“My husband and I recently had a baby girl, and everyone in both our families keeps asking to babysit,” the mum wrote on the popular discussion forum. “I decided on a simple “test” to see who’s ready, where I ask family to watch her for a bit while I go do something in another room, like fold laundry or take a quick shower.”
Apparently, the mum found this test really helpful in seeing who was capable for the job, like the time, she discovered that her grandmother had turned her hearing aid off so she wouldn’t be bothered by the baby crying. “But other times it goes fine,” she says. “And we’ve got a trusted new sitter.”
However, things didn’t go so smoothly when her brother-in-law and sister-in-law came for a visit and kindly offered to babysit.
Having been secretly put to the test, the new mum claims the couple quickly failed.
“They didn’t even have the baby for two minutes before coming to fetch me for help,” she explains. “I figured that meant they failed for now and just aren’t ready to babysit a newborn yet, but we can try again when the baby is older.”
A few weeks later the sister-in-law called and asked why they had never been allowed to babysit yet.
“My husband told her about the test, and she got mad. Sister-in-law then said that we actually failed THEIR test, and that they had counted how many questions we asked them about themselves during the visit, and the answer was zero.”
Needless to say, the post attracted a lot of attention when it posted, and plenty of other Reddit users had lots to say.
“Your tests are completely normal in my eyes, if they have no experience looking after a newborn/baby then they obviously cannot be left alone while you leave the house – That’s how mistakes happen,” one reader said. “And the grandmother turning the hearing-aide off? She needs a good slap.”
Another one chimed in:
“You get to leave your kid with whomever you want and if you want to set tests fine, but don’t be surprised when people are offended that you are rejecting their offer of help …”
Some felt the new mum was a bit quick to ‘fail’ people with her secret test – even questioning whether or not the test is appropriate…
“I know I would feel pretty odd coming to your house after being told I had unwittingly been given “the test” and failed,” commented one. “Babysitting would be off the table, for sure. Hopefully, your relatives are less bitchy than I and it blows over.”
RELATED ARTICLES
MORE FROM HerFamily
MORE FROM HerFamily
