In this world, unfortunately, there are very often cases when we’re needed, even by our closest relatives, not because we are who we actually are, but because we are assessed solely from the point of view of possible usefulness. Our opinion in such a case, of course, is not taken into account...
So the author of our story today, the user u/IglossTovon, by the will of fate had to live with his father, who many years ago abandoned his mom, and literally the first thing they wanted from him in the new place was to become a “built-in” babysitter. However, our hero just said no way!
More info: Reddit
The author of the post is 17 years old and recently had to move in with his father after his mom was placed in a care home
Image credits: xxx / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
The man had his fiancée living with him, and two little kids - a 3-year-old and a 6-month-old
Image credits: IglossTovon
Image credits: Freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Soon after, the father and the new "stepmom" attempted to force the author to babysit for them for free
Image credits: IglossTovon
Image credits: Freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
However, the boy just said no way and walked out, leaving the dad's fiancée totally livid
Image credits: IglossTovon
Image credits: SkelDry / Freepik (not the actual photo)
When he returned home, the father and the fiancée lashed out at him, criticizing and even insulting the teen
Image credits: IglossTovon
Image credits: stockking / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The author was dubbed selfish and rude - even despite not agreeing to take care of the kids at all
Image credits: IglossTovon
So the teen just packed his belongings and left to his grandparents
So, the original poster (OP) is a 17-year-old boy, whom fate involuntarily forced to live with his father, after his mother, from whom his dad had long been divorced, became disabled to such an extent that she was placed in a care home. As for our hero's dad, although he didn’t refuse his parental responsibility, he was always, let's say, far from the best father of all.
His father's fiancée, her 3-year-old child from a previous relationship, and the author's 6-month-old half-sibling were also at the new place. As you probably already guessed, the adults regarded the appearance of a 17-year-old boy in the house as an opportunity to shift some of the responsibilities associated with taking care of the kids onto him.
So one fine day, the father told the son that he was going to go out on business, and then his fiancée would leave too - and the OP, accordingly, would’ve to look after the kids all evening. Having said this, the man left, but the woman's expectations weren’t met. Literally immediately, our hero, declaring that he wasn’t going to babysit, walked out - despite the screams of the stepmom rushing after him.
Apparently, the woman had to change her plans and stay home that evening - and when the original poster returned, he was met by a coalition of his father and fiancée, who pounced on him with reproaches and insults. The author, however, simply said that he was no longer going to babysit for them, then packed his belongings and simply left to his grandparents.
He will soon turn 18, and as an adult, he will plan his life the way he wants. In the meantime, the original poster decided to ask netizens for advice - what do they think about his actions and the whole situation in general?
Image credits: rantaimages / Freepik (not the actual photo)
"Well, even if you consider that it’s actually inappropriate to impose responsibility for your children on any of your relatives or acquaintances, I am surprised that the mother left two small kids in the care of a teenager literally right off the bat, without really getting to know him better," says Maria Kryvosheeva, a psychologist and NLP coach, whom Bored Panda asked for a comment here.
"This circumstance, perhaps, speaks about the level of parenting even more than the attempt to impose free babysitting on another person. Who, by the way, doesn’t owe this woman - or the father - anything. So, by and large, he acted quite rationally - and now let's hope that life with his grandparents will be more pleasant for him," Maria sums up.
People in the comments also massively sided with the OP and, moreover, are almost certain that the father insisted that the son live with him, and not with his grandparents, for this very reason - in anticipation of having a free babysitter for the younger kids. "They are takers and users" - this is the opinion expressed by one of the netizens about the author's father and stepmom.
Other respondents even believe that the original poster, if he still has to return to his father's house, can set a condition that if babysitting is imposed on him again, he will report them to CPS and even declare abandonment. So what do you, our dear readers, think about this situation?
Most commenters backed the teen, claiming that he should've reported the father and fiancée to CPS
