My Wife Fired Our Babysitter We Trusted for Years after She Saved Our Sons Life
A Reddit user recently shared a story that has since captured the attention of many. The Original Poster (OP), new to Reddit, recounted an incident involving his wife, their trusted babysitter, and a medical emergency with their youngest son.
The couple have had their babysitter, Daisy, for years, trusting her with the care of their two sons and daughter. Daisy began babysitting as a young teenager under her mother’s supervision.
Now 16, she had grown into her role, becoming a beloved figure to the children, especially the older two. The family’s youngest son, only 7 months old, had yet to form a strong bond with her, given his age. “But he seems relatively happy when he’s with her,” OP explained.
Just recently, when the kids’ daycare was closed for renovations, Daisy offered to look after the children from 3:30 to 6 p.m. OP returned home early to discover his wife berating Daisy, who was in tears and kept on apologizing.
Initially unaware of the cause, OP said, “I asked my wife what was going on and all she did was just start yelling that Daisy had cost us a bunch of money, my first thought was that she’d broken something, but my wife wasn’t telling me what it was.”
While OP’s spouse was at it, Daisy ran out of their home crying and he decided to go to the other room to let the mother of his kids calm down first. OP went to comfort his children who were all in tears in another room while their mother was busy scolding their babysitter.
Once everything had calmed down, OP learned from his wife that Daisy had called 911 following an episode involving their youngest son, who has a condition that can lead to breath-holding spells. These episodes, while generally harmless, can cause the child to pass out temporarily.
OP explained that this was Daisy’s first time babysitting the couple’s youngest son, but they did not doubt her ability to look after the child because she previously did that with their daughter when she was a baby.
The heart of the conflict lies in a crucial oversight: OP’s mother, who had been caring for the children earlier that day, failed to inform Daisy of the child’s condition and how to manage it.
Faced with the child’s breath-holding spell, Daisy, unaware of the condition’s benign nature, acted out of concern and called emergency services. This decision led to an ambulance being dispatched, a move that the OP’s wife deemed unnecessary and costly.
In her frustration, she fired Daisy on the spot and refused to pay her for her time. She even threatened to call the police and told her to never set foot in their home again.
The incident has since escalated into a significant disagreement between the OP and his wife, culminating in hurtful exchanges and the wife’s temporary departure to stay with her mother.
OP, meanwhile, believes Daisy acted appropriately given the circumstances, highlighting a divide in perspectives on the babysitter’s response to the emergency.
The Reddit community commented on the debacle and several users on the platform said OP’s wife was out of line for how she handled the situation.
“Screaming at a child for calling 911 when an infant STOPS BREATHING, TURNS BLUE AND PASSES OUT is horrific. This women is an absolute monster,” wrote one person. Another said, “Your wife is wrong. Also, there should not be a charge if the baby was not transported.”
One Redditor shared that their brother is a paramedic and that they lost a child because the parents took their time in contacting emergency services. According to the commenter, the kid has the same condition as OP’s child. “Turns out the child was actually choking. That child is now dead. Easily would have survived had they called 911 as they were nearby both the scene and hospital,” the user added.
The story raises several questions: Did OP’s wife overreact? Is OP’s mother to blame for not mentioning details about the baby? What would you do if you were in Daisy’s position?
