A Dad Wants To Get Paid For Babysitting His Own Kid & People Think He's Giving His Wife Away
It’s hard to tell what’s worse in this situation: the fact that a dad is trying to get paid to babysit his child or that his wife might be cheating right under his nose, and he doesn’t even realize it.
A Reddit user took his dilemma to the popular Reddit community Am I The A**hole to ask the world if he was wrong “for wanting to be paid for babysitting my own daughter,” but people pointed out that he might have a bigger problem at hand.
The user started his post by giving context to the readers and explained that he and his wife share a 10-year-old daughter. Their neighbour, Walter, is a single father with two daughters under 14.
The original poster explained that his wife loves watching horror movies, which they don’t have in common since he hates them.
“She also likes older, indies and foreign horror movies,” the user explained. "She has always had a hard time finding people that have this niche interest, and that is why it was such a big deal when we met Walter and found out he also shares this tendency.”
“They very quickly started to make plans to watch movies together. I was invited to be a part of this but refused,” he continued.
Instead, the Reddit user opted to stay home and babysit the three children while his wife and Walter went out and enjoyed the movies together.
“Sometimes they go to movie theatres, but other times they just stay at Walter's place watching stuff at his home cinema,” he explained.
"They usually have to go to another town to catch a specific function of some weird movie, so it is normal for them to come back very late. They eventually started doing stuff outside of watching movies, like going out for dinner.”
Walter even invited him and the children out with them to a fancy restaurant once, and the original poster declined the offer, citing that “it was too expensive” and he “didn't think the kids would enjoy it either.”
“This has become a regular thing, and it is in a way a good deal for me because Walter pays for my wife's dinner, and she can no longer complain about me not taking her to fancy restaurants,” said the post.
You would think that the issue would be that his wife is going on dates with another man, but you’ll be surprised to hear that the problem in all of this that the poster wants to complain about is the fact that he’s babysitting the children for free.
“As both their movie and dinner nights had become so common, I have grown a little tired of the burden of constantly babysitting the girls,” the user wrote.
After speaking to his wife and Walter about the situation, they decided that Walter would pay him “a standard babysitting fee” when he takes his wife out.
The wife, on the other hand, is against the entire transaction.
“She says I should not be paid for babysitting my own daughter nor the daughters of a close friend of our family like Walter,” wrote the user. “We have been arguing about this, but she insists on this notion, and it is not open to change.”
He ended his post by asking, “am I the a**hole?”
Most people in the comment section think that he is the a**hole, not only because he wants to be paid for babysitting his kid, but also because he’s neglecting his marriage and allowing another man to fulfil the wishes of his wife instead of doing it himself.
“YTA (you’re the a**hole) for several reasons, two of which are calling taking care of your own kid 'babysitting' and not really caring about your marriage,” wrote one commenter.
“Don’t be surprised if your wife ends up leaving you for Walter if they're not already having an affair…”
“I’m sorry OP (original poster), but it looks like your wife has a new husband. And somehow, you’re the babysitter,” wrote another user.
“YTA asking for babysitting money. But, this whole situation is so bizarre. I think you need to figure out if you want to be married, and if she does. Because right now, it doesn’t seem like you are.”
Another user wrote, “I actually lost it at this line: 'Walter pays for my wife's dinner, and she can no longer complain about me not taking her to fancy restaurants.' He refuses to participate in any of these activities and won't let the kids go either because HE doesn't *think* they'd enjoy it.”
“How stupid can someone be?! Maybe his wife and Walter could move in together and keep OP as a paid babysitter lol.”
Seems like most people are on the same page, and the OP got his answer: he’s the a**hole.
Do you think the Reddit user is in the wrong?
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
