Sister shocked when wife refuses to cancel fully paid vacation to babysit at last minute

When we are stuck in a routine of spending time at home and sleeping, it is nice to have something to look forward to. For some it may be a birthday, for others it may be a get-together with friends, but for a good number of people it is the holidays that they look forward to the most.

For this Redditor, it was a trip to Hawaii that couldn’t come soon enough. But just as it was almost time to board the plane, an unexpected call from her sister had her wondering if she should postpone her flight.

Scroll down to find the full story below where you will also find Bored Panda Interview with Duff Roblin Professor of Government and Sociology at the University of Manitoba, Dr. Susan Prentice.

Young children need constant supervision

Photo credits: Mikhail Nilov (non-contractual photo)

This woman’s sister asked her to postpone her trip to Hawaii to take care of her two children

Photo credits: Markus Winkler (non-contractual photo)

Photo credits: Future_Biscotti9

It is not uncommon for parents to turn to relatives for help with child care.

It’s no surprise or secret that when emergencies arise, people tend to turn to their loved ones for help. And there’s nothing wrong with that; as long as they’re able and willing to help, leaving your little bundle of joy in the hands of a trusted family member can be the best option in unexpected circumstances.

But it becomes a whole different story when relatives are unwilling or unable to care for the child, whether due to a busy schedule or simply because they do not have the capacity. Furthermore, when it comes to long periods of care, a professional may be more suitable.

Want to know more about childcare and how often relatives get involved? Bored Panda I spoke to child care and social policy expert Dr. Susan Prentice about this topic. She pointed out that child care is complex and that relatives may not be the best choice for a long period of time, especially if they themselves have to work or take on other responsibilities at the time.

“For short periods of time, adults can dual-task, splitting their attention. But when we want children to spend entire days away from their parents, we want them to be cared for by well-trained caregivers, in well-resourced environments, who are devoting their time to early childhood education and learning, as well as care. We want children to thrive, not just be protected and kept safe,” Dr. Prentice said.

In some places it can be very difficult to find childcare.

While we hope that children thrive with the help of well-trained caregivers, the expert herself noted that unfortunately, this is not always possible. “In both Canada and the United States, most parents live in child care deserts. There is a licensed child care space for about one in four Canadian children, and the situation in the United States is roughly similar, with wide variations by province and state.”

That’s why people may once again be turning to their loved ones for help with child care. “Families generally do their best to help each other. But the real help will come when our governments invest in high-quality, regulated early learning and child care. We’ve made significant progress in Canada, with $10-a-day child care starting to roll out across the country, but there’s still much to do. I hope this public policy failure will be recognized as the root cause of these family problems,” said Dr. Prentice.

It’s unclear whether the author’s sister lives in a childcare desert or if she’s able to find an alternative for the canceled babysitter. Still, regardless, other Redditors didn’t think the author was a jerk for refusing to postpone her long-awaited vacation because her sister’s childcare arrangements fell through. Netizens shared their thoughts in the comments.

Other Reddit users didn’t think the woman was a jerk for refusing to postpone her vacation

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