Single Mom Asks If She's A Jerk For Refusing To Fix Babysitter's Laptop After Her Kid Broke It Bored Panda Bored Panda works better on our iPhone app Continue in app Continue in browser Like what you're reading? Subscribe to our top stories Please enter email address By submitting email you agree to get Bored Panda newsletter. We respect your privacy. We will not publish or share your email address in any way. Almost finished... To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you. Almost finished... To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you. Are you leaving already? Are you sure you want to post this? We're asking people to rethink comments that seem similar to others that have been reported or downvoted this warning is a mistake x x Let's fight boredom together! Continue with Facebook Continue with Google or Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Forgot your password? Creating an account means you agree with Bored Panda's Terms of Service 0, text: error()"> Become a member Sign Up Have an account? Login Forgot your password? Creating an account means you agree with Bored Panda's Terms of Service 0, text: error(), css: errorCssClass"> Password reminder Please provide your email address and we will send your password shortly. Send Have an account? Login Don't have an account? Sign Up Get our top 10 stories in your inbox: Finish 0, text: error(), css: errorCssClass"> Please enter your email to complete registration Finish 0, text: error(), css: errorCssClass"> Activate to continue Your account is not active. We have sent an email to the address you provided with an activation link. Check your inbox, and click on the link to activate your account. I have already activated my account Resend activation link We and our trusted partners use technology such as cookies on our site to personalize content and ads, provide social media features, and analyze our traffic. You can read more about it and change your preferences here. Agree Bored Panda iOS App Available on App Store Continue in App Bored Panda Android App Available on Google Play Continue in App By using our services you agree to our use of cookies to improve your visit. You can change your preferences here. Agree BoredPanda Login Add Post Search ArtPhotographyAnimalsFunnyTravelIllustrationComicsDIYGood NewsParentingChallengeAsk Pandas More Featured Trending Latest Newsletter The Bored Panda iOS app is live! Fight boredom with iPhones and iPads here. Bored Panda Single Mom Asks If She s A Jerk For Refusing To Fix Babysitter s Laptop After Her Kid Broke It Home Partnership Advertise Success stories Jobs About us Contact 103points 1.6K Parenting, Social Issues1 week ago
Single Mom Asks If She s A Jerk For Refusing To Fix Babysitter s Laptop After Her Kid Broke It
Ieva Gailiūtė and
Ilona Baliūnaitė
Babysitting may be one of the most rewarding and fun jobs for teens out there, but looking after the little ones is no walk in the park (and even that can be a challenge!) It comes with a lengthy set of rules, pressure from parents, and a long journey ahead before moms and dads entrust their bundles of joy to your capable hands. Not to mention the dedication it takes, and the know-how to keep the little rascals entertained and out of trouble. But as one recent story on the popular AITA subreddit illustrates, it's seemingly impossible to keep tabs on every shenanigan kids think of. A single mom reached out to the community to gain some feedback after finding herself in an argument with her 17-year-old sitter. Everything started with a laptop, something the teen brings over to help with her studies. "Which is perfectly ok with me as long as she keeps an eye on the kids," the woman wrote. But things went sour once one of her sons snatched it, dropped it, and shattered the screen. And instead of taking responsibility, the woman chose a different course of action. Scroll down to read the story in full, as well as the verdict readers were quick to deem, and be sure to share your thoughts in the comments. A single mom recently shared a story about how she refused to pay for repairs after her kid damaged his babysitter s property
Image credits: Bruce Turner (not the actual photo) Here s how everything went down in the woman s own words
Image credits: Liza Summer (not the actual photo) Image credits: throwaw679991 After reading the story, the majority of users immediately deemed that the mom was in the wrong in this situation, with many suggesting she should seriously rethink how she handled the situation. And it's hardly surprising the post evoked such a reaction from the community, especially considering that babysitting is one of the most underpaid and underappreciated jobs out there. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median hourly wage for childcare workers in the US was $13.22 in May 2021. The 10% of workers who earned the lowest got less than $8.91, while the highest 10% of earners were paid more than $17.99 an hour. However, the pandemic forced many people in the childcare sector to reevaluate their choices and look for safer jobs with higher pay. In a piece in The New York Times, Emma Goldberg stated that after the childcare field shrank, more than half of the families in the country reported having trouble finding childcare. The shortage of care workers led parents in desperate need of help with their kids facing a challenge, and many parents - especially mothers - had to leave their jobs to look after the children. So if this tells us one thing, it's that parents who manage to find a good, kind, and trustworthy worker should try to hold on to them at all costs. But while many readers felt perplexed by the way the situation escalated, childcare is a topic that tends to spark different opinions between people. Or, as Dr. Sarah Mundy, clinical psychologist, author of Parenting Through Stories, and mom of three told Bored Panda in a previous interview, our ideas about babysitters will always vary. "As do our ideas about many things!" We humans shape ideas about the world based on our own experiences and the expectations we have developed from them. Difficulties might come from different anticipations and opinions on how it's normal to act in specific cases. "The most important thing is to have an open conversation with the babysitter before you leave about your expectations," Dr. Mundy told us. But if you wonder if the parent is responsible for the property their children destroy, it all comes down to their age. According to reporter Ian Mendes, it's a free pass if an incident involves a toddler. "If you leave something out - like your phone or an expensive pair of sunglasses - and a toddler destroys it, the onus should be on you as the owner for not taking better care of your things." But when a child is a bit grown up, as the boys in the story, it's a different scenario. Mendes wrote that when a child damages someone's private property, the parents should be responsible for their actions - especially when they're not as close. "They should certainly make every effort to replace the broken article to the best of their ability," he added. We're curious to hear your opinions on the whole ordeal. What do you think about the woman's reaction? Should 8 and 6-year-olds be wise enough to know not to touch other people's things or was it the babysitter who was wrong to leave the laptop in plain sight? Feel free to share your thoughts below in the comments. People unanimously said the mom needs to seriously rethink her actions
Anyone can write on Bored Panda. Start writing! Follow Bored Panda on Google News! Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda! Share on Facebook Ieva Gailiūtė Ieva Gailiūtė Writer, BoredPanda staff Ieva is a writer at Bored Panda who graduated in Scandinavian studies from Vilnius University. After learning the Swedish language and getting completely lost in the world of Scandinavian mythology, she figured out that translating and writing is what she's passionate about. When not writing, Ieva enjoys making jewelry, going on hikes, reading and drinking coffee. Read more » Ilona Baliūnaitė Ilona Baliūnaitė Author, BoredPanda staff Ilona is a photo editor at Bored Panda with an MA in Communication Of Creative Society. Before Bored Panda, she worked as a social media manager and freelance graphic designer. When she is not photoshopping or searching for the most interesting photos for stories, she is usually watching good movies and says that The Godfather is the best. Read more » Show All Contributors Get the latest inspiring stories via our awesome iOS app! Download Bored Panda app! 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There is no reason why the babysitter should have had to put her laptop away in a household with school aged children. If they were toddlers, yes, I could see that. This woman will be covering for her kids' bad behavior throughout their childhoods and then wonder why they're out-of-control teens who defy her. 102 102points reply Radical Roses Radical Roses Community Member • points posts comments upvotes 1 week ago What on earth does being a single mom have to do with this? Why being up the fact that you are part of the majority, single parent homes are more common than the nuclear family these days. Am I suppose to have more sympathy for her? 79 79points reply Michaela Michaela Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 week ago Yep, trying to get sympathy. I have zero to give this woman. 52 52points reply Load More Replies... Elizabeth Molloy Elizabeth Molloy Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 5 days ago Exactly what she expects. My reaction? Should have kept your knickers on, love. 2 2points reply Doos Rommel Doos Rommel Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 days ago Because if she hasn't said it you always have those people reacting with "what does the dad think" or something. It's always good to go give a big enough picture of the situation 0 0points reply TLL TLL Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 4 days ago No sympathy. But I still think common sense is out the window. On both sides. 0 0points reply Dude Dude Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 week ago Your child's mistake is your mistake. PAY UP! 59 59points reply Amy Taylor Amy Taylor Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 week ago I would pay for the repairs and have my kids earn that money back doing chores so they understood how wrong that really was! 66 66points reply Load More Replies... A Jones A Jones Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 week ago I agree. Even as an accident. When I was in Jr. High I accidentally broken a school calculator and had to do some big chores to pay it off after a heavy lecture. I lugged lumber around for a garden border upgrade for a few hours. It was a 35$ calculator. It did help to be more careful though. lol <:D 12 12points reply Lee Lee Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 week ago I was thinking the same thing. Get the kid to help with the dishes and do some dusting. And if the mother honestly can't afford to outright have the laptop fixed right off she could make an arrangement to pay a few extra bucks every time the girl babysat. Or at least that could have been an option, until she pulled that garbage. Now she isn't trustworthy. 9 9points reply Linda Wright Linda Wright Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 week ago she would come out better paying for it rather than day care she's saying they did nothing wrong because that's her house she's a double a*s you know what ? 7 7points reply Robyn Ward Robyn Ward Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 week ago Exactly, age appropriate chores 5 5points reply Gord Riley Gord Riley Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 4 days ago I would have paid to pair repair the broke screen, my grandson is 6 years old and he don't touch anybody's stuff that isn't his, he knows better I need years old if he hasn't got a brain by now your kids in trouble 1 1point reply Saltea Saltea Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 week ago With this mindset i doubt that your kid will ever broke other people's things 1 1point reply Load More Comments POST Teresa Taylor Teresa Taylor Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 week ago And THIS is how we have so many entitled brats running around not being accountable for their actions. There is no reason why the babysitter should have had to put her laptop away in a household with school aged children. If they were toddlers, yes, I could see that. This woman will be covering for her kids' bad behavior throughout their childhoods and then wonder why they're out-of-control teens who defy her. 102 102points reply Radical Roses Radical Roses Community Member • points posts comments upvotes 1 week ago What on earth does being a single mom have to do with this? Why being up the fact that you are part of the majority, single parent homes are more common than the nuclear family these days. Am I suppose to have more sympathy for her? 79 79points reply Michaela Michaela Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 week ago Yep, trying to get sympathy. I have zero to give this woman. 52 52points reply Load More Replies... Elizabeth Molloy Elizabeth Molloy Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 5 days ago Exactly what she expects. My reaction? Should have kept your knickers on, love. 2 2points reply Doos Rommel Doos Rommel Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 days ago Because if she hasn't said it you always have those people reacting with "what does the dad think" or something. It's always good to go give a big enough picture of the situation 0 0points reply TLL TLL Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 4 days ago No sympathy. But I still think common sense is out the window. On both sides. 0 0points reply Dude Dude Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 week ago Your child's mistake is your mistake. PAY UP! 59 59points reply Amy Taylor Amy Taylor Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 week ago I would pay for the repairs and have my kids earn that money back doing chores so they understood how wrong that really was! 66 66points reply Load More Replies... A Jones A Jones Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 week ago I agree. Even as an accident. When I was in Jr. High I accidentally broken a school calculator and had to do some big chores to pay it off after a heavy lecture. I lugged lumber around for a garden border upgrade for a few hours. It was a 35$ calculator. It did help to be more careful though. lol <:D 12 12points reply Lee Lee Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 week ago I was thinking the same thing. Get the kid to help with the dishes and do some dusting. And if the mother honestly can't afford to outright have the laptop fixed right off she could make an arrangement to pay a few extra bucks every time the girl babysat. Or at least that could have been an option, until she pulled that garbage. Now she isn't trustworthy. 9 9points reply Linda Wright Linda Wright Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 week ago she would come out better paying for it rather than day care she's saying they did nothing wrong because that's her house she's a double a*s you know what ? 7 7points reply Robyn Ward Robyn Ward Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 week ago Exactly, age appropriate chores 5 5points reply Gord Riley Gord Riley Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 4 days ago I would have paid to pair repair the broke screen, my grandson is 6 years old and he don't touch anybody's stuff that isn't his, he knows better I need years old if he hasn't got a brain by now your kids in trouble 1 1point reply Saltea Saltea Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 week ago With this mindset i doubt that your kid will ever broke other people's things 1 1point reply Load More Comments Popular on Bored Panda I Used AI To See What These 23 Popular Cartoon Characters Would Look Like In Real Life 30 Y.O. 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