Is this a normal reacting for breaking a mug?

[Infinitewaters]

If you were babysitting children and one of them (a 5 year old) dropped a mug on the floor and broke it. He was so distressed, crying a lot (to the point his breathing was disrupted) and was begging me not to tell his dad it was him and to say it was me instead. I could see how scared and desperate he was and I felt so sorry for him. He also made a comment about being spanked by him.

Is this a normal reaction for a child this age or would you be concerned?

No, absolutely not normal. Poor little boy.

Yes, I'd be concerned.
That reaction seems disproportionate.

sorry, should also add that it was his ‘dad’s favourite mug.’

Normal for an abused child who lives in fear. Call social services and tell them what you've posted here.

Doesn’t matter if it’s a family heirloom worth thousands. A five year old should be able to look to parents as safe, reliable people not emotional powder kegs that blow up because of a bit of broken crockery.

@Greensleeves it happened in 2019. I’d just turned 18 at the time and it was my first (and last) babysitting job, only lasted a few months. I was unsure at the time whether it was off but because it was the only incident like this I assumed it wasn’t.
Posting now because I was googling a well renowned parent-infant website and was so shocked when I saw his face on there as a chief executive. The first thing I thought about when I saw him was this incident with the little boy.