17-year-old babysits 3 kids for dad's girlfriend, her ex flips out when he won't do the same for him: 'I never met the guy'

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Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Feb 5, 2025 6:00 PM EST

Finding childcare can be a fraught experience for any parent. Getting a babysitter who is both competent and reliable often feels like an impossible challenge, not least when you have to do it on short notice. While in theory, it's easy money for a responsible teen who is not doing anything else for a couple of hours on a particular evening, this isn't always how it plays out in practice.

It is no wonder that many moms and dads often turn to their family and wider social circle when they need somebody to watch their kids. It can be a darn sight easier than trying to recruit a random babysitter who might not even turn up. However, there are limits to these acts of generosity. It is easy to overstep the line from welcome to entitled, especially if you are relying on somebody that you don't know all that well. 

 

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    Cheezburger Image 10463573760
    via Frank Flores (Unsplash+)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • One teenage boy was perfectly happy to babysit the kids of his dad's girlfriend multiple times, as she paid well and the children weren't too difficult to deal with. 

    Unfortunately for him, though, word got out that he was a reliable babysitter, and the mom's ex, who he had never met began demanding that he do the same for him. 

    When he rejected this, the man got angry, accusing him of rejecting the kids and claiming that he would sue his ex for custody. With such a drastic escalation, the teen was left worrying that he had made a mistake.

  • 02
    Cheezburger Image 10463589376
    via Curated Lifestyle (Unsplash+)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 03

    AITA for refusing to babysit my dad's girlfriend's kids for their dad?

    My dad has been dating Jennifer for the last couple of years. I (17m) met them over a year ago. When my dad and Jennifer started introducing us my dad asked if I'd be cool with babysitting once every couple of months for some cash. He said I could say no and he wasn't going to ask Jennifer but she had mentioned not having the money for a sitter when the kids were with her so they waited to have date nights when they spent the week with their dad. I told him I'd do it as long as I got asked and h
    via Waste_Try_494
  • 04
    I've babysat for Jennifer 6 times. The kids are fine and she pays me a little more than she can afford so it's not too big of a burden, she has three kids so she knows it's more work even though she has the kids in bed already for me. Plus she makes sure she has some nice snacks and stuff on hand for me. I don't mind anyway because my dad was single since I was 1 before he met Jennifer and he lost my mom and felt guilt for dating even though everyone in mom's family agree she'd want him to chase
    via Waste_Try_494
  • 05
    The problem started in December when Jennifer's ex showed up at her house while I was babysitting for their pre-Christmas date and asked me to babysit for him Christmas week. I never met the guy or even saw him before and he asked me to do it like we really knew each other. I told him I had plans and he said to knock it off and I already did it for Jennifer so why not him and then he said if I'm going to be the kids' brother they'll get attached and it makes sense for me to spend more time with
    via Waste_Try_494
  • 06
    She got into a fight with her ex over it and stuff went pretty sour between them. She apologized a million times and said she wouldn't ask me to babysit again. But her ex found me on Instagram and told me older siblings babysit younger siblings. I told him I wasn't their sibling and I was just helping out and to stop contacting me. I blocked him.
    via Waste_Try_494
  • 07
    He went nuclear and he's trying to sue her for custody and stating she has them in a bad environment leaving them with me because I don't accept them as my siblings. My DM is something he's trying to use against her. She's p_ed, my dad's pred that this random guy is trying to drag me into it and apparently the ex thinks I'm a for passing up more time with his and Jennifer's kids. AITA?
    via Waste_Try_494
  • 08

    Not surprisingly, nobody sided with the ex.

    Lovebug-1055 Don't worry, the court will laugh in his face. He's trying to get custody because you won't babysit on his time with his children!!!!! Hahahaha. The guys an idiot. Tell everyone that they have nothing to worry about. His time, his babysitter, not you.
    via Lovebug-1055
  • 09
    aquavenatus Not to mention that he's a stranger who's stalking and messaging a minor! OP said he never met the man until he showed up at the house randomly! The judge will go off on him like there's no tomorrow!
    via aquavenatus
  • 10
    Ok Satisfaction_7466 NTA, I highly doubt any judge would side with him on this and I doubt any attorney would encourage their client to try based off this. If he files for himself chances are the judge will dismiss it. But even greater chances he's just trying to bu y her and won't file a thing.
    via Ok_Satisfaction_7466
  • 11
    moonlight_swann NTA. You're not obligated to babysit for someone you don't know, especially when you've already agreed to help Jennifer. Her ex overstepped by asking you, and you made it clear you weren't comfortable with it. His reaction is out of line, and you shouldn't be dragged into their drama.
    via moonlight_swann
  • 12
    Cute Kitten9434 Nta. Now you know why they are divorced. She sounds solid and like your dad lucked out (except with the crazy ex messing up things).
    via Cute_Kitten9434
  • 13
    P_0456 Jennifer seems like a nice woman. Her ex sounds crazy. It's weird for him to harass a minor and I don't think a judge will look kindly on that behavior. NTA
    via p_0456
  • 14
    WenddyWow NTA. Bro, you agreed to babysit for Jennifer, not to become some unpaid on-call nanny for her ex. The dude pulling up to ask you out of nowhere was weird enough, but him stalking your Instagram and trying to guilt-trip you about 'sibling duties'? That's next-level unhinged. You handled it better than most people would. He's clearly just salty and desperate, probably looking for any excuse to take shots at Jennifer. It's not your job to make him feel better about his custody case. You'r
    via WenddyWow
  • 15
    Waste Try_494 OP Thanks! I hope so because I don't want him showing up anywhere else.
    via Waste_Try_494
  • 16
    MistyMintMirage NTA. Bro, Jennifer's ex sounds like a walking red flag. Dude pulled up at her house unannounced and thought he could recruit you into his babysitting squad like you're on his payroll or something. "If you're gonna be their brother..." Like what? That's not how this works, my guy. You're not part of some "buy one, get a babysitter" package deal. You agreed to help Jennifer on your terms, and she respected that. But her ex trying to guilt-trip and stalk you on Insta? Creepy as h_II
    via MistyMintMirage
  • 17
    Nervous-Manager6013 I told him I wasn't their sibling and I was just helping out and to stop contacting me. I blocked him. He went nuclear and he's trying to sue her for custody and stating she has them in a bad environment leaving them with me because I don't accept them as my siblings. Bad environment because you don't accept them as your siblings? So by his logic, *any* babysitter is providing a bad environment if they're not siblings. What a dope.
    via Nervous-Manager6013
  • 18
    Secret_Double_9239 NTA save the messages and tell your dad that you don't feel safe and would like to report this to the police. Sadly I would also suggest that you stop babysitting the kids because the last thing you need is him making false accusations that could ruin your life.
    via Secret_Double_9239
  • 19
    czechhoneybee NTA and Jennifer sounds like a quality person. You have no obligation at all to her pushy ex and it s ks so bad that he's going out of his way to make all your lives miserable for no good reason.
    via czechhoneybee
  • 20
    Neighborhoodnuna he asks you to babysit for him, during his custody time and he wants to go for custody???? Imao
    via Neighborhoodnuna
  • 21
    Shallayna NTA, if he didn't have custody before this incident chances are he still isn't in a good place to take on parenting of three children. But if he does have the balls to try, testify saying he was all cool with his kids living with their mom until I said no to babysitting the kids when he has them.
    via Shallayna
  • 22
    Novel_Move_3972 this is bananas. you are NTA. you should continue to keep this guy blocked and stay far away from him. at 17, you are still a kid and you shouldn't be dealing with this. i hope that your dad and his girlfriend will continue handling this situation so you are affected as minimally as possible. it's scary for a teenager to be harrassed by a grown *** man. And his behavior is not going to result in custody or any other positive legal outcomes for him. Very sorry that this is happeni
    via Novel_Move_3972
  • 23
    Zebra Revolutionary40 No court will fall for this and, at 17, no one expects you to be a "brother" to these kids.
    via ZebraRevolutionary40
  • 24
    MrsRetiree2Be NTA! Do not engage with this person anymore let your father do it. I am happy to hear that Jennifer is treating you with respect by asking you to babysit and taking some steps to make it more pleasant experience for you.
    via MrsRetiree2Be

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