“AITA for wanting to sleep a couple of extra hours in the mornings and not wanting to go to her house until 9:00?”
So my daughter wants me to come to her house everyday this week at 7:00 am to babysit her 7 year old. Just from 7:00 am – 9:00 am.
She also has a 17 year old son who is home and still in bed. I am really not a morning person. The 7yr old really just wants to chill and watch TV.
He has already had breakfast before I get there. If he needed anything he could just wait his brother up.
Plus I only live 5 houses away. He goes to VBS at 9:00. I would happy to head down shortly before 9:00 to take him to VBS.
My daughter doesn’t want him to stay alone with the 17 yr old because the 17 year old has epilepsy. He has only had 3 seizures ever in his life because he forgot to take his medicine.
She doesn’t want the 7yr old to come to my home, probably because she thinks I would just sleep until time to take him and she is probably right. 😂 Plus he knows how to work the remote at his house and that is what he wants to do.
AITA for wanting to sleep a couple of extra hours in the mornings and not wanting to go to her house until 9:00? I would still be taking him to VBS, picking him up, feeding him lunch and spending each afternoon doing something fun together.
Internet Joined the Conversation and a Lot to Say in Response
DELILAHBELLE2605 Said:
Soft YTA. You live a few houses away. It’s one week. You can’t help your daughter out? I hope she remembers this when you’re older and need some help and she just does not feel like it.
You’re “not a morning person”? That sounds like something a 17 year old would say.
irishihadab33r Said:
I’m with you on this, cuz it’s super hard living as a mom in this modern age who actually cares about the safety, health, and emotional needs of her children. She’s got 2 kids, ten years apart.
She doesn’t want to parentify the older one, who has health issues, into watching the younger one.
It’s summer break. She’s got some childcare set up already and just needs a couple hours a day to fill the gap. OP needs to help out in her daughters village.
She’s so close, go be “not a morning person” a few houses down.
DEvans529 Said:
Asking your older kid to watch the younger one for a couple of hours for a week is hardly “parentifying” the older child.
OP even says the older child will help IP with things here and there.
OP also stated that the parents seem to resent the closeness of OP and older child compared to the younger ones, but OP is never invited to do anything with them besides babysit.
Seems like there’s a lot more being unsaid here.
OP Responded:
Last Saturday, I was watching her two year old. The baby fell asleep before nap time on the sofa. I tried to move her to her bed but she cried.
It was only the two of us at the house so I just let her sleep on the sofa.
My daughter flipped out when she came home claiming no one can rest properly on a sofa. I have personally taken plenty of naps in a sofa. It was fine.
DustyBoarTusk Said:
Yeah, YTA. It’s two hours for one week.
OP Replied:
I pick him up after VBS and do fun things each day.
HolSmGamer Said:
NTA. The 17 y/o is more than capable of watching over their sibling and you are only a few houses away, easily on standby if something happens. It would be nice of you to help, but it is not mandatory.
Op Replied:
I pick him up after VBS and do something fun each afternoon. I am up late every night and don’t like to wake up early unless it is necessary.
Mindless_Funny4491 Said:
No you’re not she needs to figure out something else. Take the kid to school early. They have before care programs
OP Replied:
They don’t have pre-care for Vacation Bible School.
Wise_Session_5370 Said:
NAH. Yet. She can ask and you can say no. The only potential assholery is if she gets ratty with you for refusing.
OP Replied:
😂 She gets very upset to the point of crying that I don’t want to do it. Other grandparents would love to spend any time they can with their grandchildren, I am so lucky, blah blah blah.
Honestly, I love spending time with their family but I am not a great babysitter.
LiveKindly01 Said:
Well, to your point in your post, there’s not much ‘babysitting’ involved, just hanging while he eats breakfast and watches tv.
I wouldn’t muddy the waters with this rationale…stick with ‘I’m not really a morning person and don’t want to get up that early, happy to be there for 9, etc.’.
A kid with epilepsy is able to go about regular life. My guess is mom hasn’t been asking son to do a lot of chores/take on responsibilities.
Of course the 17 year old should, for one week, be awake for two hours for his sibling. Unless he has a job to go to and he’s sleeping until then.
OP Replied:
He has a job but doesn’t work until afternoon. She refuses to let him have any responsibility.
He isn’t allowed to cook anything in his own home because he might burn the house down.
Keep in mind that he is a super smart kid. Very active in volunteering in the community and at his church.
arkklsy1787 Said:
Your daughter is garbage and setting her soon to be adult up for failure by treating him like he’s broken. Regardless of you babysitting in the morning she’s an AH.
OP Replied:
I love my daughter. But I don’t have to agree with all her parenting choices. I know her hubby drives most of it.
My grandson has done things to help prepare himself to live on his own. Learning how to cook, do laundry, budget money, etc. All at my house.
MrBreffas Said:
Okay fine, you are never required to babysit — but it bothers me that you won’t ensure that your grandson, with epilepsy, is safe because you don’t want to get out of bed. For ONE week. I think you might be an asshole.
OP Replied:
If the 7 year old has epilepsy, of course I would never want him left alone. It’s the 17 year old but only three seizures in 17 years. Never in his sleep.
MrBreffas Reply:
Okay, so that changes my answer: It bothers me that you’d leave a 7-year-old alone with a teenager with epilepsy.
Why did you mention it if it’s not important? What if he forgets his meds? (Hmm, are teens ever careless that way? let me see…) what kind of horror would that be for a 7-year-old to see, and have to deal with alone?
The bottom line here is that I think you’d ought to be able to manage to get up early for one week to sit on the couch with your grandson while he watches his morning cartoons, just to be sure everything is secure.
I just don’t like the sound of a grandma who doesn’t think enough of her grandsons to get up early for them for 5 days.
nalonrae Said:
But the 7 year old does stay with the 17 year old when the mom feels like it. And the mom also doesn’t want to drop the 7 year old off at OP’s. It seems the mom is just mad she can’t have her way.
jackieO2023 Said:
Nope! NTA! You raised your kid(s). You’re retired. AND you watch him afterwards!! The 17 yo can get up for the week!!!!
OP Replied:
I am a teacher. I go back to school next week. Just savoring the last bits of my vacation.
In the comments, most users overwhelmingly judged the OP as NTA (Not The Asshole). Many felt that his sister was acting entitled by expecting free childcare, especially after he had already declined.
Readers supported OP’s right to say no to last-minute demands and appreciated that he wasn’t guilt-tripped into changing his plans.
Source: Reddit
