If you were ever a babysitter or have an older child who babysits, you know that it is a wonderful way to make some money but also a big responsibility. Like any other job, a babysitter needs to be on time and do what they are paid to do if they want to be hired again. And if the sitter is doing what they are supposed to do, then they would hope the parents also live up to their side of the bargain.
A teen girl babysat for one of her mom's coworkers a while back, but the parents didn't get home when they were supposed to. It wasn't a few minutes late; it was hours without a call or text or answer to her calls. Understandably, the young girl got concerned. She was so worried she called the police. The parents threw a fit, and now she wonders if she was wrong. She asked Reddit's AITA forum for advice.
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This was supposed to be a much shorter job.
The original poster, 16, explained that she was asked to watch three kids from 2 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. while the parents went to a party. She was paid in advance for her time and expected the parents to return on time. But that didn't happen.
"It went OK. But the parents didn't get back at 8.30. At 9 I tried calling him, but he didn't pick up. I texted a few times. At 9.30 I tried calling again. And again at 10. And 10.30," the teen recalled.
She started to get concerned.
When the parents were hours late, she tried to contact her own parents for help but couldnât get in touch with them either. OP was worried that something happened to the couple, so she called the police. She explained that she was not in the United States and called a non-emergency number.
âAt 11.30 ish I called the police, because I didn't know what else to do. And I was worried something might have happened to the parents too. They came, and around the same time the parents came back. The dad screamed at me, and he's still very upsetâ she wrote.
OP didn't want to get the parents in trouble. She just wanted to be sure they were OK. After everything that happened, she went to Reddit to see if she was wrong for being concerned.
Three hours late is a long time.
Redditors think OP totally did the right thing calling the police. These parents were super late.
âYou did everything right. I babysat (many years ago) when I was your age. The parents being 3 hours late and 3 hours unreachable is a babysitting emergency. They should ALWAYS be reachable in case there's an emergency with their kids or you or the house,â someone wrote.
A lot of people agreed.
âThree hours late and no contact? What if they had been in a drunk driving accident? What if they were at the ER? What if they were dead? Absolutely police was correct third step," another person commented.
âMore than 3 hours late, because it was at the 3-hour point that she called the police, and parents got home when cops showed up. Likely closer to midnight. OP is NTA in any way," one comment reads.
Redditors were not OK with the dad yelling at the teen.
This guy was late. It wasnât the babysitter's fault.
"In another comment OP said they paid before they left. They didn't pay for the additional 3 hours. OP was treated horribly. Hopefully she listens to other comments and tells her parents about being underpaid and yelled at," someone pointed out.
âif my COWORKER screamed at my child like this i would probably try everything i could to get them fired âdid you hear they almost got a charge for child abandonment? yeah⌠my 16 year old was left high and dry with his kids for hours in the middle of the night- he screamed at her when he came backâŚi'm not sure his kids are safe with him' don't f— with kidsâ someone else wrote.
âI would annihilate any adult that screamed at my kid. I am shocked that neither parent would pick up their cell. Their CHILDREN could've had a medical emergency!" another person commented.
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OP was totally justified in calling police.
She is a teenager watching kids. It is not her job to stay for hours without any family communication. No one knew why she was calling and they just blew it off. OP was not the one being the jerk in this situation.
One commenter pointed out that everything could have been avoided if the babysitter's texts and calls would have been answered, adding this: âThe parents drift home on their own sweet timetable and are surprised and shocked to find flashing lights and officers at their house. Well, I hope they were embarrassed.
"And then dad took it out on you by 'screaming at you. Oh, and he is âstill very upset," the person added. "Well, you are upset, too. I bet he didnât apologize for worrying you, did he. Or give you a bonus for making you stay later and worrying you."
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