Childfree 24-year-old aunt refuses to babysit for her sister's energetic 2, 4, and 7-year-olds while she's working from home, gladly babysits her brother's calm 6-year-old twins: 'I can’t watch a difficult kid while I work.'

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Writer and Editor
Apr 5, 2025 8:00 PM EDT

Not every babysitter is suited for every group of kids. When I babysat as a teenager, I really only did it for chill, well-behaved kids who didn't need a lot of redirection or discipline. They were the kind of kids with 5 million ideas for how we would play together, and I'd just roll with the punches. My mom usually was the one who connected me with families to babysit, and I don't think she would've trusted me to thrive babysitting an actual baby or a group of more than 3. Some teenagers are responsible enough to care for multiple rowdy kids for a couple of hours. Still, any parent who has children worthy of a Supernanny episode shouldn't expect any babysitter to be able to handle their family. Even the nannies on Nanny.com deserve a big tip for managing a family of kids who are always bouncing off the walls. 

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  • The aunt in this story can only handle babysitting for one of her siblings. Her sister has three energetic kids, and her brother has two self-sufficient kids who need minimal supervision. Considering that she's babysitting while she's working from home, it makes sense that she can't watch her sister's kids. Or so you'd think!

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    via Nathan Dumlao

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

  • 02

    AITAH for being willing to watch my brothers kids regularly but never my sisters kids when she may lose her job without help?

    I 24f am child free along with my husband. Neither of us really like kids. I have two siblings. 29m and 31f.
    via u/Last_Home_6544
  • 03
    My brother and his wife have twins, 6m and 6f. His kids are very quiet and well behaved. They mostly prefer to be left to their own devices. There has been speculation that they both might be on the spectrum. They barely talk, and spend all their time together. They like to read books and play games on their switch.
    via u/Last_Home_6544
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    via Brooke Cagle (Unsplash+)

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

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    I wfh and am in general an introvert. My husband is too. I am my brothers emergency contact for the kids school. My brother regularly asks me to watch the twins, and I agree. Sometimes I pick them up from school so my brother can run errands.
    via u/Last_Home_6544
  • 06
    Whenever the kids get sick at school or something happens I am usually the one to come get them and watch them while I work. My brother and his wife both work in healthcare and can't leave work easily. I have no problem watching the twins because well, I don't actually have to watch them. They're
    via u/Last_Home_6544
  • 07
    completely fine to be left to their own devices in the living room while I work or play games in my home office. They'll even open the fridge and make sandwiches for themselves if they get hungry. They are the easiest and quietist kids I've ever met. I even watch them here and there so my brother and his wife can have a date night, which he always pays me well for.
    via u/Last_Home_6544
  • 08
    My sister has 3 kids. 7m, 4m, and 2m. Her kids are a handful, from what I've seen at family gatherings. The 7 year old is always trying to wander off, and has to be watched. The 4 year old screams, and likes to throw things at his siblings. Constant temper tantrums too. And the 2 year old is just a typical needy 2 year old.
    via u/Last_Home_6544
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    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

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

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    So they're all quite a handful. My sister has asked me to watch her kids countless times over the years and I have said no every time. I've never even changed a diaper and I have no interest in dealing with her super high maintenance kids.
    via u/Last_Home_6544
  • 11
    Last year her husband left her. It was a whole ordeal. He works as a trucker and pays his child support, but he doesn't come back to see the kids anymore. Last week her 4 year old bit another kid at the preschool, and she was told she had to come get him. They also have a rule where
    via u/Last_Home_6544
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    if a kid bites another kid they are suspended for a week. She asked me to come get him and also babysit for a week because she will loose her job if she takes a week off last minute. I refused. I wfm but I'm still working. I can't watch a difficult kid while I work.
    via u/Last_Home_6544
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    It would be one thing if I just needed to check in on him every other hour like my brothers kid, but this kid needs constant supervision. It would make me look bad to my boss, and seeing as I'm trying to get a promotion soon, I can't have that.
    via u/Last_Home_6544
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    She doesn't understand why I can watch my brothers kids and not hers. She completely blew up at me crying and yelling at my mother's house the other day saying it's not fair that I never help her but I help my brother all
    via u/Last_Home_6544
  • 15
    the time. I tried to explain to her that it's because his kids are very easy and hers aren't. She cried and said that she didn't get to pick how easy her kids are, and I should step up anyways.
    via u/Last_Home_6544
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    AITAH? My mom thinks I am, but she also doesn't watch anyone's kids because she's d
    via u/Last_Home_6544
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    Snackinpenguin I think your sister needs to understand that you can't babysit while you have your work. The two aren't compatible. You can't put your own job at risk to continuously do her favours.
    via u/Snackinpenguin
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    Rebecca MCullen The thing with OP watching the brother's kids during work hours but not the sister's, simply boils down to her being able to work while the brother's kids are there, and not being able to work while the sister's kids are around. Why should OP lose a week of work to accommodate her sister's ill behaving children?
    via u/RebeccaMCullen
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    Awkward Pin_4978 The sister needs to hire a babysitter and stop her mnonsense!!
    via u/Awkward_Pin_4978
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    Beth21286 She needs to understand she has the kids she raised. Bro has the kids he raised too. Hers cannot be worked around, his can.
    via u/Beth21286
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    Tria821 And everyone needs to understand that her kids have a father who SHOULD be 50% responsible for his own offspring. If he can't take time off, then he needs to pony up for the babysitter.
    via u/Tria821
  • 22
    Wonderful_Minute31 My firstborn was chill. My wife works from home. She was able to keep him home until preschool at 4yo. He liked quietly playing and reading. Now he's a typical elementary kid w friends and sports and sh. My younger child is NOT chill. Never was. From birth. Very busy and loud and adventurous. She was not able to stay home w wife and wife actually work. She had to go into daycare at 10mo. It just happens. My own kids aren't an exception. WFH is working. It isn't fair to watch a
    via u/Wonderful_Minute31
  • 23
    p9nultimat9 ΝΤΑ Her 4yo has behavioral issues that he is not allowed to go to school for a week. Sister needs to take this issue seriously. This is not something she can ask her working sister to do free babysitting for a week and let it pass.
    via u/p9nultimat9
  • 24
    JTBlakeinNYC NTA. The only reason you are able to watch your brother's kids while working from home is because they are completely self-sufficient and make no noise, allowing you to work from home uninterrupted. Your sister's children are normal kids-e.g., loud, energetic and requiring constant care. You cannot simultaneously watch them and work from home, and even attempting to do so would risk your job.
    via u/JTBlakeinNYC
  • 25
    KajakStonked Thank you for stressing that they're behaving like normal kids - a few other comments consider the kids to be super “unruly" and their mom to be “at fault", which is a bit mean and unrealistic.
    via u/KajakStonked

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family drama babysitter kids brother childfree parenting babysitting aunt dad little kids family twins sister mom single mom parents children
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