Have you wated the horro movie The Visit and The Babysitter? Those who have seen the movie like us, we’ve learned to seriously question who’s looking after our kids — and rightfully so!
Well, today’s story is about a mother who was living in her own horror movie. Her babysitter was trying to convince her kids that she is the child’s “real mommy.”
The big problem here is, that this babysitter is her mother-in-law’s friend. Cue the drama…
This concerned mother took her dilemma to Reddit’s “Am I The Asshole” (AITA) community.
The mom of two kids began explaining that she is 26-year-old and has a four-year-old daughter and a three-month-old son.
Since both husband and wife work from office, and they needed someone to watch the kids while they’re away.
They’ve had a few babysitters in the past, but her mother-in-law eventually suggested that her friend watch the kids for free.
“I told her it wasn’t necessary since we could afford a babysitter just fine, but she insisted. I didn’t really see any harm in it after she kept asking, so I gave in and her friend (45F) started babysitting our kids.”
Everything was fine at first.
The babysitter was always punctual and she followed the Redditor’s schedule for food and bedtime. Adding to that, the lady had managed to impress the kids and they liked her a lot.
Then, one day, something strange happened and it felt weird. The Redditor’s daughter walked to her and asked if she was her real mum.
When she confusingly asked her daughter what she meant, her daughter revealed something disturbing.
“Turns out, MILs friend had been telling my kids that they were her babies, and when they protested saying they weren’t, she would yell at them saying that I was just their money maker and that she was their real mommy.”
Uhhhhh…. come again?!
When the mother of two discussed the matter with her husband, they hired a new babysitter immediately. Then, they called the mother-in-law to express their concerns and explain the situation.
“We told her that we weren’t going to have her friend over anymore because it made us uncomfortable. We even told her what my kid had told me.”
The mother-in-law was furious!
“Over the phone she started screaming, saying that quote on quote, ‘my friend doesn’t have any kids or grandchildren, so your kids are the closest things she’s had to it, and you’re going to take that away from her?!'”
They tried to calm her down, but nothing helped.
Later on, the mom received a photo of the former babysitter crying on the mother-in-law’s couch.
Now, the Redditor feels conflicted.
“I feel horrible for making her upset, but I don’t like how she was telling my kids these things. I understand that she doesn’t have kids, but that doesn’t excuse her behaviour.”
She let the babysitter go for her peace of mind, but now she’s wondering if she’s wrong.
Thankfully, Redditors swiftly let her mother in law know that, if anything, the mom underreacted!
“Would your MIL ever help your friend see them? To the point of taking the kids behind your back? I’d take them to a few sessions with a therapist,” one user suggested.
“They were clearly confused and the damage this unhinged woman did can run deeper than you know right now. Kids internalize that kind of stuff,” they continued.
One nanny left a comment saying she felt creppy after hearing the story. “If you keep her, one day you’ll come home to your kids gone. Or at the very least, they’ll end up with a serious complex.”
They went on to say that kids require safety and security from their parents, so to have someone say that you aren’t their real mother will only hinder emotional development.
The mother was asked to change her locks and install a CCTV camera for security reasons. Someone with such emotional attachment likely won’t give up on the kids easily.
Many were also frustrated at the mother-in-law for being upset at the wrong party.
“Any normal grandmother’s reaction should be getting angry at the friend, cutting her off, and considering her a danger to the grandkids (which she is, she’s unhinged).”
How do you fell about the incident that took place? What would you have does, if you were in the mother’s place?
Do you feel scared to leave your child with a babysitter? Have you had any bad experiences with your nanny? Tell us your stories in the comment section below, and we would love to share them on our platform with our audience.
