AITA for telling my dad’s parents to take care of dad’s affair baby if he needs a babysitter because I won’t?

A Redditor shared a tense family situation following their parents’ divorce, which stemmed from their dad’s infidelity. When pressured by their father and grandparents to babysit their dad’s affair child, they firmly refused, sparking conflict. Read the full story below to see how it all unfolded!

‘ AITA for telling my dad’s parents to take care of dad’s affair baby if he needs a babysitter because I won’t?’

My parents are getting a divorce. Six months ago we found out dad has a kid (4) with someone else. Dad was cheating, probably a lot and with a ton of women if his reaction was anything to go by. My mom kicked him out (the house is hers) and said his kid wasn’t allowed to live with us. Dad ended up moving into a place owned by his parents. They’re wealthy.

I (16M) don’t see him. My siblings (13F, 12M) saw him once but the judge said we didn’t have to go and see him. We don’t want to see him so we don’t go.

My dad’s parents were never very present in our lives but now they’re acting like we were once close and we’re punishing the whole family for what dad did. It started when dad texted me and asked me to babysit for him. I can’t block him yet while court stuff is still ongoing. Apparently a judge wouldn’t look at that in a good light and could change the custody stuff if we sever all ties right now. Having his number unblocked right now is enough.

I ignored his texts and then his parents showed up at our house and told me I needed to babysit my “sibling” and spend time with them because we’ll be family forever. I said no. They tried to argue but I said I won’t be in the kid’s life so there’s no forever. I said I don’t want to know the kid or dad or any of them. Then mom made them leave.

Dad texted some more, we’ve saved this and mom’s lawyer documented it. But I ignored those too. Then his parents tried again and I told them I don’t want to take care of dad’s affair baby but they can since they’ve got money and they want this kid. I said I don’t and that’s not changing.

They told me the child is innocent and I said I know. But that I don’t go out of my way to get to know innocent kids I see in the world. And I’m not going to do it for this one either. They told me I’m still punishing a child, who’s my sibling, and the kid will grow up wondering why their three half siblings won’t even speak to them. They also said I’d be paid for babysitting and that makes the stubbornness from me even worse.. AITA?

Here’s how people reacted to the post:

rcranin018 −  Nope. NTA. You’ve got freedom of choice … and you’ve made your choice.

RedSAuthor −  They are right: the kid is innocent. But it seems they forgot you’re a kid too.. NTA.

Turmeric_Ping −  NTA. Exactly as you say, this kid is a stranger to you, and innocent or not, is not part of your life. You have the right to decide who you have in your life, and it’s perfectly reasonable not to want to have anything to do with this child.

iknowsomethings2 −  NTA. Stand your ground. They can babysit their grandchild or pay someone else too. Block your grandparents and mute/ignore your dad. Tell your mum to get a doorbell camera.

HollieMatrix −  Nah, you’re not the bad guy here. Your dad and his parents are trying to guilt-trip you into fixing \*their\* mess, and that’s not your responsibility. Like, you’re 16—you didn’t sign up for a side gig as “emotional support older sibling” for a kid you didn’t even know existed until recently.

Your grandparents pulling the “but you’ll get paid!” card is wild too. Babysitting isn’t just about the money—it’s about whether you actually want to be involved, and clearly, you don’t. The kid \*is\* innocent, sure, but that doesn’t mean you’re obligated to rearrange your life for them. Dad made this bed, let him lie in it.

Stay firm, document everything for court, and don’t let them manipulate you into feeling like you owe them something. You’re doing fine.

No_Cockroach4248 −  Your grandparents are wealthy, they say they will pay you to babysit, why don’t they just hire a babysitter or better still hire a fulltime nanny. That would solve all potential childcare problems. And a babysitter or nanny would be more qualified than a 16 year old with no prior experience. NTA, I think your grandparents have ulterior motives.

El_Culero_Magnifico −  ” the kid will grow up wondering why their three half siblings won’t even speak to them” Oh, I think someone will let them in on the reason why. NTA. Sorry that you are going through all this. The divorce was bad enough, but for you to be having all this pressure on you to bond with that child is really fucked up. As you pointed out, the wealthy grandparents can pay for day care, since they seem to have as little interest in baby sitting this child as they did in you and your siblings.

MamiZN −  This thing of “ but the kid is innocent” needs to stop grand parents are b**lying the other kid,so basically they punishing OP for the dad’s deed. Why are they not taking taking the kid in. So they want ex DIL to “ raise” them together because they are siblings and he’s Innocent.

Grandparents are the most AH in this because they were never involved in older grandkids life yet they wants they are so vocal for their newly added member. Hope people in comment section will not try and use this “kid is innocent BS” to manipulate this kid to babysit this affair baby.

agnesperditanitt −  “They told me I’m still punishing a child, who’s my sibling, and **the kid will grow up wondering why their three half siblings won’t even speak to them.”

Then the child’s father can explain to his child, that he cheated on his wife, breaking her trust and risking his wife’s health by having unprotected s** with the child’s mother (where is this woman, btw?) repeadetly, broke his older children’s trust and home and DNA doesn’t make family, especially when the father of all of these children is a lying, cheating scumbag.

Not that he will go with the truth. He will probablydefinitely be feeding this kid a sob story how badly mistreated he was by everybody, because – again – he is a lying, cheating scumbag.. NTA, obv.

naughtyyblue −  NTA. You’re 16, not a parent, and it’s not your job to clean up your dad’s mess or take on responsibilities he created—his choices, his consequences.