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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To refuse to babysit on Friday after giving up my day off today?

84 replies

RiskyRain · 16/06/2026 17:51

I've been with my partner for about 16 years.

He has a 17 year old son who has lived with us FT since he was about 6 as his mum lives abroad and contact is very sporadic. He had has a heart condition and had heart surgery at 14 and she didn't visit once because it was hectic as it was close to Christmas (11 days) and she had other her children to look after and after that he sort of gave up with her and their relationship because she made him feel like an inconvenience.

2023 was a tough year for him as he’d lost most of his friends due to the surgery and recovery so he was miserable especially dealing with the trauma of the surgery as we did know about the heart condition but it was always managed with medication until it had rapidly worsened and he needed the surgery.

He attempted suicide and was referred to camhs who were useless, he started a new school for year 10 and is now doing much better. DH is obviously protective over him and has let a lot slide. Now he's not a bad lad but he's mouthy.

He started dating a girl at the end of 2023, when he was 15 and she was 13 which I was weary of but dh said it wasn't a big deal as they were only a school year apart. She wasn't going to his school though, they met online.

Long story short, he ended up getting her pregnant and the baby was born last year (they were 14 and 16) the baby is now about 15 months old and ds got his GCSEs and is in year 12 at a sixth form college. DH made it clearly he didn't want the fact he had a baby to impact his education (or baby's mums) and funded everything for him pretty much and now pays for childcare a few days a week as well as having him himself.

I am at my wits end with DS though just lately as he vapes even though he shouldn't due to his heart, we've told him multiple times but he says he's fine but he then plays on his condition by saying he's too tired and he doesn't go to college sometimes because Again he's tired or can't be bothered

Now the issue, he recently broke up with his gf which hit him hard as they were together for over 2 and a half years, they were argujg a lot and I think it was they were both stressed because of exams (GCSEs for her and AS levels for him). On Sunday I found out he’d been lying about having chest pains and being in hospital to his boss and dropped him in it by saying he was fine as I didn't know he lied. He called me a bitch and still hasn't gone and spoke to his boss. He had a shift yesterday too and didn't turn up.

I booked AL for Monday and today and had plans with a friend but DH had to go into the office today and asked me if I can have our grandson (as he was meant to) in the end I agreed as it's not worth the arguments, however I ended up cancelling plans with my friend. DH is away for the weekend on a stag do and DS asked me to have grandson on Friday night so he can celebrate his gf completing his GCSEs, I said yes and this was before they broke up. He's saying they're sorting things out so still wants to but not sure if I should after giving up my day off today and his behaviour in the past few days.

WWYD?

OP posts:
Marieb19 · 16/06/2026 19:35

OMG - why do parents enable 14 year olds have children.

pinkyredrose · 16/06/2026 19:40

Fuck that shit! I'd move out!

Def don't look after the kid for someone who called you a bitch.

PeoplesNet · 16/06/2026 19:40

RiskyRain · 16/06/2026 17:51

I've been with my partner for about 16 years.

He has a 17 year old son who has lived with us FT since he was about 6 as his mum lives abroad and contact is very sporadic. He had has a heart condition and had heart surgery at 14 and she didn't visit once because it was hectic as it was close to Christmas (11 days) and she had other her children to look after and after that he sort of gave up with her and their relationship because she made him feel like an inconvenience.

2023 was a tough year for him as he’d lost most of his friends due to the surgery and recovery so he was miserable especially dealing with the trauma of the surgery as we did know about the heart condition but it was always managed with medication until it had rapidly worsened and he needed the surgery.

He attempted suicide and was referred to camhs who were useless, he started a new school for year 10 and is now doing much better. DH is obviously protective over him and has let a lot slide. Now he's not a bad lad but he's mouthy.

He started dating a girl at the end of 2023, when he was 15 and she was 13 which I was weary of but dh said it wasn't a big deal as they were only a school year apart. She wasn't going to his school though, they met online.

Long story short, he ended up getting her pregnant and the baby was born last year (they were 14 and 16) the baby is now about 15 months old and ds got his GCSEs and is in year 12 at a sixth form college. DH made it clearly he didn't want the fact he had a baby to impact his education (or baby's mums) and funded everything for him pretty much and now pays for childcare a few days a week as well as having him himself.

I am at my wits end with DS though just lately as he vapes even though he shouldn't due to his heart, we've told him multiple times but he says he's fine but he then plays on his condition by saying he's too tired and he doesn't go to college sometimes because Again he's tired or can't be bothered

Now the issue, he recently broke up with his gf which hit him hard as they were together for over 2 and a half years, they were argujg a lot and I think it was they were both stressed because of exams (GCSEs for her and AS levels for him). On Sunday I found out he’d been lying about having chest pains and being in hospital to his boss and dropped him in it by saying he was fine as I didn't know he lied. He called me a bitch and still hasn't gone and spoke to his boss. He had a shift yesterday too and didn't turn up.

I booked AL for Monday and today and had plans with a friend but DH had to go into the office today and asked me if I can have our grandson (as he was meant to) in the end I agreed as it's not worth the arguments, however I ended up cancelling plans with my friend. DH is away for the weekend on a stag do and DS asked me to have grandson on Friday night so he can celebrate his gf completing his GCSEs, I said yes and this was before they broke up. He's saying they're sorting things out so still wants to but not sure if I should after giving up my day off today and his behaviour in the past few days.

WWYD?

Not sure we needed all that context. They are young parents and will make mistakes. Sounds like you need to suggest you will be available for X amount of days per month to babysit and that you need X amount of notice. Also share that you won't cancel plans.

So, provide support but not at the cost of your own needs.

Laura95167 · 16/06/2026 19:41

If i was available id have DGS so he has a chance to sort things out with his GF

pinkyredrose · 16/06/2026 19:42

in the end I agreed as it's not worth the arguments

It very much is worth the arguments, they're all taking the piss out of you!

diddl · 16/06/2026 19:46

I'd seriously consider leaving tbh.

In general I would say honour promises, but not sure that applies to someone who calls you a bitch.

user1464187087 · 16/06/2026 19:47

youalright · 16/06/2026 17:52

Well considering you cost him his job its the least you can do

No, his job is his responsibility. So his his child.
He sounds like a twat.

britneyisfreebutnotokay · 16/06/2026 19:48

I wouldn’t do anything for anyone who called me a bitch. Also he got an underage girl pregnant wtf

DizzyMuzzy · 16/06/2026 19:52

I wouldn’t babysit for someone who called me a bitch, no.

LongDarkTeatime · 16/06/2026 19:54

Your DH should be cancelling his trip to care for the kid.

Tabarnak · 16/06/2026 19:55

It’s your DH that has dropped you in it though by not having the baby on his day.

You had already agreed to babysit.

It’s a not-ideal situation all round. I don’t know how you get a handle on Dss’s behaviour.

Newstartplease24 · 16/06/2026 19:57

This whole thing is a shit show. Total lack of boundaries over years and general taking the piss is the problem here, not whether you do one evening babysitting or not. Just leave these awful people if you cant assert personal standards with them. Hes not your son and this isnt your grand child. If he were your son, you should have raised him not to get very young underage girls pregnant. As he isnt, you can just move on

FieldInWhichFucksAreGrownIsBarren · 16/06/2026 20:00

youalright · 16/06/2026 17:52

Well considering you cost him his job its the least you can do

What a ridiculous reply, he cost himself his job by being a lying little fucker.

RiskyRain · 16/06/2026 20:00

It's Friday night he wants me to babysit, not during the day.

He had the opportunity to go in and speak to his manager but he hasn't so he doesn't care about his job

It just feels like he can do no wrong in DH’s eyes. We didn't allow him to have a baby, by the time his gf found out the was pregnant she was 20+ weeks and it was a shock. Apparently they'd only had sex once but I doubt thats true

OP posts:
Listentomeplease · 16/06/2026 20:11

The baby goes back to mum if dad doesn’t want to parent. You’re not the baby’s grandparent. Your husband needs to come back and not leave you with his disrespectful son.

Lovingapeacefulgarden · 16/06/2026 20:20

I would babysit. He is a young lad who has been through a lot and is a very young dad. Let them celebrate the exam results.

SummerDive · 16/06/2026 20:23

So you looking after the baby today and then in Friday are two different issues.

One is a favour that you did to your dh. The ds behaviour doesn’t come into it imo.
The other, the Friday night, is a favour that the ds is asking. Very different issue.

Tbh I think you have an issue here. You’re both (you and your dh) treating the ds as a child/teenager. Telling him what to do, whether he can vape, getting involved in his work, protecting him etc….
And yet, he is also expected to behave like an adult, be a father and so on.

I feel you need to find a better middle ground and start treating him more like an adult than a child.
Which means that whether you say Yes to the ds shouldn’t be a punishment/reward thing because of his behaviour. But more of a ‘can I look after my grandson this Friday evening?’.
Not ‘I’ve already done him a favour’ - esp as it was a favour to your dh! - but do I want to spend time with my grandson?

MCF86 · 16/06/2026 20:29

It wasnt DS that caused you to cancel your plans with your friend, that was your husband. He was the one who changed the plan. I wouldn't take that out on DS by cancelling Friday.

I would be telling him this is the last time you babysit until he sorts things out though- both work and attitude.

MCF86 · 16/06/2026 20:32

Listentomeplease · 16/06/2026 20:11

The baby goes back to mum if dad doesn’t want to parent. You’re not the baby’s grandparent. Your husband needs to come back and not leave you with his disrespectful son.

She's been around for 16 of her step sons 17 years of life, and lived with him full time for 11 of those. She absolutely does earn the right to consider herself a grandparent to this baby if everyone involved (including OP) is happy with her taking that position.

whistlesandbells · 16/06/2026 20:33

I wouldn’t change plans now on this occasion. But honestly, it’s time you expect his father to provide the parental / grandparent support, and never you as default. Maybe with a step backwards you would have felt it more appropriate to not engage with your stepson’s boss and be caught up in DSS’ lie. There’s a lot of people calling on your time here and not much respect given.

don’t care about stag do’s
girlfriend’s GCSEs
lies told by DSS

dadtoateen · 16/06/2026 20:35

ItIsGreen · 16/06/2026 17:55

Are you the feckless waster who can't fathom how to use a condom?

Could be the feckless waster of a mum who also didn’t think of birth control.

takes two……

somanychristmaslights · 16/06/2026 20:36

I’d do it as it’s only the night- does baby sleep well? Overnight there shouldn’t be too much babysitting involved? But I wouldn’t be doing any more in the day. He needs to get his act together or he’ll be another deadbeat dad we read about on MN all the time.

Mumtobabyhavoc · 16/06/2026 20:41

I think you DSS and his partner the baby's mum, need to adjust their own plans, which means cancelling party plans, to care for their baby. It needs to be explained to them that it is their job and the baby depends on them. It should be explained in a way that doesn't make it seem punitive. It's disappointing, but it is part of being a parent - baby must come first.

I remember your other, similar post @RiskyRain You and your DH and the other GP's need to get on the same page to both support your children who are very young parents as well as decide what you are willing to do to help care for the baby. They young family needs help, obv more than many, but they also need support and coaching to be parents themselves.

5thchildso · 16/06/2026 20:54

He was underage himself too. He's had a shitty deal abandoned by his mum and his stepmum doesn't seem close to him. The change of plans today was down to his dad changing his plans. OP is clearly unhappy though so should think about her future.

Ponderingwindow · 16/06/2026 21:01

If it is to go out for an evening, I would not babysit. For most parents of a young child an evening out is a rarity.

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