Successful lawyer expects her child-free sister, who's struggling to afford a family trip to Mexico, to babysit her two kids for free so she can have alone time: ‘She could cover a portion of my costs’

Author image for Cata Holmes
Cata Holmes • Writer
Aug 25, 2026 7:15 AM EDT

A week in a luxurious resort in Mexico sounds like the perfect place to disconnect and relax, but for this woman, the family getaway came with a big assignment: babysitting. 

It's not the first time that I've read about a family vacation going wrong. It's something normal, and it tends to happen more often than not, and it's for one reason only: expectations. When we're kids, we spend vacations with our parents and have a certain idea of what going on a trip means and what things tend to happen, and which ones don't. However, as we grow up, this can change and vary.

And the situation with these two sisters is a great example of this. The story posted in r/familydrama explains that she's a teacher and that going on this trip means a lot financially, and that she's been saving up so she can afford it. Her sister, on the other hand, is a lawyer and can easily fund this whole thing for her husband and two kids also.

But the problem is not really the money, rather that the expections a previuosly mention.

The successful sister is expecting that the teacher is going to be able to babysit her kids during the whole vacation for free, so she can enjoy "adult" time with her husband. She's thinking her sister is not going to have any trouble, considering she's child-free and she loves them… but this has nothing to do with love. It's about everyone enjoying the vacation and disconnecting completely from the routine. Unfortunately, babysitting is not part of the plan.

What the Original Poster is proposing is that the sister should cover some of the costs of her trip if she's expecting her to take care of her two kids… which, to me, sounds like a fair arrangement. Although it's not what she would want (since she doesn't want to babysit at all), it could be helpful for her to get some help with money, and instead of paying her back, she can babysit both kids, and the problem is solved. 

Advertisement
  • A worried woman looks at her laptop while thinking through a family situation involving babysitting and vacation costs.
    via Unsplash+ (via Getty Images)

    A worried woman looks at her laptop while thinking through a family situation involving babysitting and vacation costs.

    Model representation. 

  • Sounds good... beach and a resort in Mexico for complete relaxation

    My sister and I are planning a family trip with our parents and her two kids. We haven't taken a big family vacation in a long time and I'm really looking forward to it. The plan is to go to an all-
    via Love_Buny8
  • inclusive resort for a week. We've been looking at places for a few months now and we finally settled on one in Mexico.
    via Love_Buny8

  • And of course... those trip aren't cheap!

    The problem is the cost. My sister makes about three times what I do. She's a successful lawyer and I'm a teacher. She has a much more comfortable financial
    via Love_Buny8

  • We know... there's a lot going on in trips like that.

    situation. I've saved up a good amount for the trip but the cost of the resort plus flights and everything else is really stretching my budget.
    via Love_Buny8

  • Resorts like this have a kids' club and also a lot of babysitters for families with young kids.

    She's planning to bring her two kids aged 5 and 7. The resort has a kids club which is great but they're still young enough that they'll need a lot of supervision.
    via Love_Buny8

  • Mmmm... what? Because she doesn't have any kids? Not fair.

    My sister and her husband are hoping that I'll help out with watching the kids during the trip so they can have some adult time.
    via Love_Buny8

  • Like everyone else in the family...

    I love my niece and nephew but I was really hoping to relax and enjoy my vacation without a lot of childcare responsibilities.
    via Love_Buny8

  • Actually, sounds fair! Then, both sisters can be happy

    I was thinking of suggesting that if I'm going to be doing a significant amount of childcare she could cover a portion of my costs. Maybe the resort fees or
    via Love_Buny8

  • Talking about it as a suggestion is not going to hurt anybody!

    my flights. I feel a bit awkward bringing it up because she's already paying for her own family's expenses which are considerable. But at the same
    via Love_Buny8

  • And yes... I agree with her!

    time if I'm going to be working during my vacation it feels fair to be compensated somehow.
    via Love_Buny8
  • Am I being unreasonable to expect her to pay for part of my trip if I'm helping with her kids? Or should I just s k it up and enjoy the family time?
    via Love_Buny8
  • A parent relaxes on the beach with two young children during a family vacation to Mexico.
    via Unsplas+ (via Weiqi Xiong)

    A parent relaxes on the beach with two young children during a family vacation to Mexico.

    Actor performance of story events.

  • Responsible_Employ23 I wouldn't volunteer to do any babysitting... I'd want to enjoy my vacation that I saved and paid for... My fear, if you offer and accept payment, is that they will assume that they've bought and paid for a full time nanny for the kids and you will be doing ALL the things.
    via Love_Buny8
  • Intelligent-Jump1823 I see a lot of posts like this. You can flat out tell her you love them and love spending time with them, but you are going to have fun too and not to be a free nanny. You can phrase it better, but you're not running out your savings to WORK. It has nothing to do with her income. It just so happens thats one way she can make up for it.
    via Love_Buny8
  • Careless-Ability-748 You decline to babysit and tell them this is also your vacation.
    via Love_Buny8
  • Agreeable_Cricket300 I think the best solution is to use the resorts babysitting services or kids club Youre all going on vacation and you deserve to enjoy yours too Helping out occasionally is one thing but you shouldnt become the default babysitter so they can have adult time
    via Love_Buny8
  • NoDanaOnlyZuul I wouldn't ask her to subsidize the trip unless you genuinely want to spend part of your vacation babysitting. "I'm on vacation too, so I'm not taking on childcare. I'm happy to spend time with the kids as a family, but if you want adult time, you'll need to use the kids' club or arrange childcare through the resort."
    via Love_Buny8
  • Vegetable-Fix-4702 You may not like my opinion but I would not go on a vacation where someone can take advantage. I've been there, done that.
    via Love_Buny8
  • Perle1234 I think I'd just sit down with her and tell her you're not watching her kids on vacation. It's understandable. I never once went on vacation planning to dump my kids on family or friends and I never did.
    via Love_Buny8
  • A beachfront all-inclusive resort in Mexico with clear waters, palm trees, pools, and tropical beaches.
    via Unsplash+ (via Aman)

    A beachfront all-inclusive resort in Mexico with clear waters, palm trees, pools, and tropical beaches.

    Image for illustrative purposes.

  • Miserable-Season-72 Your sister and you are planning a family vacation where you will be working as the childcare for her children? What kind of family vacation is that? She either needs to cover your cost or find someone else to look after her kids.
    via Love_Buny8

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

nephews mexico lawyer family trip teacher babysitting
Scroll Down For The Next Article