom and Dad just can’t find someone to watch the kids. And when you’re in a pinch, family members might be your saving grace.
Having parents or siblings nearby can be extremely helpful when raising kids, especially if they don’t mind hanging out with the kiddos. But The Enchanted Aunt warns that there are pros and cons to using family members for childcare, so you might want this option to be a last resort.
On one hand, it’s extremely convenient. Parents will probably have a general idea of their relatives’ schedules, so they might know exactly when they’ll be available to watch the kids. Plus, Mom and Dad can relax and have peace of mind when they leave their little ones with someone they know and trust, like their parents or siblings.
This might also allow the parents to save money, if their relatives refuse to take payment or will accept a lower rate than a professional sitter would. And spending time with the kids can be a great bonding opportunity that allows the little ones to grow closer to their family members.
However, there are some risks associated with hiring relatives for childcare. It’s important not to use their services too often, or it might lead to resentment in your relationship. Especially if they are elderly, have a busy schedule or children of their own, it’s crucial to respect their time and boundaries.
It can also be more challenging to set or enforce household rules with relatives who might believe that they know better. This can be particularly difficult if they’re not being paid for their time like a typical babysitter would be.
And if anything goes wrong, it can be tricky trying to fire a family member and replace them with someone else. Before enlisting the help of relatives, it’s important to consider whether it’s worth the potential risks that may damage your relationship.
Leaving kids in the care of someone who hasn't agreed to watch them may qualify as abandonment
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Now, this particular situation wasn’t just about the babysitting. It was also about the fact that the mother tried to pass off her kids to her relatives without getting their permission. And depending on where this family lives, this might even qualify as child abandonment.
According to LawInfo, criminal child abandonment usually means that the parent has physically left their child somewhere without any intention of returning. For example, leaving a baby on someone’s doorstep or a child on the side of the road.
But there’s also emotional abandonment, which is illegal in certain states. This includes leaving children in someone else’s care without the provisions needed to take care of them, failing to regularly visit a child for half a year, failing to respond to child custody notices or child protective notices, and/or leaving a child home alone for a dangerously long amount of time.
The penalties for child abandonment vary from state to state, depending on whether the state considers the offense a felony or misdemeanor. But in some cases, this can lead to jail time, fines of up to $2,000 or even prison time for up to six years. While we don't know where this particular family lives, it's clear that the mother could have found herself in hot water if she decided to call the police.
We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. How would you have responded if you were in the author’s shoes? Feel free to weigh in, and then, you can find another Bored Panda article discussing similar family drama right here.
Readers were appalled by the sister's behavior, and the author joined in to share more details about her situation
