Babysitter gets injured looking after 16-year-old and 8-year-old, faces pushback for refusing to allow teen in her house again: 'She constantly creates drama'

Author image for Ally Perry
Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Jul 21, 2025 9:00 PM EDT

How much would it take for somebody to earn a permanent ban from visiting your home? For some, it could be something as simple as not cleaning up after themselves properly. For others, theft or mistreating a pet might earn such a punishment. The boundaries are different for everybody, but perhaps one standard that almost everybody can agree on is that if an individual causes you physical harm, they don't get the privilege of being in your house.

Of course, accidents happen, and not every household incident is worthy of a complete banishment. However, if somebody gets hurt because of rash or aggressive behavior, it is understandable to put up some strong boundaries. Nobody wants to feel unsafe in their own home, especially if the person responsible for it was welcomed there with open arms. It is a betrayal of trust, and there are people who will only learn this the hard way.

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  • 01

    AITA for refusing to let my friend's troubled teenage daughter stay at my place ever again after she hurt me?

    I (m28) live with my boyfriend (m32) of three years in our apartment. I'm also recovering from a recent back surgery that's left me pretty vulnerable physically. - My close friend from college is a single mom with two daughters a 16-year-old and an 8-year-old. The older daughter has been struggling for years with behavioral issues and substance ab e. She's been suspended multiple times, had run-ins with police, and has done several stints in residential treatment programs. My friend says she's b
    via No-Caramel-280
  • 02
    Cheezburger Image 10532572928
    via lesha tuman

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

  • This is how one woman felt after she received an injury when she and her boyfriend agreed to let her friend's 16 and 8-year-old daughters stay over for the weekend. The teenager had had issues for several years, but they were promised that she was improving.

    Unfortunately, the teenager got into an argument with her boyfriend that escalated into her being pushed out of the way. Recovering from surgery, she landed on a table, and the resulting injury had to be treated in the hospital.

    As a result, the woman told her friend that she didn't want her older daughter in her house again. The friend thought she was being overly harsh, and she wanted to know if she was right.

  • 03
    The first day went really well. We ordered pizza, played board games with the younger girl, and she even helped me organize my comic book collection. Everything seemed fine. Then the older daughter got into it with my boyfriend over him asking her to clean up after herself in the kitchen. I was lying down in the bedroom resting my back when I heard voices getting louder. When I came out to see what was going on, she was getting really agitated and my boyfriend was clearly out of his depth trying
    via No-Caramel-280
  • 04
    But as we were heading toward the door, she suddenly changed her mind and decided she wanted to continue the argument with my boyfriend. She roughly pushed past me to get back to the kitchen, and I lost my balance and fell backwards onto our glass coffee table. The edge caught my lower back right where I'd had surgery, and I ended up with a nasty gash that needed stitches. My boyfriend immediately called my friend and told her she needed to come back. He took the older daughter to stay at his si
    via No-Caramel-280
  • 05
    When my friend got back, I told her that her older daughter is never welcome in our home again. She was incredibly apologetic, but I was firm. I'm still healing from surgery, she knew about my condition, and she pushed me hard enough to injure me. She constantly creates drama and upsets her little sister. My friend wasn't angry about my decision, but she thinks it's harsh to say "never" and unfair that I'm still okay with the younger daughter visiting. But I'm not budging. AITA?
    via No-Caramel-280
  • 06
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    via Curated Lifestyle (Unsplash+)
  • 07

    Outsiders fully supported the woman's decision.

    Tater Tot8 Omgosh NO ur NTA!! That's SO SCARY, she literally put your life in danger by being a raging psycho, what if the injury was worse and life changing?! The fact that she's rogue is not your problem. Stand your ground!! That girl needs therapy and her mother is enabling her if she doesn't get her the help she truly needs.
    via TaterTot8
  • 08
    No-Caramel-280 OP Thanks! Yeah, the "what if it was worse" thought keeps me up at night. My friend means well but enough is enough.
    via No-Caramel-280
  • 09
    ForwardPlenty NTA. It's not harsh to say never. It's not your kid. You have no responsibility to her, her mother, or the universe to ever have her in your house again.
    via ForwardPlenty
  • 10
    NTA Kashaya72 Make sure her mom pays for the urgent care visit The girl needs to be evaluated for behavioral illness, and see a therapist
    via Kashaya72
  • 11
    Negative-Meringue813 Your friend clearly doesn't see just how messed up her kid is. You let them stay with you, she creates an argument over being asked to clean up after herself and then injured you severely. Yeah, never again. I would absolutely never feel safe with her in my home again. Or honestly anywhere near her.
    via Negative-Meringue813
  • 12
    janiceleygw54 The fact that OP even considered helping in the first place while recovering says a lot. That girl didn't just "act out," she caused real harm and it could've been way worse. Honestly, setting that boundary is the only sane move here. Healing in peace > hosting chaos
    via janiceleyjw54
  • 13
    Adelucas NTA. I've banned specific family members who aren't allowed to set foot in my house, but their parents and siblings are. I punish the person not the family. I'm kind of the placid one who everyone comes to for advice, but they know that once I say something I mean it. and there's little to no chance of my ever changing my mind. My one cousin hasn't stepped foot in my house for over 20 years after kicking my dog in anger. He was out that minute and while I still see his brother and mothe
    via Adelucas
  • 14
    Cybermagetx Nta. Shes lucky you didnt press charges. And yta for not. At 16 she should known better. And its clear mom isnt gonna enforce any punishment strong enough to curb this. Shes gonna end up in jail or worse.
    via Cybermagetx
  • 15
    Twig-Hahn Nope. I think you went easy on her. I would've called the police and APS. No teenager should ever do that. She needs help but you're not equipped. Shalom you're loved
    via Twig-Hahn
  • 16
    NTA Monalot-a She is lucky you didn't call the cops and file charges! Your friend should be thanking her lucky stars you aren't suing her as well. I'm so so sorry you went through that. The pain had to have been unbearable.
    via Monalot-a
  • 17
    grayblue_grrl NEVER is not harsh when you have to protect yourself from injury. NEVER is exactly what it means. You NEVER have to see that person again. Your friend isn't concerned enough about what her kid did to you. IMO. Maybe she's just a user and wants to keep her options open. NTA.
    via grayblue_grrl
  • 18
    mxzf "Never" doesn't even fundamentally have to be permanent. It doesn't intrinsically preclude the possibility that the girl shapes up and repairs her relationship with OP and becomes welcome again at some point in the future. But it does mean that this is the kind of damaged relationship where you don't just apologize and things go back to where you were. There needs to be genuine and heartfelt change over the course of years if someone really wants to repair a relationship (and the daughter d
    via mxzf
  • 19
    FunctionKey4594 Dude, NTA at all. You're just trying to protect yourself and ur own space. Back surgery ain't no joke, and that situation could've turned even uglier. Tho it s ks for the kid and ur friend, gotta prioritize your health. Maybe harsh but sometimes tough love's necessary. Keep the younger one coming round, not fair she gets the short end, but hostilities are defo a no-go in future. Bad luck happens but don't let it redo itself. Stay safe, man.
    via FunctionKey4594
  • 20
    Feeling-Invite7953 NTA. The 16-year-old has behavioral issues, but the mother has entitlement issues. She knew she was leaving a troubled person in the care of someone who barely knew them. It didn't go well.
    via Feeling-Invite7953
  • 21
    13artC Your friend is a user. She's upset at 'never' because she's already planned to leave her with you again. She caused you to slash open your back where you had surgery. You know that could have ended a lot worse, right? NTA. You established a very gracious boundary. Your friend doesn't seem to care that you could have been seriously injured.
    via 13artC
  • 22
    dart1126 NTA. I think the fact that she didn't even want to bring her OWN CHILDREN with her to HER dad's, and their GRANDFATHERS memorial service says....a lot
    via dart1126
  • 23
    blinkingcautionlight Some people might say "she didn't mean to" but as much as that may be true, and it's also true her brain's not fully formed yet and she's naturally lacking in impulse control, 16 is old enough to be a danger if she can't control herself in these kinds of situations. You could have been very badly hurt. NTA
    via blinkingcautionlight
  • 24
    Fantastic_Fee_1291 Being pushed into a table wasn't necessary. Her arguing with an adult "owner" of the home because he asked her to clean up after herself and insisting on keeping it going while everyone was trying to de-escalate it would have done it for me.
    via Fantastic_Fee_1291
  • 25
    Stunning-Mall5908 NTA. Unfair that you are ok about the child who did not physically harm you can stay in the future? Still trying to wrap my head around that. Your friend's hands are full. Do what you can to help without putting your safety aside.
    via Stunning-Mall5908

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friendship aita teenager kids injury parenting babysitting argument reddit thread Reddit surgery
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