Parents Tell Babysitter She Can’t Do Homework While Baby Is Sleeping. She’s Shocked When She’s Asked to Do Chores Instead

A babysitter recently took to Reddit to share a surprising experience with a family she works for — one that left her questioning her role and responsibilities on the job.

The original poster (OP) explained that she had just begun babysitting for a family with an 8-month-old baby, typically working evening shifts from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. She’d completed two sessions without issue until a text from the baby’s mother the following morning caught her off guard.

According to OP, the mom said she felt uncomfortable knowing OP had done homework while the baby slept. The babysitter clarified in her post that after putting the baby down for the night, she used the quiet time to complete schoolwork — something she’d done with every family she’d ever worked for.

“I don’t even know what to say back to her,” wrote OP. “Some chores she has me doing while the baby sleeps are cleaning all the bottles and baby dishes and folding the baby’s laundry.”

OP turned to Reddit for advice, asking whether it was unreasonable to do homework after finishing those chores — noting that it didn’t seem any different from a babysitter watching TV during downtime.

One commenter called out the inconsistency in the mom’s complaint, writing:

“You’ll be distracted by quietly doing your homework, but not by washing dishes and folding laundry? That’s crazy. I think she really wants you to get her chores done for her.”

Another advised OP to stand her ground and prioritize her studies:

“Tell her that your homework needs to be done for the next day, early enough that you can get a good night’s sleep. If she doesn’t like that, she needs to find another babysitter.”

Others argued that household chores shouldn’t even be part of OP’s duties.

“This is insane. She also shouldn’t have you cleaning. You’re not a maid,” one user wrote. “Stop working for them. Tell her that you don’t feel comfortable with her expectations, and end it. It’s not worth it.”

A third commenter emphasized that babysitting is a side job — not OP’s main priority.

“Babysitting is not your primary job; it’s your side job. Your primary job is school. You must do well in school so that you can be a success in the future,” they said.

Their advice was straightforward:

“Have a conversation with the parent. Tell them that you need to do your homework while the child is sleeping because being successful in school is your top priority. If that’s unacceptable, then you can no longer work for them. Period.”

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