Family, the only people who can guilt you into international babysitting duty and still make you feel bad for bringing up money. Doing favors for family is basically a rite of passage. One day you’re just minding your business, and the next, you’re signed up to water their plants, watch their dog, and fly halfway across the country to babysit.
Just like one Redditor and his girlfriend agreed to do – babysit the woman’s nephew for a week while his parents were on vacation. But when they brought up the minor detail of getting reimbursed for the flights, things got really awkward, really fast.
More info: Reddit
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One couple agrees to watch their nephew from out of state for a week, not realizing they’d also be footing the bill for the honor
The man and his girlfriend use their vacation days to fly out of state and babysit the woman’s nephew while the parents are on vacation
The couple aren’t planning any trips, as they are trying to save money, so they assume the kid’s parents would cover their flight costs
The man’s girlfriend asks her sister to pay for their flight tickets, but is told she doesn’t have money after the vacation
The OP (original poster) and his partner love their little nephew. They had no problem watching the 1.5-year-old while Mom and Dad gallivant overseas. But they were not exactly in vacation mode themselves – they were in saving mode. Which meant no unnecessary spending, no fancy lattes, and definitely no plane tickets to play live-in nannies for a week.
Still, they agreed to help, under the assumption that the sister would cover their travel costs. I mean, that’s fair, right? They were using their vacation days to play peekaboo, not sipping cocktails on the beach. But apparently, not everyone was on the same page.
When the OP’s partner brought up reimbursement, her sister pulled the “Oh no, I wish I’d known earlier!” card, followed by, “We’re broke after booking the trip.” Translation: We can afford a fancy vacation, but not your seats on a low-cost airline.
You can imagine this caused some tension. Suddenly, the couple was being treated like they committed a social faux pas for even asking about compensation. As if the polite thing to do is spend hundreds of dollars and give up their week for the honor of babysitting. So, is the OP a jerk for expecting the parents to reimburse their flights?
Well, to be fair, the money issue was never discussed beforehand, it was just assumed. Even the OP admits to that. If they had brought it up before agreeing to babysit, things wouldn’t have been so awkward. Because communication is key in any relationship.
Poor communication is like putting together Swedish furniture without the manual — confusing, frustrating, and likely to end in emotional splinters. It doesn’t just cause drama; it creates a total disconnect. You start guessing what others mean, jumping to conclusions and reading tone like it’s a crystal ball. This mess breeds resentment, confusion, and petty arguments.
Avoid the mess by spelling things out early. Who’s covering what? What’s the plan? Don’t be afraid to confirm details twice — it’s not nagging, it’s just smart. Clarity keeps the peace, especially when money and family are involved. Because helping family out is totally normal, if you actually want to do it.
Helping others doesn’t just make you look good, it makes you feel good. You know that warm, fuzzy feeling you get when you do someone a solid? It’s your brain releasing a mix of dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin — basically, nature’s mood boosters.
Studies show that kindness can lower stress, increase happiness, and even improve heart health. No wonder we keep saying yes to babysitting and pet-sitting and plant-sitting. But here’s the catch: it only feels good when you want to do it, not when you’re guilt-tripped or blindsided. Because when the help involves your time, money and vacation days, it’s suddenly not as fun.
What do you think of this story? Would you agree to babysitting for free or expect something in return? Let us know in the comments below!
Netizens say the man is a jerk for asking the parents to pay for the flights, but also agree that the parents should have already offered it
