A babysitter has found herself out of a job after a furious mother fired her on the spot – all because she ordered herself some dinner.
The woman, who shared her story in a Reddit post, revealed she was watching two toddlers when hunger struck, prompting her to place a DoorDash food order.
The children were asleep, the parents were already two hours late, and she hadn’t eaten since lunchtime.
But none of that mattered to the mum, who branded her behaviour irresponsible in a now-viral series of texts.
‘I hadn’t eaten since lunch and thought I’d be done by eight like they mentioned,’ the babysitter explained in the post.
‘I started getting a headache and really needed to eat something. I’ve ordered food before while babysitting and it’s never been a problem, so I didn’t think it would be an issue.’
But what she thought was a harmless snack sparked an angry tirade from the children’s mother, who was monitoring the home through a Ring doorbell camera and spotted the food being delivered.
‘Hey our ring just showed someone at the door,’ the mum texted. ‘Was something delivered?’
A babysitter has found herself out of a job after a furious mother fired her on the spot – all because she ordered herself some dinner
When the babysitter replied, ‘Yes, I didn’t eat dinner so I ordered DoorDash,’ the mum’s tone quickly changed.
‘Okay we’ll talk when we get home, but I’m really concerned that you would do that without asking first,’ she wrote.
‘I would never be okay with a stranger coming to the door while my kids are sleeping.
‘Please check to make sure the storm door is locked as well since you opened it.’
The babysitter apologised, reiterating that she’d waited until the delivery driver had left before quietly stepping outside to quickly collect the bag – and ensured all doors were locked behind her.
‘I honestly didn’t think it would be a problem,’ she replied.
‘I’m always hyper aware of safety and would never do anything that I felt put the kids in my care at risk.’
But the mum wasn’t having it, and was still clearly angry.
The woman, who shared her story (and text exchanges) in a Reddit post, revealed she was watching two toddlers when hunger struck, prompting her to place a DoorDash food order
The children were asleep, the parents were already two hours late, and she hadn’t eaten since lunchtime. But none of that mattered to the mum, who branded her behaviour irresponsible in a now-viral series of texts
‘I get that you were hungry, but it’s more about the fact that someone came to the door without my knowledge and you left them in the house alone while you grabbed it,’ she said.
‘If something had happened, it just makes me really nervous. You could have eaten from the cabinet. This is my home and my kids, and I need to be able to fully trust who’s here.’
The babysitter was told the family could no longer trust her and that her services were no longer needed.
The post has since gone viral, racking up thousands of views and triggering a wave of support for the babysitter, who many argue was treated unfairly.
One commenter, who identified themselves as a parent, wrote: ‘I’m a mum and I would be so embarrassed to be that late, let alone leaving a babysitter with no food. She should have offered to DoorDash whatever you wanted at her expense.’
Another pointed out the irony of the situation: ‘She found you on Facebook and barely asked any questions before leaving her two babies with a total stranger. But a sandwich on the porch is the line? That’s wild.’
Dozens of others agreed, calling the mum’s behaviour ‘over-the-top,’ ‘controlling,’ and ‘hypocritical.’
‘They are majorly overreacting,’ one user wrote.
‘You didn’t leave the kids alone while you got your food. You opened the door, grabbed it, and locked everything behind you.’
Another summed it up bluntly: ‘People are crazy. If you’re THAT concerned about your kids, maybe you should take care of them yourself.’
While the babysitter admitted she was shocked and upset to lose the job, commenters were quick to reassure her she was better off.
‘Not sure that it sucks that this client was lost,’ one Redditor wrote.
‘Probably a blessing. They’re two hours late getting home, but God forbid the babysitter orders something to eat.’
Another added: ‘You didn’t lose a client – you dodged a nightmare.’
Despite the controversy, the babysitter said she stood by her actions, saying she prioritised the children’s safety and would never leave them unattended for any longer than absolutely necessary.
As the post continues to gain traction, it’s sparking a wider debate online about the unrealistic expectations some parents place on caregivers, especially when they don’t even offer so much as a muesli bar in return.
