To be pissed off by ''I'll babysit''.

[User1234567891011]

Last night we had the family over and my SIL was discussing wanting to go out with her friends that week for lunch and my DB (her husband) said ''Don't worry, I'll babysit for you''.

They're his kids!

I've heard this said by men (my brothers and others) a lot like they're doing a favour by ''babysitting'' their own kids, instead of them just looking after them.

AIBU to be annoyed by this?

It's called parenting NOT babysitting!

Yes its disgusting term to use, however OP it is not your battle, and NOT YOUR UPSET

No need to get outraged on someone elses behalf

Does he want paying for it as well???

It's amazing what some people get upset over!

It's a NICE offer. And if she usually looks after their kids in the week then it is a favour. He's offering to do something he doesn't normally do so she can have a treat.

FFS.

In my idiolect, babysitting is being in the house on the sofa, as a sentient adult in case of emergency. Now my kids are old enough to actually sleep [glares], then staying at home for that purpose is babysitting and I (or MrNC) will happily tell people I can't come out as I'm babysitting.

Sometimes people ask whose children I'm babysitting.
"Mine." Well if fathers apparently babysit, and I do the same thing, then I must be babysitting, right?

We also have a default that I can go out and do stuff on Tuesdays and he can on Wednesdays, so if one of us agrees to stay in instead so the other can go out that night, it's indeed a favour.

thing is, if you have a pretty good relationship where you both pull your weight according to your strengths, it matters much less what you call it.

what happened to OP...

YANBU to be annoyed - your emotions are your own and if you want to be annoyed, it's your choice.

on the other hand, YABTU as it's none of your business how your brother and his other half refer to looking after their children.

Yep, commonly said and very annoying. My brother used to say 'watching the children'. I had this image of him sitting staring at the nephews while they slept, ate, played computer games when older, etc. I know it's different usage but it was weird too.

Pleased to say my DH has never said 'babysitting'. I'd have had to train him out of it. Except nowadays we have older DC - but 2 with SNs - and we say 'babysitting' to annoy them.

Tell him you pay £8 an hour and won't be back till midnight. The kids go to bed at 7 and make sure they brush their teeth.

Oh. Not your DH
In that case it's up to them who they discuss their kids.

We call it 'baby-wrangling' in our house. In the context of; 'You go and do this or that. I'll baby-wrangle'.

[adds nothing to discussion. ]

I will admit I do sometimes say things I shouldn't - like my sarcastic reply to him. But I just get so fed up, both of my brothers act the way I have stated earlier.

Brother who is ''babysitting'' doesn't have a job (neither does his wife but that's nothing to do with me). So its not like he's taking time out of work/doing something else with his time. He acts like many of you have said ''I've put this out FOR YOU. I've tried to tidy up FOR YOU.''.

My kids say things like "I did the washing up for you" and I point out that it's not for me, it's for the family. Drives me mad. DH once said he'd babysit for me and was then able to cancel his vasectomy appointment

This drives me insane!

I'm a single, working mother. What am I doing when not at work? Babysitting until someone else turns up? It drives me completely bonkers as I feel that when a man or a woman says this that they are not taking responsibilty for their OWN children!

How about 'I've done the hoovering FOR YOU'. Then he wonders why I get annoyed!

It is the language of oppression.

YANBU! Sexism is still rife. I also get very annoyed when I hear this sort of comment between a couple