Working with kids tends to be a bit more complicated, so most nannies, babysitters and tutors take the time to set up some rules with the parents. Unfortunately, immaturity, entitlement and just absentmindedness are not exclusive to children, as so many people have discovered from clients, customers and just random people who show up at their jobs.
A tutor turned to the internet for advice after they called the police on a mom who left them alone with her kids after being explicitly asked not to do that. We reached out to the netizen who shared the story via private message and will update the article when they get back to us.
There is not a lot of leeway when it comes to safety issues and children
Image credits: LightFieldStudios (not the actual photo)
So one tutor was surprised a mother was so angry when they called the cops after she left them alone with a kid
Image credits: bialasiewicz (not the actual photo)
Image credits: BlowMonday
Tutoring and babysitting are very different jobs, no matter what this mom may have believed
Image credits: Julia M Cameron / pexels (not the actual photo)
In the 21st century, we are so used to written agreements (which are a very good thing) that anything “lesser,” say, a verbal agreement, tends to sometimes get forgotten. This story is a classic case of that. The tutor and the mother had an agreement, the mom either forgot about it, wasn’t really listening in the first place or perhaps she simply did not care.
The real question isn’t “was she wrong to leave the tutor alone,” it’s “was the tutor wrong to immediately call the police?” This is perhaps what caused such a heated debate in the comments section, as some folks thought this was overkill. Others saw the tutor’s position, since this situation opened them up to a whole new slew of liabilities.
It’s also a very clear-cut case of “not being paid enough for this.” Tutoring is by no means easy, but at least there is the understanding that the tutor won’t also double as a babysitter. In most cases, babysitters will call the police when the parents are late, so this isn’t that far from the norm.
Some netizens might argue that the tutor will lose a client, but it’s worth considering if it’s worth working for someone who will readily ignore your agreements. Today it was leaving the tutor alone, so why not late payments tomorrow? It’s good to have limits, as not all money is worth the hassle.
The mom put herself in a bad position
Image credits: MART PRODUCTION / pexels (not the actual photo)
As for the mom, it’s telling that her main complaint was that she would look bad, because that is precisely what happened. She agreed to something, then broke that agreement, with her child caught in the “crossfire.” The tutor understood that they can’t just leave a kid alone, but the mother is of no help as she caused this situation in the first place.
Similarly, if she isn’t actually abusing the child, then an investigation from the cops or child protective services shouldn’t actually be an issue. If there are some underlying problems, then this tutor, on accident, may have helped the kid. The underlying issue is that this mom feels like she can do whatever she wants, just like many of the toxic bosses some people have to deal with in the workplace.
Some folks have the attitude that, if they paid some money, they should be entitled to various rights and extras, never mind the agreement. Just like a manager who asks for extra hours even when your job contract says one thing, entitlement is just an unavoidable part of life. However, that doesn’t mean that one should do nothing, as this netizen demonstrated.
A few folks wanted more details
Most thought the tutor did the right thing
But some thought it was too much
