Lady Refuses To Babysit Sister’s Kids Last Minute Due To Exam, Sister Misses Big Dinner With Boss

Family members are often used as free childcare because they’re less likely to say no and are more willing to help out as often as possible. Unfortunately, some parents take advantage of this and never stop to question how much they are demanding of their loved ones.

This is what one woman faced because her sister kept saddling her with last-minute babysitting duties. She couldn’t help out any longer, especially when her grades were on the line, but her sibling and parents didn’t seem to understand her perspective at all.

More info: Reddit

Everyone wants to help their family out whenever they can, but it can sometimes feel like they are overextending themselves

Woman babysitting sister’s kids, working on laptop at dining table while toddler eats a banana and plays with toys.

Image credits: Drazen Zigic / Freepik (not the actual photo)

The poster shared that she has been working full-time while managing her master’s degree and that her sister often expects her to babysit at the last minute

Text excerpt discussing a packed schedule and being asked last minute to babysit sister's kids during a work dinner.

Text about babysitting sister's kids with short notice, missing work and study groups to help her out.

Text about babysitting sister's kids last minute for work and dinner plans, showing the challenge of balancing family and obligations.

Frustrated young woman babysitting sister's kids, trying to work and manage dinner plans while checking her phone outdoors.

Image credits: benzoix / Freepik (not the actual photo)

Even though the woman adored her niece and nephew, she was annoyed by how inconsiderate her sister was of her time

Text explaining a person unable to babysit sister's kids due to exam and suggesting a babysitting app instead.

Text excerpt about babysitting sister's kids and balancing it with work and dinner plans.

Text excerpt describing family conflict over babysitting sister’s kids while she attended a work dinner.

Man dressed in suit checking watch while sitting alone at dinner table with wine glass and rose nearby.

Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)

Again, when her sister asked her to babysit just two hours before she needed help, the woman refused as she had a big exam to prepare for

Text post about babysitting sister’s kids and the conflict of prioritizing work and dinner over family responsibilities.

Text about feeling bad for refusing to babysit sister’s kids and balancing work and dinner plans.

Image credits: Original_Storage1199

Her refusal led to her sister missing a dinner with her boss, which is why she and her parents were angry at the woman, who felt hurt

The poster explained that she has already been juggling her full-time job along with her night classes for her degree. Along with that, her elder sister expects her to drop everything and be available for babysitting whenever possible. Although the OP likes spending time with her niece and nephew, she finds it hard to always be available as a childcare option.

It is always helpful to be there for loved ones when they need it. Babysitting is extremely helpful because it takes some of the tension and stress off the shoulders of parents. It might not always be possible for people to provide childcare, so they shouldn’t be pressured into doing it all the time.

The poster is usually willing to jump in to help her sibling whenever she can, but due to a big exam of hers, she had to say no once. She couldn’t possibly miss out on it because it was 40% of her grade, but her sister didn’t understand her perspective at all and freaked out on her.

According to experts, even though we might really want to please people, saying yes all the time might become draining. We might want to help out our family, friends, and other loved ones, but if it puts a big strain on us, we are only doing a disservice to ourselves. Rather than give in to obligations, we should be upfront with the people we love.

Young woman babysitting sister’s kids while working on paperwork at a table with plants and a drink nearby.

Image credits: wayhomestudio / Freepik (not the actual photo)

The OP’s decision to say no to her sister and set boundaries did not go down well with her family. They felt that she was being selfish by prioritizing her exam rather than being there for her sibling. Her sister also didn’t mention that the reason she wanted childcare was that she had to have dinner with her boss to discuss her promotion.

Setting boundaries with family can often be very difficult because sometimes loved ones might take this as a personal attack. They may try to guilt-trip the person into giving them exactly what they want and might not even realize how much pain they are causing the individual. Luckily, the OP stayed strong and didn’t give in to her family’s pressure.

The only problem is that she felt bad and like the villain in this situation. Hopefully, this situation made her realize that her sister has been treating her like her default free childcare and that she also deserves some consideration and care. 

Nobody wants to leave their family in the lurch when they need help, but sometimes it can be extremely difficult to give your time and energy. In such situations, it’s best to take a step back and do what works best for you.

People were surprised by the sister’s entitled behavior and were glad that the woman turned her down

Advice about babysit sister kids when work and dinner plans conflict, setting boundaries firmly for personal time.

Comment discussing babysit responsibilities and balancing sister’s kids with work and dinner plans.

Comment explaining that parents should babysit sister’s kids at dinner instead of expecting free babysitting from a working sibling.

Comment stating your sister should find backup babysitters when you babysit her kids after work or dinner.

Commenter explains sister's entitlement while babysitting sister's kids during important work dinner.

Text-based screenshot showing advice about babysit sister kids work dinner, emphasizing the need for more sitters and setting personal boundaries.

User comment about babysitting sister’s kids and responsibility during work and dinner time in an online discussion.

User discussing balancing work and school with babysitting sister’s kids during dinner time.

Screenshot of a Reddit comment discussing stress of balancing work, graduate classes, and babysit sister’s kids during dinner time.

Comment discussing being pressured to babysit sister’s kids after work and managing dinner responsibilities.

Comment discussing babysit sister kids work dinner challenges amid career progress and last-minute childcare problems.

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