One woman’s recent childcare dilemma ended in a hospital visit — and a mother-in-law screaming match. And, of course, a trip to the “Am I The A—hole? (AITA?)” subreddit to find out who is at fault. The mom who originally posted (the “OP” in Reddit lingo) explained that she has a 16-year-old son, Joe, and a 5-year-old son, Josh.
The Situation
She unexpectedly got called into work on a Saturday and didn’t have time to find a sitter, so she asked Joe if he could watch Josh for four hours until their dad got home. To sweeten the deal, OP paid him $100 (not too shabby!) and said he could have two friends over while he was watching Josh.
“It should be known that his two closest friends are basically my nephews and we have done this before, everything went fine,” OP said. “I ordered pizza for all the kids and left for work after Joe agreed.”
Friends, food, and 100 bucks?! All to watch a 5-year-old? Should be an easy no-brainer, right? Welp, you know this quickly went south.
What Happened?
When OP’s husband got home, he called her in a panic saying he needed to bring Josh to the hospital. OP happens to work at that hospital in the OB department and quickly met them there, where she learned that her youngest had broken his arm in two places.
Sh*t.
“When I asked what happened, I found out Joe left Josh alone in the house while he went out back to smoke weed with his friends,” OP said. “Josh had pulled a chair over to the counter to reach snacks and fell off, hitting the chair on the way down.”
Double sh*t.
When OP, her husband, and Josh got home, Joe was “nowhere to be seen.”
Triple sh*t.
AITA for grounding my son for leaving his brother alone in the house to get high with his friends?
byu/Rude_Movie_7176 inAmItheAsshole
“We found him at my mother-in-law’s house and to be honest, I tore him a new one and grounded him from everything,” OP said. “My MIL decided it was time to step in and yell at me about making Joe babysit then grounding him because ‘He didn’t know better and was too young to babysit.'”
OP’s MIL then called her an “unfit mother” and wouldn’t let Joe leave with his parents. Which is definitely not how things work … but OP let him stay with his grandma so everyone could have a night to calm down.
“I’m now being told I’m in the wrong because ultimately, it was my fault,” OP said. So, was she in the wrong for leaving Joe to watch Josh?
Reddit’s Reaction
Reddit has no problem stoning this stoned teen for what he did. Really? For 100 bucks you couldn’t just light up later and actually watch the kindergartener in your care? No one is buying the MIL’s BS. A 16-year-old can definitely handle babysitting their sibling for four hours. And with friends, food, and funds to boot?! Yeah, there’s no question the mom was not the a—hole here.
“Your son was neglectful and his brother was hurt because of it,” said the top comment with 2.3 thousand upvotes. “There should be consequences for him.”
Joe was in the wrong and, frankly, so was his grandma.
“Your mother-in-law is way out of line calling you an unfit mother and I really hope that your husband is behind you and put his mother in her place,” one Redditor said.
“The fact that your husband didn’t step in and put her in her place … and that you left your 16-year-old there!?!? Boggles my mind. My children. My rules. The end.”
“Makes you wonder all the things grandma told him about mom and if she knows he was smoking weed.”
Redditors went on and on about how they were willfully babysitting at much younger ages because they were responsible enough and wanted the spending money. There’s no reason to think Joe couldn’t have been the same way.
“16 is legally old enough to get a job and drive a car, if you can’t watch a sibling for a few hours at 16 years old, you probably need shipped off to remedial school.”
“Yep if he is ‘too young to babysit’ then he is too young to get his license and drive a car.”
“And apparently he’s old enough to get high. 🙄 Grandma have anything to say about that?”
Oof. Those are some hard truths that both Joe and Grandma should put in their pipes and … well, you know.
Before you go, check out some of Reddit’s wildest baby name dilemmas.
Before you go, check out some of Reddit’s wildest baby name dilemmas.
Leave a Comment