17-year-old forced to babysit stepmother's kids for 6 hours on his day off, he leaves the house instead, forcing the stepmother to cancel her plans: 'She was trying to guilt-trip me about canceling'

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Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
Aug 14, 2025 12:00 PM EDT

This 17-year-old found himself needing to move in with a family member when his mother had to move into a care home to aid her failing health. The teenager had the chance to move in with his maternal grandparents, but his father insisted that he move in with him instead. His father had never been present in the teen's life until this point, and unfortunately it wasn't a sudden pang of altruism that drove him to insist on taking his son in, but rather the fact that by having his son under his roof, he would be free from paying child support for the first time in 16 years. From there, the teen's father continued in his old ways, not supporting the teen, forcing him to care for himself or seek the care of his grandparents. His father's fiancée, the soon-to-be stepmother, saw an opportunity too, and promptly moved in with her two children. The idea, unbeknownst to the teen, was that he would be a live-in childcare provider for her two children while she went off to do as she pleased. Unwilling to be party to this childish game, the teen instead left, leaving the stepmother to stay with her own children. This sparked a confrontation that would prompt the teen to pack his things for good.

While you should help out where you can with family, parents shouldn't expect their teenagers to act as built-in babysitters to the extent that it affects their own opportunities and chances at building a future. This is even more so when it's a newly blended family with children who are almost completely unknown to each other. Besides, it is not as if there is a strong foundation of mutual trust here already for this father-son relationship. Rather, the father has a history of not being there for the teen, so why should he suddenly expect the teen to be there for him?

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  • 01

    "[Am I wrong] for leaving when I was asked to babysit forcing my dad's fiancée to cancel her plans?"

    I (M17) lived with my mom until a year ago when her dis lity got to the point where she was placed in a care home that's like a hospice. My dad wasn't ever a big presence in my life and he's still not. I live there but I need to be self sufficient and I pay for my own sh or have help from my maternal grandparents to pay for it. It's all kinds of messed up but he was always that way. His reason for having me here is no child support because he had to pay for 16 years before that. My grandparents
    via IglossTovon
  • 02

    "Last Saturday I had a day off work and I wasn't planning on doing anything when dad and her said I needed to babysit the kids because they had stuff on"

    Cheezburger Image 10542393856
    via Lesli Whitecotton lnicolern

    The image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 03
    My dad's engaged to some woman who has a 3 year old with someone else and a 6 month old with my dad. I moved in around the same time her and her kid did and she was pregnant then. I don't know much about her and I don't spend time around her or the kids.
    via IglossTovon
  • 04
    Last Saturday I had a day off work and I wasn't planning on doing anything when dad and her said I needed to babysit the kids because they had stuff on. Dad left first and she told me she'd be gone for about 6 hours and she was trying to tell me schedule stuff for the 6 month old and the 3 year old but I just said no way and I left the house. I didn't have anything planned but I was not willing to babysit and I dipped before she could leave. She tried yelling after me but I kept going and I didn
    via IglossTovon
  • 05
    Dad was back by then and the two of them started yelling at me and saying I had no right to walk out and leave the kids without a sitter. I pointed out their mom was home and they said it wasn't the point but I said it was the point and I did not want to babysit and I did not have to babysit. I told them I won't ever babysit so they better find someone for when they need it because it won't be me and I will leave every single time.
    via IglossTovon
  • 06
    She was trying to guilt trip me about canceling her plans and I asked her why it was my problem that she didn't prepare a sitter for her kids before her plans. She even got her sister (who I don't think I met before) come over and tell me I was a person and I took my daddy issues out on her sister and her niblings. I rolled my eyes, packed my sh and I left after that. I'm hoping he doesn't try taking this to custody court and if he does I hope he gets a date after I turn 18 and it's a waste of t
    via IglossTovon
  • 07
    Cheezburger Image 10542394880
    via Toa Heftiba For Unsplash+

    The image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 08
    Shadow4summer NTA. This is why your dad wanted you at home instead of your grandparents. They wanted a built in babysitter. They are takers and users. Since you're out already, never go back, never give in. Sorry you're going through this.
    via IglossTovon
  • 09
    agnesperditanitt NTA Pretty convenient, she moved in the same time as you, the perceived in-build-babysitter.
    via IglossTovon
  • 10
    Icy-Foundation-2333 NTA Her sister can babysit if she wants prepare your exit !
    via IglossTovon
  • 11
    BeeEnvironmental62... No offense to you or your capabilities but what mother leaves a six month old infant and a three year-old for 6 hours with a 17-year-old boy who has no experience taking care of children? They both sound like huge AHs. And I believe legally your father is responsible for providing you food and shelter. You shouldn't have to be earning your own way at age 17. I'm glad you left and hopefully you can stay with your grandparents and go NC with your father.
    via IglossTovon

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Babies family dynamics teens family drama stepmother aita AITAH infant kids teenagers blended family siblings stepchild moms family feud parenting family pregnant reddit thread parent raising kids Parenting Fail parents children
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