“[Am I The Jerk] For Only Paying My Brother For The Time He Spent Watching My Kids?”

It’s strange how families can literally fight over anything, yet they are the people who are closest to us. However, some relatives love to get involved even when it doesn’t concern them at all. I guess they are just looking for something to spice up their lives.

Speaking of such family members, even this woman was harassed by her grandma and aunt over some babysitting drama involving her brother. He felt he would get the full payment despite working for only half a day because his sister had miscommunicated. Read on to uncover what happened next!

More info: Reddit

Miscommunication is a funny little thing that can spark massive drama, especially within families

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

The poster and her husband both worked full-time, so she asked her brother to babysit her kids every day, and she would give him a set amount

Image credits: fabrikasimf / Magnific (not the actual photo)

One day, her husband got off work early, so he sent her brother home and paid just for the hours that he had actually worked, which was about half a day

Image credits: sodawhiskey / Magnific (not the actual photo)

This triggered immense family drama, as he expected full payment, and the poster paid him in full that time, as she had miscommunicated the whole thing

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

However, she told him that in the future, he would only get paid for the hours he actually worked, so he decided to quit in a fit of rage

Image credits: Livinlearn

The poor poster had to leave her job to look after the kids, and she was constantly getting harassed by her family for not agreeing to pay him the full amount in the future

In today’s story, the original poster (OP) recalls being caught in a family drama involving her brother. Well, our main lady and her husband both worked full-time, and they always had some trouble hiring a sitter for their two daughters. That’s when her mom suggested hiring her brother, who was unemployed, and, as a last resort, the poster agreed.

She told him that he had to babysit a “certain number of hours each day in exchange for a set amount of money.” In hindsight, she felt that she should have told him the pay was based only on the hours he worked. Anyway, the guy started babysitting his nieces. He was not exactly a perfect sitter, but the OP could hardly complain as she didn’t have any other options.

One day, things escalated when her husband got off work early and came home. Naturally, he asked the sitter to leave and paid him for the hours he had worked. That’s when the OP started getting calls from her mom. Apparently, her brother was furious that he was paid for only half a day’s work, since he felt it was like a salaried job. To keep the peace, she gave him the money that time.

However, she clarified that in the future, he would only get paid for the hours he actually worked. Well, the guy lost it and called it quits. Unfortunately, the poster was out of options and had to leave her job. What annoyed her was her family, who kept harassing her with calls and texts. They felt that she should have just agreed to her brother’s demand, which really surprised her.

Image credits: stefamerpik / Magnific (not the actual photo)

Just like the poster, even netizens were shocked by how the whole family attacked her. Research highlights that the impact and consequences of harassment will vary from person to person, but people generally react to it by exhibiting symptoms of increasing distress. Moreover, individuals might also experience disbelief, anger, isolation, and powerlessness.

While the author’s irritation towards her overly dramatic family was justifiable, it was also her small miscommunication that started the drama. According to an official babysitting company, a babysitter is someone who just comes on occasion here and there. Meanwhile, part-time nannies come to your home a few days per week or every day for a certain number of hours. 

Well, it does look like he was doing a part-time job. Also, since the original poster miscommunicated, people online felt that his confusion was pretty reasonable. However, they believe that his behavior after she clarified the whole situation sounded highly entitled. Experts emphasize that such people have a high sense of self, extravagant demands, and display a victim mentality.

Moreover, they also act melodramatically when things don’t go their way or when people don’t give in to their demands. Well, his quitting was a lose-lose situation for both siblings. Netizens expressed that this is why it’s better not to do business with your family. Do you agree with them? Also, whose side would you pick in this situation? Let us know in the comments!

While netizens agreed that the poster had miscommunicated, they felt her brother’s behavior after that was extremely entitled

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