- A 24-year-old woman says her sister is giving her the “silent treatment” for refusing to babysit her two children on short notice
- “I had a HUGE exam the next morning worth 40% of my grade that I needed to study for,” explained the woman, who is in night school for a master’s program
- The woman shared her story on Reddit and is seeking input from fellow platform users
A woman claims her sister is giving her the “silent treatment” for refusing to babysit her children on short notice — even though it’s the first time she has ever refused to do so.
The 24-year-old woman detailed her story in a post on the popular Reddit forum “Am I the A——,” beginning by explaining that she is currently working full-time while taking night classes for a master’s program. Her 30-year-old sister is a working mom of two kids, ages 4 and 6.
The OP (original poster) said her sister “constantly” asks her to babysit “last minute.” She noted, “I’ve missed study groups, rescheduled meetings, and even called out sick once to help her.”
She shared that her sister recently texted her at 4 p.m. one day and asked if she could babysit from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. that same evening because her regular sitter canceled.
“I had a HUGE exam the next morning worth 40% of my grade that I needed to study for,” the OP wrote.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
When the OP told her sister she would be unable to help, her sister “freaked out” and said it was for “an important work thing.”
“I stood my ground for once and said no,” the OP recalled, adding that her sister ultimately missed the work event.
However, the OP’s “whole family” then began “blowing up” her phone because her sister’s work event was apparently a dinner with the boss to discuss a promotion.
“My parents are saying I’m selfish and should have just ‘studied earlier,’ “ she wrote.
Her sister, meanwhile, is now giving her “the silent treatment and posted a vague FB status about ‘people who don’t value family.’ “
“I’ve dropped everything for her kids so many times, but the ONE time I prioritize my education, I’m the villain? I feel bad about the promotion thing, but also feel like I’m becoming her default childcare without any consideration for my life,” she wrote.
The Redditor concluded her post by asking: “AITA [am I the a——] for refusing to be her emergency babysitter this ONE time?”
The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!
“NTA [not the a——],” one commenter replied. “You already babysit at the drop of a hat, often making personal sacrifices to do so, which is already an unreasonable expectation. You don’t owe her the sacrifice of your future so she can have kids with no drawbacks to her life.”
The same person added: “These are not your kids. It is not your responsibility. If in a crazy spin of the wheel of fate two important events coincide, and one of you has to sacrifice something for her kids to be looked after, she is the one who will have to make the sacrifice because they are her kids.”
“She’s abused your kindness and backstabbed you for it. If the rest of the family is up in arms, tell them they can babysit the kids on short notice … and enjoy the backpedaling show with tons of excuses,” someone else commented.
Read the full article here
