Friend agrees to babysit 6-year-old for "20 minutes", realizes kid's Mom has vanished

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Mar 24, 2026 3:00 PM EDT

Entitled is the only way to describe this Mom, who randomly left her 6-year-old son with a friend for way longer than expected. 

Have you ever babysat for a family without knowing when the parents would arrive home? I highly doubt it. 

The parents will ask you to babysit for, say, 6 hours. They'll tell you what to feed the kid for each meal, tell you if they need a nap or a bath, and if you're putting them to bed, they'll tell you all about their bedtime routine. 

Most parents get a little anxious when they're away for their kiddos for too long, anyway. They want to know that the children are in good hands

However, for this Mom, the freedom of getting some "me time" away from the kiddo became her own downfall…

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  • 6-year-old boy sits on couch and plays on iPad while waiting for Mom to return.
    via Annie Spratt

    6-year-old boy sits on couch and plays on iPad while waiting for Mom to return.

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

  • Am I wrong for calling my friend’s emergency contact when she left her kid with me "for 20 minutes" and vanished?

    My friend "Kayla" (29F) asked if i could watch her 6 year old son for "like 20 minutes" while she ran into a store near my place.
    via QuietDailyRitual
  • I said yes because i've known her for years and i've watched him before, he's a good kid.
    via QuietDailyRitual
  • She showed up, dropped him off with his tablet and a snack, and said she'd be right back.
    via QuietDailyRitual
  • About 40 minutes later i texted her a simple "hey everything ok?" No reply. An hour passes, i call.
    via QuietDailyRitual
  • Straight to voicemail. I start getting that hot panic feeling because i'm not his parent and i dont know what's going on.
    via QuietDailyRitual
  • Her son starts asking when mom is coming back and i'm trying to keep it light, like "soon bud" while i'm also refreshing my phone like a maniac.
    via QuietDailyRitual
  • I texted again, then again. Still nothing. At the 2 hour mark i'm honestly scared something happened, but i'm also p ed because this is not "20 minutes" anymore.
    via QuietDailyRitual
  • I also had plans later and i'd basically been volunteered into childcare with no end time.
    via QuietDailyRitual
  • Woman shops for a car with 2 salesmen while her friend takes care of her child.
    via Getty Images

    Woman shops for a car with 2 salesmen while her friend takes care of her child.

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

  • I finally looked at the little info card she once left in her bag (emergency contact and pediatrician, stuff like that) and called the emergency contact, her older sister.
    via QuietDailyRitual
  • I didnt call to get her in trouble, i called because i didnt know if Kayla was in a car accident or had passed out or what.
    via QuietDailyRitual
  • Her sister answered immediately and sounded confused, then went quiet and said, "Wait she told you twenty minutes?" Apparently Kayla had texted her earlier that she was "going to look at a car" with a guy she's been seeing and "might be out a while." So she used me as a free babysitter so she could go do this, and just chose not to tell me.
    via QuietDailyRitual

  • It's odd that the Mom got so upset about her friend simply wanting to check up on her. A good friend would care if you dropped off the face of the Earth! 

  • The sister is probably used to this kind of behavior

    Her sister drove over and picked the kid up, and she was polite but i could tell she was annoyed too.
    via QuietDailyRitual

    I wonder if the sister was the first person she asked! Maybe the sister already turned her down, so this Mom just dropped her kiddo with any person and dipped out. 

  • About 30 minutes after that, Kayla finally calls me furious, saying i embarrassed her and made her look like a bad mom.
    via QuietDailyRitual
  • She said her phone dd and she "lost track of time." I asked why she didnt plug it in, or why she didnt just say she needed a couple hours.
    via QuietDailyRitual
  • She said because i would've said no, and she "really needed this." She also said i had no right to involve her family, and now her sister is "judging" her.
    via QuietDailyRitual
  • I told her i'm not a drop off zone and i'm not comfortable being lied to about someone's kid.
    via QuietDailyRitual
  • She's telling mutual friends i overreacted and that i'm dramatic for calling her sister instead of just waiting.
    via QuietDailyRitual
  • AITJ for calling the emergency contact when she disappeared? TL;DR: Friend said 20 minutes, left her kid with me for hours, ignored calls, i called her emergency contact, now she says i humiliated her.
    via QuietDailyRitual

  • So Kayla's story that she's sticking to is that she was looking at a car, presumably at either a dealership or someone' house, and no one had a charger to lend her? How convenient. 

    It's also kind of funny that she knew better than to ask her friend to babysit, knowing she'd get turned down. Not only is this person not in the wrong, but she'd be better off letting this Mom go as a friend. Kayla clearly doesn't value another person's time! 

    Kayla is really telling on herself here, projecting even. No one embarrassed her except for her own actions. Now who's going to babysit that child the next time she actually really needs help? 

    In addition, it's wild that Kayla is trying to turn the tables here. I don't think this person got paid for their babysitting services, and their friend is bad-mouthing them. Ridiculous behavior, and a friend would never treat someone this way. 

    And finally, if she really was looking at a car, why in the world could she not bring the child with her? It would be an annoyance, but surely it's a better option than dropping the kid off with a random friend for an indefinite period of time. I wonder if that's what Kayla was actually doing, or if she was off doing something else. Hmmm… 

    This person would be wise to exercise caution around this lady! Let's hope they can brush this whole incident off their shoulders and find friends who actually have respect for their time. 

  • Woman texts friend, wondering when she'll return to pick up her son.
    via Tim Mossholder

    Woman texts friend, wondering when she'll return to pick up her son.

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

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kids babysitting mom entitled people
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