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Entitled Mom Gets Shut Down In Group Chat After Whining About Neighbor Refusing To Watch Her Kids
Woman with glasses on phone appearing frustrated while child plays in the background, depicting SAHM babysit assumptions.
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Entitled Mom Gets Shut Down In Group Chat After Whining About Neighbor Refusing To Watch Her Kids

Interview With Author

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Parents often rely on the people they know to babysit their kids. According to a recent study, 26% of parents in the U.S. have depended on a family member, friend, or neighbor for unpaid childcare. It’s okay when the other party is willing, but when is expecting someone to look after your kids an entitled Karen move?

Perhaps assuming your neighbor will babysit for you just because she’s a SAHM and doesn’t have anything better to do? That’s what happened to this new mom when she joined the neighborhood Mommy And Me group. In refusing, she demonstrated that even mom friendships have boundaries.

Bored Panda also got in touch with the mother who posted this story. She kindly agreed to tell us more about her relationship with the other mom before this incident and what being a stay-at-home-mom has been for her so far. Read our conversation with u/Ok-Record2903 below!

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    A SAHM was asked to babysit a neighbor’s kids, but felt no obligation or desire to do so

    Woman assumes neighbor will babysit while being a SAHM, upset on phone call, child playing in the background at home.

    Image credits: Vitaly Gariev/Pexels (not the actual photo)

    As she was a new mom herself, she felt the unruly neighbor’s kids were just too much for her

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    Mom assumes neighbor will babysit because she’s a SAHM and throws tantrum after neighbor declines to babysit.

    Text excerpt describing a mom assuming neighbor will babysit because she’s a SAHM and the neighbor agreeing reluctantly.

    Text expressing a mom explaining she is a full-time SAHM enjoying time with her little one.

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    Text excerpt describing a hectic babysitting day with rambunctious children and a fussy daughter, highlighting a SAHM babysitting ordeal.

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    Text explaining a mom assuming neighbor will babysit because she’s a SAHM and reacting after being told no.

    Woman feeling stressed and frustrated after neighbor says no to babysitting request from a stay at home mom

    Image credits: George Milton/Pexels (not the actual photo)

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    Text conversation showing a mom assuming neighbor will babysit because she’s a SAHM and reacting upset after being declined.

    Text from a mom explaining her husband works from home and she, as a SAHM, is not interested in extra responsibilities.

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    Text conversation where mom argues she shouldn’t have to babysit neighbor’s child just because she’s a SAHM.

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    After she refused, the drama escalated into someone getting banned in the mommy group chat

    Text message about a mom assuming neighbor will babysit because she’s a SAHM and conflict arising from refusal.

    Text from a group chat discussing how SAHM moms are not babysitters and childcare arrangements must be made independently.

    Text discussing a mom assuming neighbor will babysit because she’s a SAHM, and the neighbor saying no.

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    Text on a digital screen describing a mom back-tracking and apologizing after a babysitting assumption conflict.

    Alt text: Text expressing gratitude for support while navigating challenges of life as a SAHM dealing with neighbor babysitting issues

    Text about a mom assuming neighbor will babysit because she’s a SAHM and reacting negatively when refused.

    Image credits: Ok-Record2903

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    “I think she was just being cheap ant thought she could bully me into saying ‘Yes,'” the author wrote

    Screenshot of online discussion about a SAHM neighbor refusing to babysit leading to a tantrum and boundary setting.

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    Screenshot of online discussion where a mom assumes neighbor will babysit because she’s a SAHM and faces pushback.

    Reddit comments showing a mom becoming argumentative after neighbor says no to babysitting assuming because she’s a SAHM.

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    Mom assumes neighbor will babysit because she’s a SAHM and reacts negatively when neighbor declines to help with childcare.

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    “I was prepared to walk away from the group,” the author tells Bored Panda

    Hands with painted nails typing on a laptop keyboard, illustrating a mom assuming neighbor will babysit tantrum.

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    Image credits: Edwin Nava/Pexels (not the actual photo)

    When we got in touch with u/Ok-Record2903, she told us a little bit more about what her relationship with the single mother was before this incident. “I thought she was very friendly,” the OP tells us. “Considering all my friends and fam were back home, I was happy that she lived just five minutes from me.

    “As far as the neighborhood, I’ve been to the house that we live in several times because it was originally my in-laws’ vacation home. They signed it over to me and my husband when we had to move unexpectedly to the area,” the author explains.

    u/Ok-Record2903 says it felt good having other moms in the group chat defend her. However, she says she’s not one to tolerate any kind of petty mommy drama. “I was prepared to walk away from the group if it became some high school drama type of nonsense,” the young mom told Bored Panda.

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    This is the first time the Redditor has experienced any kind of assumptions about her being a SAHM. “I’ve only been a stay-at-home mom for a few weeks. This is my first child and I’ve just recently gotten married.

    “People kept making snide comments and asking why I would post,” u/Ok-Record2903 said, addressing reactions from other Redditors. “[Asking AITA] when I was obviously not the AH.

    “I posted the question because I’m new to being a mom and wanted to make sure that I wasn’t being overly emotional and that I was seeing things in [a] proper light because I realize I just gave birth. Honestly, my emotions have been all over the place.”

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    Being a SAHM doesn’t mean you do nothing all day

    Mom assumes neighbor will babysit while she works on laptop, showing frustration after being declined in a home setting.

    Image credits: Ketut Subiyanto/Pexels (not the actual photo)

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    Working parents or those who don’t have kids sometimes assume that stay-at-home parents have loads of free time and do nothing all day. This is perhaps expected, but SAHMs spend more time on housework, childcare, and leisure than their working counterparts do.

    In 2014, Pew Research Center reported about how many hours stay-at-home and working mothers spend on these things. Apparently, SAHMs would spend seven hours more with their children per week and nine hours more doing housework. And while that’s not the same as being at work for nine hours a day, it’s still hard.

    On the other hand, some women would rather stay home with their kids than go to work. A 2015 Gallup poll showed that 56% of mothers with kids under the age of 18 would rather stay at home and take care of the kids.

    Still, a 2024 report revealed that one in three families currently have at least one stay-at-home parent. But the image of a stay-at-home mom differs from what many of us have had ingrained in our minds since the 1950s.

    The project Mother Untitled focuses on helping stay-at-home mothers with their mental health, as a whopping 79% say that most people don’t understand what kind of work goes into being a SAHM. Sixty-eight percent say they feel unappreciated and undervalued.

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    Commenters congratulated the mom on standing her ground and suggested she charge a fee next time

    Comments discussing babysitting charges and fees after a mom assumes neighbor will babysit as a SAHM.

    Mom assumes neighbor will babysit because she’s a SAHM and throws tantrum after being refused help with kids

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    Screenshot of a discussion about a mom assuming neighbor will babysit because she’s a SAHM and the ensuing frustration.

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    Comment thread discussing a mom assuming neighbor will babysit due to being a SAHM, with responses supporting boundaries.

    Screenshot of an online discussion about a SAHM mom assuming neighbor will babysit and reacting negatively when refused.

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    Screenshot of a Reddit comment thread discussing babysitting assumptions involving a stay-at-home mom and neighbor conflict.

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    Comment expressing frustration about a mom assuming neighbor will babysit because she’s a SAHM and then throwing a tantrum.

    Screenshot of a forum comment discussing a mom assuming neighbor will babysit because she’s a SAHM and reacting negatively.

    Screenshot of an online comment discussing a mom assuming her neighbor will babysit because she’s a SAHM and reacts negatively when refused.

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    Comment from user JohnnyRock70 reacting to mom assumes neighbor will babysit tantrum, expressing amusement and criticism humorously.

    Comment section screenshot showing user calling someone both offensive and forward, while praising another as the GOAT.

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    Kornelija Viečaitė

    Kornelija Viečaitė

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    Hi there, fellow pandas! As a person (over)educated both in social sciences and literature, I'm most interested in how we connect and behave online (and sometimes in real life too.) The human experience is weird, so I try my best to put its peculiarities in writing. As a person who grew up chronically online, I now try to marry two sides of myself: the one who knows too much about MySpace, and the one who can't settle and needs to see every corner of the world.

    Read less »
    Kornelija Viečaitė

    Kornelija Viečaitė

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Hi there, fellow pandas! As a person (over)educated both in social sciences and literature, I'm most interested in how we connect and behave online (and sometimes in real life too.) The human experience is weird, so I try my best to put its peculiarities in writing. As a person who grew up chronically online, I now try to marry two sides of myself: the one who knows too much about MySpace, and the one who can't settle and needs to see every corner of the world.

    What do you think ?
    Caffeinated Ape
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's sad that I found the entitled behaviour less surprising than the fact that OP set firm boundaries, and the people around them were sensible and supported OP. That's not how these stories usually go!

    Nikki Sevven
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Who the héll expects a first time mom with a newborn to babysit?

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    Melissa Harris
    Community Member
    5 months ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Cuckoo mother's. They constantly try to p**n their children off to the nearest other woman they can find.

    Load More Comments
    Caffeinated Ape
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's sad that I found the entitled behaviour less surprising than the fact that OP set firm boundaries, and the people around them were sensible and supported OP. That's not how these stories usually go!

    Nikki Sevven
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Who the héll expects a first time mom with a newborn to babysit?

    ADVERTISEMENT
    Melissa Harris
    Community Member
    5 months ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Cuckoo mother's. They constantly try to p**n their children off to the nearest other woman they can find.

    Load More Comments
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