Ask any parent, and they’ll tell you there are times when a helping hand is invaluable. For many families, that help comes in the form of a trusted babysitter to care for the kids.
Even with a reliable babysitter, perfection is a myth. Communication mishaps can occur, inevitably leading to upset feelings.
That’s precisely what happened in this case. A father came home to find his wife yelling at the babysitter, unsure of how to react. His uncertainty was so overwhelming that he turned to the internet for guidance.
Hello Reddit! I just downloaded Reddit because my niece suggested I share this story on the AITA board, so here I am! I’m not very tech-savvy, so please forgive any mistakes in my post! 😂😂😂
So here’s the story: My wife and I hired our babysitter, Daisy, who we’ve depended on for years. We have two sons and a daughter, and we’ve known Daisy since my oldest was a baby (though back then, her mom mostly watched him while Daisy ‘helped,’ and we’d give her a few dollars for it 😂😂😂). Now, Daisy is 16 and can handle the kids independently. My oldest two adore her! My youngest, who’s seven months old, seems content with her company, though he probably doesn’t fully understand yet 😂😂😂.
This Friday, our kids’ daycare closed for renovations, and Daisy kindly offered to look after them after school from 3:30 to 6 PM. I usually get home from work at 6, and my wife at 6:30. However, I came home early at 5:30. When I walked in, I found my wife shouting at Daisy, who was sobbing and apologizing. My wife was furious, but she wouldn’t explain why. She screamed that Daisy had cost us a lot of money but wouldn’t give details. She then told Daisy she wouldn’t be paid and to “get the f*ck out or she’d call the police.” Daisy ran out crying, and I calmed the kids while my wife tried to calm down. After things settled, I learned what happened.
Here’s the backstory: My mother had been caring for the kids until 3:30 while my wife and I were at work. It was Daisy’s first time looking after our youngest alone, but we trusted her, as she had cared for our daughter when she was a baby. Crucially, my youngest has breath-holding episodes that occur when he’s frustrated or in pain. To manage these, you simply blow on him, or he snaps out of it on his own. These episodes are normal and generally safe, though they can sometimes cause passing out and blueness. Typically, he wakes up within a few seconds.
Unfortunately, my mom forgot to tell Daisy what to do if such an episode happened. When our son passed out, Daisy panicked and called 911, followed by my wife. My wife is furious that Daisy called 911 over ‘nothing’ and believes it wasted money on an ambulance ride. Now, my wife and I are arguing because I think Daisy did the right thing, while she disagrees. We’ve had a heated argument, said some hurtful things, and now she’s staying with her mother for a few days, re-evaluating my priorities in our relationship.
