7-year-old purposefully dumps water on babysitter's $1000 laptop, parents don't offer to replace it: 'I freaked out and told the parents'

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Sep 24, 2025 10:00 PM EDT

Babysitting is one of the hardest jobs in the world. Not only do you have to take care of a child, which is one of the hardest things to do, but you have to take care of somebody else's child. And other people might make different parenting decisions than you would. You can't control how anybody parents their child, even if you're the babysitter. So you just have to deal with their parental neurosis, which then becomes your problem via your job. Dealing with the kids themselves is one thing, and dealing with their parents is another. 

I'm sure most babysitters would tell you that the part of their job that they dislike the most is having to deal with entitled parents. Kids, at the end of the day, are innocent. Some of them might be nightmares to deal with, but it's ultimately not their fault. It's their parents' fault. And as a babysitter, you have to deal with both of these behavioral issues. So what happens when the kid messes up in a major way? 

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  • Kids jump on the bed.
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

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

  • Is it the babysitter's fault or the parents' fault? And who should be responsible when something goes wrong? Those are the questions that came up in this story, where a particularly poorly behaved child was up to no good. His babysitter was left scrambling for what to do. Read on for the story.

  • Kid dumped water on my laptop. Should the parents pay for it?

    Hello! The family I babysit has two kids 7M and 5F. The mom suggested I bring my homework and do it with the boy because it may motivate him to do his homework too. The boy is really bad and acts up all the time. He's the kind of kid that has never heard "no." The dad tries to teach him that it's okay to hear "no" and that the boy can't always get what he wants. The mom is just super overwhelmed with work and often gives the boy what he wants to avoid tantrums.
    via u/Feisty_Bag289
  • The issue: all of my homework is online so I bring my laptop. The boy was curious about my homework so I showed him what I can do with it. I was showing the keyboard lights up and what paper I was writing when he asked "Hey what would happen if I put water on it?" I immediately panicked and said "Well you might break it because water can damage
    via u/Feisty_Bag289
  • electronics." I also threatened to pour water on his switch. The dad said it was okay to make empty threats because it could scare him into not acting up (parents, is this true). I put my laptop in my backpack initially but he kept trying to rip the bag open. Then I put my laptop on a super high shelf. He spent the next hour pulling up his high chair to the shelf, me dragging the chair away, him pulling
    via u/Feisty_Bag289
  • it back, etc. The girl needed to potty so I went to help her. The boy took the opportunity to pull my laptop down and slammed it onto the ground, shattering the screen. Then he poured water on it. I freaked out and told the parents. The dad was very apologetic but the mom just sent me a text saying "I'll speak to him and hopefully he'll listen this time." The issue is this happens everyday. The kid acts up, dad disciplines him, and mom just sends a sorry text.
    via u/Feisty_Bag289
  • The reason I want to ask the parents to replace it is because the dad was bragging about how the mom is a lawyer and billables are $1500 and then she gets $700 of that. He said she brings in a couple thousand dollars a day I got the vibe they're pretty well off. It's a $1000 gaming laptop and I worked hard to get it a couple years ago. Would it be totally unreasonable to ask them to replace it?
    via u/Feisty_Bag289

  • Commenters agreed that she should follow this through.

    Hot-Prize217 • 3d ago They should absolutely replace it, and frankly, if their little demons are that destructive, maybe it's not worth babysitting them anymore.
    via u/Hot-Prize217
  • macaroniwalk • 3d ago . I would literally take this to civil court if they don't fully reimburse you
    via u/macaroniwalk
  • Sensitive-Mango7155 3d ago Yes they should absolutely buy you a new laptop
    via u/Sensitive-Mango7155
  • Hot_Celebration_8189 3d ago 1. They should pay for the laptop. 2. Threatening a child is a terrible way to parent. No. wonder they're so poorly behaved.
    via u/Hot_Celebration_8189
  • Recent_Yogurt_61043d ago 100% and don't babysit for them anymore, people who can't control their kids should be so wary of having other people watch them before issues are resolved:/ i've been a nanny for a while and it s ks when that happens, i hope they replace it!!
    via u/Recent_Yogurt_6104
  • A babysitter leads a kid up the stairs.
    via Unsplash+ (Hrant Khachatryan)

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

  • 7625607 3d ago The mom suggested you bring it. You made a good effort to keep it away from him, but you did also have to care for their other child.
    via u/7625607
  • The boy intentionally climbed up on a chair to get to it and broke it. Yes, they should pay for it. They probably won't.
    via u/7625607
  • YourMomma2436 · 3d ago • This wasn't an accident. If he was drinking out of an open cup next to you and it slipped out his hands I'd say no...but holy sh I'd be getting a new laptop out of it. And if they didn't wanna pay that, I'd be taking them to civil court. If they weren't well off I may think differently but nah.
    via u/YourMomma2436
  • MidwestNightgirl 3d ago Yes they should replace it!! If they refuse you could take them to court. Also if they refuse, and they ask you to sit again, tell them you now charge $100 an hour because you have to replace your laptop.
    via u/MidwestNightgirl
  • Leading _Thought2396 3d ago Definitely ask the father to replace your laptop. This boy purposely kept trying to get to your laptop to break it. Also, never babysit for them again. This child needs discipline. His mom obviously doesn't care what he does. They will have trouble finding anyone who will
    via u/Leading_Thought2396
  • babysit with him long-term. Empty threats do not work. The boy has figured out there are no consequences for his actions. Boundaries need to be established first by his parents.
    via u/Leading_Thought2396
  • Mistyam 3d ago Edited 3d ago . • They should definitely replace it. Especially if you were instructed to show him how you do your homework so that he might be motivated to do his. It's actually appalling that they didn't immediately offer to replace your laptop. This more than anything tells me that they are not modeling being responsible for your actions to their kids.
    via u/Mistyam
  • Also, do you want to continue to be responsible for a child who climbs up on his high chair to get to a high shelf and could possibly fall and crack his head open? If you have other babysitting jobs, you might want to put this family on the back burner until they get this kid into therapy and learn how to parent him correctly.
    via u/Mistyam
  • paper-jam-8644 · 3d ago From my limited experience fake threats are one of the worst things you can do for discipline. It teaches the kid you're not serious.
    via u/paper-jam-8644
  • • AccordingPop6394 3d ago I can't believe they didn't offer to pay for it. That is BONKERS to | me. It seems it's not usable now. I agree with the others, if they don't replace it, you can't work for them anymore. H I even if they do, I am not sure I would. "Hopefully he'll listen this time". Hey mom, hope is not a strategy...for parenting or really anything else!
    via u/AccordingPop6394
  • plsbee... • 3d ago Edited 3d ago Bc the boy did this intentionally and is of an age where he knows better the parents need to pay for a new laptop. He vandalized and destroyed property, it's unacceptable. I wonder if this boy has some developmental or behavioral challenges. It honestly sounds
    via u/plsbeenormal
  • like he might and is instead being classified as "bad or problematic..." This can happen when a child presents with less obvious deficits. this doesn't excuse the parents, they still are responsible for his behavior. Just offering another perspective on the kid.
    via u/plsbeenormal
  • sunbakedbear • 3d ago The fact that they didn't automatically offer to replace it is gross. I'd be asking them to replace it and then, after they do, I'd quit. And on a side note, as a parent and a teacher, empty threats do not work and only make things worse because the kid realises you're never going to actually do anything.
    via u/sunbakedbear
  • Warlordnipple • 3d ago Empty threats are literally the opposite of how you should parent, young kids need clear boundaries as they will test them all the time. If they have no boundaries they have no idea how to act and just do whatever they want, they also don't usually feel good or safe without boundaries.
    via u/Warlordnipple
  • (Imagine how differently you feel if you rehearse a speech for months and know all your lines by memory before saying it vs you are pushed out on to stage to give a presentation with no preparation) People like rules and boundaries as it helps them to understand their place in the world and helps to mold what is fair vs not fair.
    via u/Warlordnipple
  • Cassieelouu32 · 3d ago If my child ruined your computer I would not only replace it but it would be the newest model of your choice.
    via u/Cassieelouu32

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childcare Babies aita babysitter kids moms parenting babysitting dad cute kids reddit thread parent Reddit raising kids Parenting Fail parents children Parenting FAILS
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