This 33-year-old guy has been a single father for nearly his 6-year-old daughter’s entire life. Her mother passed away not long after she was born, so he’s been raising her on his own ever since.
“It’s been hard, but I’ve done everything I can to provide for her and make sure she’s happy and healthy,” he said.
However, he has a 35-year-old sister named Claire, who has three kids between the ages of 5 and 10. Claire also has a wonderful husband, but they still lean on him a lot for childcare.
His sister and her husband know how great he is with kids, given his own experience with his daughter, which is why they ask him to babysit sometimes.
He doesn’t mind lending a hand occasionally, either. Yet more recently, it’s become clear that Claire is asking him for help more and more often with very little notice.
“I’ve had to cancel plans, juggle my own schedule, and rearrange things to accommodate them,” he detailed.
When Claire reached out a few days ago and asked him to babysit again, though, he wasn’t able to make it work that time.
She and her husband apparently planned to go on a couples’ retreat and wanted him to take her three kids for the weekend. But he simply wasn’t able to, as he’d already put together a special daddy-daughter weekend for him and his daughter.
Rather than understanding that, Claire actually got really upset with him and claimed he should’ve been happy to help out because she had “real responsibilities” as a mom of three. He, on the other hand, “only” has one child.
fizkes – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual people
“That comment really hurt me, and I told her that just because I have one child doesn’t mean my responsibilities are any less important than hers,” he recalled.
Nonetheless, his sister brushed him off and stated he wouldn’t understand what it’s like to be a “real parent” since he’s never had to manage multiple kids or a full household.
Her remark deeply offended him, and he told his sister that she shouldn’t rely on him so much for childcare if she doesn’t view him as a “real parent.” He refused to budge or babysit during the couples’ retreat, too, and now his sister is livid.
Claire won’t stop texting him, accusing him of being selfish and punishing her over one “small” statement.
Their mother has taken Claire’s side as well, saying he needs to let the situation go, given how much his sister has on her plate.
“But I don’t think I should be treated like a free babysitter, especially when she clearly doesn’t respect my role as a parent,” he vented.
Regardless, in the wake of all this drama, he’s not sure if refusing to babysit after his sister disrespected him like that is really so crazy or not.
Doesn’t he arguably have it harder since he’s a single parent without a partner for support? How would you feel in his shoes?
You can read the original post on Reddit here.
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.