What would you do if you were babysitting and their parents arrived late? I mean, very late? In this story a babysitter called the cops when the children’s mother failed to return home many hours after she said she would and did not answer her phone calls. Read the story and let us know if the babysitter overreacted? What are your thoughts about the situation?
Source: Reddit
I (28F) do babysitting on the weekends to make some babysitting on the weekends to make extra cash. There is one family I definitely should’ve fazed out by now but the kids are cute and if I don’t have another job, it’s easy money. My issue is, the mom is never home on time. She used to not give me return times but finally I started asking as it made it impossible to get anything done on the weekends. I’d go babysit so she could go to “brunch” but she’d be gone from 11 AM to 7 PM. My whole day was gone. After that, she’d start giving me times but never stick to them. She wouldn’t even call to tell me, she’d just stay out.
On Saturday, I got to her house at 6 and she was supposed to be home by 9. I told her she needed to be on time because I had plans to go out with friends. I was even getting ready at their house after I put the kids to bed. She promised. Of course, 9:00 rolls around and she’s not home. I called her, no response. Text, no response. Another hour. Nothing. Still calling and texting. Finally, it is midnight. By this point, my plans are long ruined but I’m pissed and exhausted. I call her and leave a voicemail saying if she’s not home in the next hour, I’m considering the kids abandoned and calling the cops. I also texted her this.
I try calling her 30 minutes later and it goes to voicemail on the second ring, I text her again and she leaves me on read. If she had reached out saying “Hey, I’m staying out until x time”, I would’ve stayed. I don’t know any of her family nor the father of the kids so I can’t call them. I gave her a grace period of 15 minutes and tried calling again, finally called the cops (non-emergency line). They showed up and I showed our agreement in text from earlier in the week confirming that she’d be home by 9. They tried contacting her, but didn’t answer. I was dismissed and they took the children to the police station. I go home and go to bed.
I am awoken at 3 AM by a frantic call. It’s her. Where are the kids? Why am I not here? I told her I followed through on my threat, check the police station. She cursed me out, I hung up and went to bed.
The next day, she sends me an essay saying the kids’ father was called and there’s a DCF investigation launched against her. She called me every name under the sun but I didn’t think I was wrong until I spoke to a friend with kids. She said I should’ve just waited it out and refused to ever sit for her again. She asked if her potentially losing her kids was worth me being petty. Did I go too far here? Does she have a valid point or not? Please don’t be afraid to criticize. Thank you for your time in advance.
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