Jack attends a backyard cookout with friends and co-workers, but when he leaves for the night, a parent confronts him for not watching the children, leading to a debate about responsibility and communication.
Time to Leave
At a backyard cookout with some friends and co-workers, 27-year-old Jack noticed that parents often left their children unattended to play while they socialized. As the night wore on and people began to leave, Jack said goodbye to the host and left the party, getting into his car to go home.
Where Are You Going?!
Suddenly, a parent approached him, angrily asking why he had left the backyard and accusing him of abandoning his duties as a babysitter. Jack was confused, as he had never been asked to watch the kids and had been on the deck drinking beer and socializing like everyone else.
He Wasn’t Babysitting
“I had no knowledge of being on kid duty,” Jack clarified. “At no point in the night was I watching or listening for kids. The whole night I was periodically going inside and outside freely. I never considered the kids because I assumed the responsible parents were keeping an eye out.”
They Kept Arguing
The parent continued to argue with Jack, insisting that he should have been watching the kids. Jack retorted that it wasn’t his job to watch someone else’s children and that the parent should have been more responsible.
Look After Your Own Kids
“I don’t get the mentality of parents, why are you not looking after your own kids?” Jack said. “But maybe I’m the jerk here.” Jack was taken aback by the parents aggression towards the situation. He had no idea he was supposed to be looking after the kids.
He Turned to the Internet
Jack later turned to Reddit, asking if he was in the wrong for not watching the children. Many people on Reddit sympathized with Jack, saying that it wasn’t his responsibility to watch someone else’s children and that the parents should have been more responsible.
Keep Your Kids Safe
“Parents should never assume that someone else is watching their children,” one Redditor said. “It’s their job to make sure their kids are safe.” Which Jack fully agreed with. He was never asked to look after anyone’s kids but if they had asked, he’d have been happy to help where he could.
Should He Have Made It Clear?
Others suggested that Jack could have been more proactive in making sure that the children were safe, such as letting the parents know that he wasn’t watching the kids and that they should be more careful.
Never Assume
Jack learned that communication and responsibility were important in situations like this and that it was never okay to assume that someone else would watch your children. Although Jack had no idea people assumed he was looking after the kids, he could have made it more clear.
The Internet Responded
This commenter wrote, “Dude, you definitely are not the jerk. You are not a babysitter. You should not be held in any position to watch their kids.”
More Internet Comments
Another person posted this comment, “It should never be your responsibility to look after other people’s children unless they specifically ask and you agree. I have only briefly (smoke break or bathroom break) asked people to watch my kids when I’m with them somewhere other than home. It’s never anyone random. It’s always someone myself and my children know and trust. They’re my kids and my responsibility.”
A Final Comment
This last person wrote, “The audacity of assumption! Speaking as a parent, total garbage that you were “expected” to watch kids with whom you have zero connection.”
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