Mom Fired The Babysitter For Reading Kids Diary And The Dad Doesn’t Get It – Asks Reddit For Advice
This mom's husband disagreed with her decision to fire the babysitter after it was discovered that the babysitter had recorded herself reading their daughter's diary. Even though I'm pretty sure we all have at least one bad babysitter story, this one might take the cake.
This woman posted on Reddit about the situation in order to get the internet's opinion. Their daughter had been going through a hard time, and to make matters worse, the younger kids' babysitter began bullying her. Although the husband agreed that it was wrong of the sitter to read the diary, he thought that the wife overreacted by firing her. Read on to find out more!
This Mom Wanted Advice
This mom wanted opinions from the good ol' internet after she and her husband got in a fight about the babysitter.
She claims that both she and her husband work long shifts, so for years, they have been hiring babysitters of different kinds to help out with their three kids. The oldest, Lauren, is 14 years old.
Their Daughter Lauren Has Been Sturggling
The mom writes that Lauren has been going through a hard phase after her best friend passed away a few months ago.
The daughter received therapy for two months and is doing better now, but grief has no timeline. The mom claims that she does everything she can to be there for her daughter. So, this mom and her husband got Lauren a new journal to write down about her thoughts and feelings. Journaling is a good way to process your feelings, so Lauren has been doing a lot better since she started.
The Journal Dillema
The husband suggested his friend's 17-year-old daughter for a new babysitter. She worked for them for weeks, and this babysitter would sometimes tease Lauren about being uptight, never smiling, and even gave her the nickname "Grinch."
The mother told the babysitter to stop, but the babysitter said it was all fun and games. Recently, Lauren called her mother crying and told her she needed to come home. She came home to see the babysitter sitting with the younger children, and Lauren was upstairs. Lauren then told her mom that the babysitter had taken her journal and started reading it in front of the kids while recording it all.
The Mom Fired The Babysitter Instantly
The mom became furious. She asked the babysitter about it, and the girl said she "was just messing with Lauren and showing her that it's okay to speak emotions out loud instead of bottling up."
The mom started yelling at the babysitter, saying it wasn't her place and that she caused more trouble than ever. The babysitter apologized and swore she deleted the video but the mom told her she could no longer work for them and needed to leave. The babysitter broke down crying and apologizing to the mom and Lauren. The mom wrote in the post: "I refused to let her keep her job. I know Lauren doesn't want to be around her anymore."
The Husband Thought She Deserved A Second Chance
The husband came home and was upset that she let the babysitter go. He reminded his wife that the babysitter was his friend's daughter, and she shouldn't have made her leave. He argued that his wife handled this the wrong way and that she should've been the adult in this situation instead of yelling and kicking the babysitter out.
The mom explained to her husband what she did to Lauren, but he still thought they should give the babysitter another chance. He said: "I agree with you on this, she should've known better, but she didn't. Kids her age make mistakes. What's done's done, she apologized, so we should give her another chance."
She Stood Her Ground
Her husband continued on about how this situation would negatively impact his friendship with the babysitter's father. He also reminded the wife that they desperately need a babysitter for the next few days, so they have no choice but for her to come back.
The mom stood her ground and said that no, the babysitter will never step foot in the house again. Her husband then called her unreasonable and said it's his house too. After they fought, she ended up calling him delusional for expecting him to rehire her after the stunt she pulled on Lauren. She will not hire her again, as their daughter can't feel comfortable in her home. He got very upset and stopped speaking to her.
Let's Talk About It
Wow, so that was a lot of information. To sum it up: After this family-friend babysitter read one of their kids' journals (who has recently lost a friend), the husband wanted to keep her on. He claims that his wife took it too far by yelling at the young girl, and that it was all just a mistake.
The two desperately need a babysitter, and they should make decisions together. But, the wife never wants the babysitter back in their home again, and she called him delusional for even considering it. With that out of the way, let's get into some of the responses!
She Doesn't Deserve A Second Chance
Lots of commenters mentioned that letting the teenager back in the house would not only make Lauren uncomfortable, but also make her lose trust in her parents.
Even though the mom didn't tell the parents of the babysitter about what had happened, some users thought that she should consider it.
The Husband Is Choosing A Friend Over His Family
Everyone was on the mom's side in this situation. The husband choosing to defend the babysitter over his family didn't really sit well with anyone.
Even though her husband didn't agree, it's good that she didn't give in to him.
The Babysitter Violated Lauren's Privacy
After a few commenters claimed that it could be possible that the babysitter somehow had good intentions, it was agreed that it still wasn't her place.
Journals and diaries are private for a reason, and it's a violation of trust when someone goes through your things.
A Quick Update
The only criticism that this mom received (now deleted) was that she still had a babysitter when she had a 14-year-old in the house.
The mom edited the post and claimed: "For those asking why we'd need a babysitter with a 14-year-old in the house. First of all, the babysitter is for my younger children (four and six)." She explains that Lauren already made it clear that she didn't want to look after her siblings, and the mom wasn't going to force her to do it.
