Every friend group has roles—there’s the planner, the chef, the DJ, and, of course, the ” babysitter.” But not the one with the most kids; almost always, it’s the one without them.
Apparently, not having tiny humans means you’re available and ready to parent everyone else’s. It’s funny how people will pack matching outfits for vacation but forget to pack common sense.
One netizen learned the hard way that being the only one in the group without kids meant she was assigned the role of babysitter for a bunch of little ones, so their parents could go out and drink.
More info: Mumsnet
RELATED:Some people go on holiday to unwind, others go to outsource parenting to a childless friend
One woman tells her friends she won’t babysit all their kids on a couple’s trip after they keep making jokes about her being the designated nanny
The woman and her husband struggle with fertility issues and all their friends know about it
The couple plans a group trip with 3 other couples, with them being the only childless ones there
The friends keep making “jokes” about how the woman and her husband are responsible for all the kids on vacation, so the parents can relax
The woman is fed up with her friends after the last comment on their group chat says she will babysit the kids while the parents go out to drink
“I still want to enjoy the trip”: the woman tells her friends she has no intention of watching anyone’s kids
The OP (original poster) and her husband have been struggling with fertility for a while. All their friends (who have young kids) knew about their struggles when they planned a fun couple’s trip together with 3 other couples. Sounds wholesome, right? BBQs, countryside walks, maybe some pub hopping. I don’t know about you, but I’m dreaming about vacation already.
But before the trip even kicked off, the OP started catching hints that she wasn’t going to be sipping cocktails in the sun but instead chasing toddlers with sticky hands and sudden diaper needs. It started with so-called “jokes” in the group chat, comments about how she’d be the one to get the other moms home safely from the pub or that she and her husband could babysit so the others could have a night off.
You know, because people without kids obviously love watching other people’s kids “for fun”, on their holiday. And just when she thought it couldn’t get more awkward, the OP found out the other couples had planned a separate Disneyland-style trip without her and her husband. Why? Because apparently, childless couples don’t enjoy theme parks. Obviously.
After the final straw, a group message “joking” that she’d be on kid duty during pub night, the OP finally snapped back with a quick “no thanks” and a reminder that just because she doesn’t have kids yet doesn’t mean she’s volunteering for nanny duty. The response was a private message from a friend saying she’d upset someone’s husband.
Right, because someone making a dumb joke is okay, but when a woman sets boundaries, somehow she’s the problem. Vacations are meant to be fun and everyone should be able to relax and enjoy themselves, not get stuck changing diapers and refilling sippy cups. But when you’re the one doing it, it’s really no vacation at all.
Because some people hear “childless” and immediately translate that to “go-to nanny.” Entitlement like this can be sneaky, showing up in offhand comments, half-jokes, and expectations that you’ll just step in because you’re “not busy,” like your time is less valuable just because it isn’t filled with diapers and bedtime stories.
Entitled folks believe their needs matter more than others’ and expect things without asking or react poorly when told no. If you keep giving in, they’ll keep taking. Once they get used to special treatment, basic fairness feels like an attack, but somehow, you’re the bad guy for getting offended.
Insensitive jokes about babysitting might sound harmless until you realize the person on the receiving end is dealing with fertility struggles. A lack of empathy shows up when people just step all over someone’s feelings, minimize pain, or make assumptions about what someone should be okay with. It’s not just tactless, it’s emotional laziness.
What do you think of this story? Was the poster wrong for refusing to babysit a bunch of kids on vacation, or were her friends out of line to assume she would? Share your thoughts and comments below!
Netizens side with the woman, saying she has the right to call out her friends for their unreasonable babysitting demands
