Remote worker refuses to babysit during work hours after her sister belittles her “online job” and takes her flexibility for granted: ‘She started acting like I am free by default because "you are at home anyway"’

Author image for Etai Eshet
Etai Eshet • Editor
Nov 26, 2025 3:00 PM EST

What nobody tells you about working from home, and what our customer support professional just found out, is that when you work from home, some relatives figure you have loads of free time and no actual responsibilities. Customer support is not just clicking boxes and sipping coffee all day. The schedule is packed, your boss is always one glitch away from checking if you're online, and missing a chat is like sending smoke signals that you want your job to vanish. Still, family hears home office and thinks extra hands for daycare.

Generally speaking, people really glorify working from home, and I get it, but I'm one of those weird individuals who kind of like being around other people. Not in a full-blown, outgoing, extroverted way, but I just think working around other people and talking about stuff generally makes you better at whatever it is you're doing.

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  • AITA for refusing to babysit during my work hours after my sister mocked my "internet job"?

    displeased woman working from home, trying to type on her laptop while looking after two kids at the same time.
    via Jelena Zelen

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

  • After a few months of juggling work and surprise babysitting, the patience wears out. Sister keeps dropping the kids off with five minutes' notice, acting like your job is a cute hobby that pays pocket change, not the thing keeping your bills sorted. Every time she brushes off your boundaries, the sting gets worse. It starts to feel less about helping family and more about being taken for granted.

  • I 29F work from home in customer support for a software company. I am online 9 to 5, have calls and chat targets, and if I disappear it is noticed.
    via irina_pavlova87
  • My sister 34F has two kids, 4 and 7. Childcare is expensive, so sometimes I helped on lighter days, but it was always planned.
    via irina_pavlova87
  • Recently she started acting like I am free by default because "you are at home anyway".
    via irina_pavlova87
  • Two weeks ago she texted at 8 AM that she was dropping the kids off in thirty minutes due to a half day at school.
    via irina_pavlova87
  • displeased woman at home, trying to work on her laptop while looking after two kids at the same time. stressed and trying to multitask by holding a toddler and looking after two children while working.
    via Jelena Zelen

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

  • I replied that I had meetings and could not watch them. She answered that I "just sit on a computer" and should stop pretending my "little internet job" is real work.
    via irina_pavlova87
  • That really hurt. I told her if my job is such a joke to her, she needs to find someone else.
    via irina_pavlova87

  • No more babysitting during work hours. The rule gets set and sister disappears for a while. Parents jump in with guilt and old-school logic about how it should not be a big deal, but you're finally picking yourself first.

  • I also said that from now on I will not babysit during my work hours at all, even on quiet days, because the boundary is gone.
    via irina_pavlova87
  • She ended up leaving the kids with our parents and has barely spoken to me since.
    via irina_pavlova87
  • Cheezburger Image 10577592064
    via Jelena Zelen

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

  • My mom thinks I should apologize because my sister is stressed and that since I do not commute or have kids, it would not kill me to be "more flexible".
    via irina_pavlova87
  • I do love my niece and nephew and I am happy to see them on evenings or some weekends.
    via irina_pavlova87
  • But I am angry that my sister expects free childcare while trashing the job that actually pays my bills.
    via irina_pavlova87

  • The truth is, you love those kids and you'll see them outside work happily. But treating your job with respect matters most. Watching family twist your flexibility into a punchline makes sticking to your boundaries feel more vital. Internet jobs are real. They deserve real respect, right along with your time.

  • So, AITA for refusing to babysit during work hours unless she respects that my remote job is real work?
    via irina_pavlova87
  • Mother_of_Crows NTA- you have a job and you are working, if your sister can't respect this very reasonable boundary and stoops to insulting you, she doesn't deserve the help. Don't bite the hand that feeds.
    via irina_pavlova87
  • Amiga The Devil 1973 Your mom should babysit then. Definitely NTA. You are working. It doesn't matter where.
    via irina_pavlova87
  • Barsk-Brunkage Ask which one of them is gonna pay your bills, when you lose your job being free daycare? Personally I would refuse to babysit EVER until she kissed my lilywhite behind in gratitude.
    via irina_pavlova87
  • Capital-9 Mom is encouraging this BS.
    via irina_pavlova87
  • NTA PeregrineBlossom Working from home is still work. You can't just miss meetings because you're babysitting unexpectedly.
    via irina_pavlova87
  • BlueberryOk3969 Let your mom take over if its so easy. Your sister needs a good kick. Stick with your no. Her chilldcare is not your responsibility
    via irina_pavlova87
  • RawrRRitchie Where's the child's OTHER parent?? Nta
    via irina_pavlova87
  • Pandorasbox1987 NTA. It is ok to say no for any reason, whether you have a job or not. Nothing, short from a medical emergency justifies a 30min heads up for unpaid childcare.
    via irina_pavlova87
  • NTA! Stacey Mike Not meeting those call/chat metrics will get you fired. I'm assuming "family helps family" stops when you lose your job because you were watching the kids. Sis can F right off.
    via irina_pavlova87
  • BellLilly I bet mom and sister also don't think stay-at-home parents are full-time. working Chasing kids around, cleaning up after them, and just keeping them alive as they constantly do things to try to unalive themselves is a full-time job until they're like...10. NTA as someone who has to call customer service, I HATE when the rep has screaming kids or barking dogs in the background of a call. I've given bad ratings, snapped at them, and hung up to try to get someone I can actually hear.
    via irina_pavlova87

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workplace discussion employment issues family drama workplace-stories tradition siblings work family feud favoritism babysitting workplace work-life balance sister
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