A Babysitter’s Unintended Consequences
A babysitter found herself in an unexpected situation when she briefly stepped outside to pick up a DoorDash order. What started as a simple trip to the front door turned into a heated conflict with the mother of the children she was caring for.
The incident was shared on Reddit’s r/AmIOverreacting thread by a user named u/South-Eagle-300. According to the post, the mother discovered via a Ring doorbell camera that someone had approached the door. The visitor was a food delivery driver, who had been summoned by the babysitter. She claimed she hadn’t eaten since lunch and was experiencing a headache. At the time, the two children, both under the age of 2, were asleep.
The mother expressed her discomfort, stating that she felt uneasy about someone coming to the door while the kids were sleeping. She also mentioned that the babysitter had left the children alone, which added to her concern.
The post included screenshots of the text exchange between the babysitter and the mother. Initially, the babysitter asked for an update on the parents’ return, noting they were already over two hours later than expected. The mother responded that they were taking the 10:30 train and should be home at 11:30.
However, the tone quickly changed when the mother asked if the babysitter had received any deliveries. After confirming it was from DoorDash, the mother expressed concern about the situation, saying she wasn’t comfortable with a stranger coming to the door without her knowledge.
“I would never be okay with a stranger coming to the door while my kids are sleeping. I really wish you had asked me before doing that,” the message read. The mother then requested that the babysitter double-check that both the storm door and the door chain were locked, emphasizing the need for full trust in whoever was present.
In follow-up messages, the babysitter apologized and explained that she had waited until the delivery person left before stepping outside and had locked everything behind her. She also mentioned that she had previously babysat for other families where ordering food was never an issue.
Despite this, the parents remained firm in their stance, clarifying that their concern wasn’t about the babysitter being hungry, but rather about the fact that someone came to the door without their knowledge and that the babysitter had stepped outside without informing anyone.
When the parents returned, the babysitter was told she couldn’t be trusted anymore and was subsequently fired.
At the time of writing, the post had received more than 31,000 upvotes and over 5,600 comments. Many commenters supported the babysitter, pointing out the double standard of leaving children with a near-stranger while expressing outrage over a short trip to the porch.
Some users criticized the mother for hiring a babysitter through Facebook and then complaining about a food delivery. Others argued that the mother’s concern was misplaced, given the circumstances.
Parenting consultant Jo Hayes suggested that the babysitter’s hunger could have put the children at greater risk than opening the door to retrieve her food. She noted that if the babysitter hadn’t eaten since lunchtime, her cognitive functions and physical energy would be diminished, making her less capable of handling any emergencies that might arise.
Another user believed the mother was trying to shift the focus away from how late the parents were actually arriving. They suggested that the mother was trying to redirect attention from her own behavior.
The incident sparked a broader conversation about trust, responsibility, and the expectations placed on babysitters. It also highlighted the fine line between reasonable caution and overreaction in parenting.
