What to Know
If you’ve ever been a teenage babysitter, you understand the challenges that come with making $5 an hour while still wanting the parents home at a reasonable hour so you can make your $20 and head home.
For one babysitter on TikTok, Claire, she experienced one of those worst case scenarios when it comes to the parents rather than the kids.
In her TikTok, Claire shows screenshots from texts between herself and the mom of the child she babysat for what was supposed to be a few hours. But the mom, whose name is listed on the phone as Yvonne, apparently had other plans in mind. Plans that involved staying out until the wee hours of the morning despite Claire’s needs to be home early.
The time changed from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. unexpectedly.
In the TikTok, the mom., Yvonne, texts Claire to tell her that she will be home closer to 3 a.m. than 9 p.m., as originally planned. She seems to think this is totally normal and not at all a possible inconvenience on Claire. Of course, she has it all wrong, and luckily, Claire speaks up for herself.
“Hi! So unfortunately I cannot stay that late tonight because I have an interview an hour away at 8 AM and I need to prepare and get good rest because it’s for college,” Claire texts her back. “I’m sorry that you”ll have to leave your plans early but aiso please for next time let me know ahead of time so this doesn’t happen!”
But for Yvonne, it’s not going to be that simple. She texts back to tell Claire that “there was a misunderstanding.” In other words, Claire has to deal with the time change regardless of her own personal plans and needs and the agreed upon time.
Someone commented about the time change specifically. They wrote, “Casually changes from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. and thinks it’s acceptable.”
Another wrote, “And the read receipts are from before noon so they were planning to have you there minimum of let’s see 15+ hours????”
“As a babysitter myself I get like if they were like hey we’re gonna be like late like 30 minutes to an hour, but 3 a.m., that’s crazy,” a user added.
The parents threatened legal action against the babysitter.
When Claire texted the mom that she would take the child to the local police station if she had to, the mom escalated things even further. She texted that she would “take legal action.” Then, the mom told Claire that she and her spouse would be home when they could be home and, “Good luck getting into college after abandoning our kid!”
One user commented on the TikTok to let Claire know, “So you can’t legally move the kids so just call the police to come to you! in case anyone ever has this happen to them. Parents are absolutely not allowed to do this! But if you leave or take the kids out of the house you can be charged with kidnapping or abandonment!”
A parent commented, as if they were in the same position as the parents in the TikTok, “I’m coming home right then and there. Those parents are 100% in the wrong, but it’s insane to hold your ground on a chance it’s a bluff. Absolutely messed up.”
“The condescending text from the mom and straight blackmail has me dead!” Another person wrote in the comments.
People commended the teenager for being more mature than the parents.
To her credit, Claire does keep her cool for the duration of the text exchange. Unlike the mom, Yvonne, Claire manages to say her peace clearly in the texts to the mom and not back down or go low, as the mom does with the threat of having a role in Claire not getting into college.
“The way you responded was more mature than the actual adult and I know you crushed your college interview!” A TikTok user commented.
Someone else added, “You did the right thing! People take advantage of your job. I hope you did take them to the police so she can wake up.”
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