'She overtopped us with our own child': Sister-in-law babysits mom's baby for free, gets chewed out for buying a more expensive highchair

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Senior Editor
Jan 10, 2024 3:00 PM EST

It can be so easy to compare your ability to provide for your family to others. It's one thing to be saving your extra money and intentionally not buying your 3-month-old designer sneakers for frugality's sake, but when you have to buy everything cheaply, it can be extremely disheartening. Even if you're not able to give your baby the best, giving them the best you can is good enough, even if it's hard to believe.

It famously takes a village to raise a child, and there's nothing more helpful than family members who are willing to take help take care of your kids free of charge. One mother who works nights and weekends is lucky enough to have a childless sister-in-law who is happy to take care of her baby while she and her husband are at work. The only problem is that the mom became incredibly offended by the expensive highchair she bought, which made her think that her sister-in-law was showing her up. 

Advertisement
  • 01
    r/AmltheAsshole u/Used Prior7586 - 1d AITAH for calling my SIL AH for buying a more expensive baby highchair for when she babysit my baby?
    via u/UsedPrior7586
  • 02
    My husband and I (m35, f31) had our baby 7 months ago and now I have to go back to work soon and on the days both my husband and I have the I evening shift or same weekend shift my husband's brother and his wife (m40, f 42) offered to babysit. They are childfree and work 9-5 and no weekends. Yesterday I was visiting and she showed me how she prepared their apartment with safety things and she also had purchased a baby chair. A thousand dollar baby high chair. I was appalled because the one I hav
    via u/UsedPrior7586
  • 03
    I told her that she was the ah for having a more expensive chair for MY child at her place when I have a 30 dollar chair. She just shrugged and said that she was thinking about the rest of her interior and wanted a beautiful piece because it will be in the kitchen for a long period of time. I was furious and left but my husband wants me to apologize for being rude? How am I the rude one here when she obviously overtopped us with our OWN child?
    via u/UsedPrior7586
  • 04
    Old-Ambassador 1403 23h Partassipant [1] YTA hardcore. Apologize immediately and get some therapy with the money you're saving on childcare. Reply 435k ↓
    via u/Old-Ambassador-1403
  • 05
    Hot-Insect-6330 - 23h Best reply ever! It's not a contest! She's willing to help you with your baby, you don't have the right to tell her how to spend her money, also working on your insecurities is a thing too! ... 9.9k
    via u/Hot-Insect-6330
  • 06
    Fionateapet A 7 month old baby has little to no awareness to tell what you have' in comparison to what your SIL has.! That was absolutely an aggravating move.! SIL deserves every ounce of heartfelt Apology....! 22h ● 4k
    via u/Fionateapet
  • 07
    FemHierophant. 20h Well obviously her baby is going to prefer the more expensive chair, because ya know, baby likes the finer things and has expensive taste! And since baby will prefer that fancy schmancy high chair, baby will obviously prefer Auntie Richie Rich over Mommy! And when mommy picks baby up after work, baby will be like "wahh wahh I want to stay with Auntie Richie Rich and my fancy schmancy high chair! Put me down, peasant!"
    via u/FemHierophant
  • 08
    And then when baby gets old enough to talk, baby will be all like "I don't love you! I want to go live with Auntie Richie Rich! She's rich so that means she loves me more than you! Peasant!" Then when baby grows up and gets married, baby will want Aunt Richie Rich listed as parents on the invitations, and will want Auntie Richie Rich to fund her wedding, because her mom's a lowly peasant! Obviously. Duh. OP is YTA. Thank SIL endlessly for the childcare and love, apologize profusely, and blame th
    via u/FemHierophant
  • 09
    UTU/ wildcat12321 • 21h we should all be so lucky that our childfree family is so invested and excited to be in their life and support us that they will spend $1000 on a new high chair for part time babysitting. OP get the over yourself. She didn't overstep with your child. She didn't insult you. She didn't have a different parenting philosophy or not respect your wishes. She literally is sacrificing on your behalf and you are ungrateful to the highest extreme ... 2.1k
    via u/wildcat12321
  • 10
    ParticularCraft3 • 20h I told her that she was the ah for having a more expensive chair for MY child at her place when I have a 30 dollar chair. This reads to me as "I'm appalled she didn't give me the thousand dollar high chair and trade for the 30 dollar chair for her place." OP isn't mad at what they bought. They're mad they don't get to have it themselves. 823
    via u/ParticularCraft3
  • 11
    Used Prior7586 OP • 23h I will apologize. Thanks. ... 1.7k
    via u/UsedPrior7586
  • 12
    amzes ● 21h OP just remember, a $1000 high chair isn't better than the $30 one. Pretty much every parent has the $30 ones because they suit parents needs- easy to clean, easy to use etc. The $1000 one your SIL suits her needs as not a primary care giver. She has different needs for a high chair- eg the aesthetic she mentioned. Your child won't know the difference nor care how much you spend dollars wise on their high chair. ... 112
    via u/amzes
  • 13
    YTA Heloise_Morris • 1d Professor Emeritass [88] ...now I have to go back to work soon and on the days both my husband and I have the I evening shift or same weekend shift my husband's brother and his wife (m40, f 42) offered to babysit. They are childfree and work 9-5 and no weekends. Yesterday I was visiting and she showed me how she prepared their apartment...I was appalled because the one I have is a 30 dollar one. I told her that she was the ah for having a more expensive chair for MY child
    via u/Heloise_Morris
  • 14
    A family member offers to provide childcare, which probably they're doing for free, and you throw a hissy fit about their choice of a high chair? You're husband is right, you are rude and ungrateful. Edit: OP's (u/Used Prior7586) response to a comment on the same post on a different forum. She offered to buy one for us too but I felt even more insulted because I don't want her feeling sorry for me Reply 6.6k
    via u/Heloise_Morris
  • 15
    Cheesy Romantic • 22h What's she's also not realizing is these childfree people are even childproofing their home for their niece/nephew! ... 289
    via u/CheesyRomantic
  • 16
    ditchdiggergirl. 22h The punchline here is that neither of them knows anything about high chairs. Experienced parents know that the gold standard is the ikea antelop, which was under $20 when I bought it for my second child. There isn't much at this price point, so odds are good that this is what OP already has. Why did I buy a new chair for the second child when I already had one? Our first chair was a fancy one, an expensive shower gift. I learned my lesson - I spent more time cleaning and fum
    via u/ditchdiggergirl
  • 17
    04243G 22h Partassipant [1] This is the way. My sister has used the same IKEA high chair for all 4 of her kids and it was a hand me down from my other sister who used it for her son first. That amazing. has survived 5 kids and still looks You can just set it in the sun and any stains on the white plastic fade away. I can't believe what some people spend on baby stuff these days. ... 100
    via u/O4243G
  • 18
    fizzbangwhiz . 1d Pooperintendant [63] YTA. Your baby isn't going to know how much things cost. The baby will throw just as much food on an expensive high chair as on a cheap one. Your in-laws have done an amazing thing for you. Not only are they offering free childcare, they are serious enough about it to make a good investment on equipment and they are making long term plans to ensure that they will be happy and set up for babysitting for the long run. They haven't even babysat once yet but th
    via u/fizzbangwhiz

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

chair aita baby babysitter mother chairs parenting sister in law babysitting in laws expensive Reddit mom money Parenting Fail Parenting FAILS reddit story
Scroll Down For The Next Article