26-year-old woman refuses to continue babysitting sister-in-law's kids after discovering she and MIL regularly criticize her, husband takes his sister's side: 'It's not a big deal'

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Jun 30, 2025 9:00 PM EDT

If you had the power to know every single thing someone has said about you behind your back, would you use it?

The answer for some people would be absolutely not. They recognize that nothing good will come out of knowing what people say about them when they are not around to hear, so they would rather be blissfully unaware and free of that stress and drama. Even if they miss out on all the nice things people say, as well.

Other people, however, might still be tempted to use that power every once in a while. Not because they are particularly prone to drama, but because they would like to know if there are people in their lives who should not be there; people who talk badly about them behind their back, but still take from them whenever they have the chance.

Take the sister-in-law in the story below, for example. She had no problem demanding her brother's wife babysit her kids for free while also saying mean things about her to other family members behind her back.

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  • The wife, without a superpower, found out about the gossip, and was thankful that she did, because she now realised she was being taken advantage of. Safe to say, she no longer babysits for free, even if her husband still thinks she should.

    Keep scrolling to read the full story.

  • 01
    "I have been babysitting her kids for free"
    via Mladen Zivkovic

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

  • 02

    AITAH for refusing to babysit my sister in laws kids after i saw text messages between her and my mother in law saying horrible things about me.

    I (26f) am married to my husband (28m).I don't have the best relationship with his family but have always been civil.I've never had a
    via lilixmaddie
  • 03
    problem with my sister in law (30f) but there was always some tension between us. She asked me two months ago to babysit her children since she likes
    via lilixmaddie
  • 04
    going out with her girlfriends on weekends but never got the time because of the kids and plus i don't work weekends.My husband thought this
    via lilixmaddie
  • 05
    would be a great way to bond with her kids (4f) (7m) and smooth the tension between me and my sil.l thought a few weekends here and there wouldn't
    via lilixmaddie
  • 06
    hurt but she was also refusing to pay since i'm 'family'. I didn't want to without payment but i did want make my husband
    via lilixmaddie
  • 07
    happy and keep the peace because i knew she was going to cause drama in his family if i didn't so i said yes.It wasn't so bad and the
    via lilixmaddie
  • 08
    kids are nice and respectful plus she payed for food. Fast forward to this weekend, i saw a notification on my sils phone who was sitting next
    via lilixmaddie
  • 09
    to me on Friday at a family dinner between my mil and sil talking sh about me saying stuff like i'm annoying.I was shocked because i had been
    via lilixmaddie
  • 10
    babysitting her kids for free and been very nice to her. I confronted both of them with my husband who said it wasn't a big deal and to drop it but i was
    via lilixmaddie
  • 11
    enraged. They both said i had no right to snoop and crossed a line but eventually they gave a halfhearted apology.I was still mad at them and my
    via lilixmaddie
  • 12
    husband for not sticking up for me. My sil asked me if i could babysit on sunday .I said no and told her i was shocked at the audacity for her even asking. Now her
    via lilixmaddie
  • 13
    ,my husband and his family are mad and saying i'm overreacting and blowing things out of proportion.I think i'm in the right but my
    via lilixmaddie
  • 14
    husband isn't speaking to me and is sleeping in the guest room.So reddit am i TA
    via lilixmaddie
  • 15
    ZOTMAN Plaza ple
    via Yura Timoshenko

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

  • 16
    Charming Warning9611 NTA but you really have a husband problem. He did not stick up for you and suggested you are overreacting. And now imagine having kids with that
    via CharmingWarning9611
  • 17
    imagine having kids with that guy where his mother's and sister's opinion means much more to him than yours. I can imagine SIL dropping her kids off with you because you're home
    via CharmingWarning9611
  • 18
    with your kids anyway so you are free to look after hers and your husband's not going to do anything about it as at the end of the day 'family helps family and you shouldn't complain'. Honestly, think about this. To me it is a huge red flag
    via CharmingWarning9611
  • 19
    GrouchyBear_99 "I (26f) am married to my husband (28m). I don't have the best relationship with his family" Lady, I've got news for you: you don't have the best relationship with your husband either.
    via GrouchyBear_99
  • 20
    He is the reason why you're being taken advantage of. For god's sake, don't have any kids of your own until you get this "relationship" on equal footing and stabilized. NTA unless you keep letting him and his family use you.
    via GrouchyBear_99
  • 21
    tweakingirl Girl why are you with him? He doesn't respect you either leave that man
    via tweakingirl
  • 22
    Artistic-Sherbert136 Let your husband take care of his sister's kids since he's so anxious to please her. Hold your ground. Your in-laws are entitled takers.
    via Artistic-Sherbert136
  • 23
    Away-Elephant-4323 Your in-laws sure don't think your annoying when she needs a free babysitter! It's not the kids fault but the sis and mom sound insufferable!
    via Away-Elephant-4323
  • 24
    moncyka NTA husband/mil can babysit the kids
    via moncyka

Tags

family drama aita baby babysitter kids mother siblings wife reddit story husband sister in law babysitting aunt family sister Reddit women parents children
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