Reddit is backing a teenage babysitter who called the police after the children’s parents didn’t come home and were unreachable on their phones.
Sharing their experience on Reddit, the 14-year-old babysitter explained they have been sitting for a couple who are new to their neighborhood.
“They are only a block from my house so my parents were okay with me staying there until ten. They said they would be home by nine,” they wrote in their post.
The parents did not get home at 9PM.
“At quarter to ten I started texting them to see if they were on the way. Then I called my parents. My mom came over because I was getting worried. It had snowed pretty bad on Friday and they weren’t answering. At 11:30 we phoned the police. I was freaking out,” the babysitter continued.
Within 25 minutes, the police were able to track the couple down. It turned out that they were over their friends’ house.
The parents were furious with the babysitter.
“They called me and they were mad that I called the police. I promise I wouldn’t have called the police if they had answered my texts or calls. And my mom was concerned as well. I didn’t call to get them in trouble. I was worried,” the babysitter wrote.
Still angry, the parents told the sitter that they’re “not mature enough to be babysitting if that’s how I’m going to behave.”
Now, the teen feels guilty for calling the police.
“I feel kind of bad that the police made them come home from their friend’s house. But I think that they should have answered the phone. What if there was something wrong with their kids?” they wrote.
In the comments section, Reddit users backed the babysitter’s decision.
“The parents were taking advantage of you. You did everything you should have, including trying to reach them, contacting your mother, and then contacting the police. You’ve done nothing wrong. The parents are angry at being caught out on bad behavior,” one user commented.
“Yes! You sound really responsible. Good on you for checking in and calling your mom. Those are perfectly responsible and mature actions to take in that situation. I would not sit for them again,” another wrote.
“You … were not immature about it. They took advantage and were extremely disrespectful and irresponsible,” someone else shared.