6-Year-Old Girl Screams 'I'm the Boss of You!' to Her Nanny While Parents Aren't Home – Mom Finds Out

Amidst the shocking revelation of her six-year-old daughter's behavior toward the babysitter, a mother stood perplexed. Fueled by relentless determination, she opted for a course of action that left her husband deeply concerned, leaving her to ponder the righteousness of her decision.

In February 2021, an anonymous female poster turned to Reddit's "AITA" forum to share her challenging situation. She had three children: a six-year-old, a four-year-old, and a nearly-year-old baby. During her pregnancy with her youngest child, she hired a babysitter to pick up the other two kids from school and look after them.

Initially, they liked the babysitter, and the eldest child developed a strong bond with her. However, the eldest child began displaying a significant attitude problem. The mother suspected her daughter's behavior was influenced by a friend whose nanny she could boss around with little consequence.

A Mother's Dilemma

To address the issue, the mother and her husband repeatedly reminded their daughter to respect the babysitter and not demand things from her, emphasizing that the sitter was in charge. However, the situation escalated a few months ago when the sitter asked the daughter to fetch the baby's diaper bag.

Despite the mother's attempts to persuade her to stay, she remained resolute in her decision.

"My daughter sassed back saying "You can't tell me what to do, I'm the boss of you!" Sitter told me that night, and I immediately addressed it, in front of the sitter," revealed the mother. She told her daughter that her behavior was unacceptable, clarified that she was not the boss of anyone, and imposed a week-long TV privilege suspension as a consequence.

Despite this initial response, the behavior recurred just a month later. The mother had a much sterner conversation with her daughter, escalating the consequences by taking away more privileges. On both occasions, she insisted that her daughter verbally apologize and write a note of apology to the sitter.

Despite these measures, the sitter's patience wore thin, which prompted the mother to give her a raise out of guilt. She also ceased arranging playdates between her daughter and the friend who mistreated her nanny.

The mother attempted to have a calm conversation with her daughter, seeking to understand why she felt entitled to behave this way. Her daughter justified her actions by stating, "We pay her, I'm her boss." The mother refuted this claim, explaining that the sitter was hired to care for her and deserved respect. Despite these discussions, the problematic behavior persisted.

Things reached a critical point a few weeks ago when the daughter misbehaved, prompting the sitter to employ several de-escalation tactics. Finally, the sitter instructed the daughter to have quiet time in her room. In response, the daughter screamed at the sitter, proclaiming herself as the boss and threatening to get her fired.

Remaining composed, the sitter picked up the phone and called the mother, who promptly returned home. The sitter, aware of the household's surveillance cameras, calmly explained the situation. Upon understanding the severity of the situation, she made the difficult decision to quit. Despite the mother's attempts to persuade her to stay, she remained resolute in her decision.

Furious with her daughter, the mother imposed further consequences, resulting in the daughter losing privileges and not engaging in enjoyable activities for an extended period.

The nanny's departure left the family in a bind. Fortunately, the school the younger two children attended had extended hours, allowing the mother to pick them up after work. However, she had to scramble to find a new sitter. In the interim, she enrolled her daughter in an after-school program.

Due to the absence of a babysitter, the daughter could no longer attend her swim class, leading to her complaints. The mother held her daughter responsible, explaining that her actions led to the sitter's departure, and until a replacement was found, she wouldn't be able to participate in the fun activities her sitter used to arrange.

While the mother's husband acknowledged the limited options available, he believed she had been too harsh on their daughter, arguing that she was only six. The mother turned to Reddit's "AITA" forum, seeking opinions on whether her actions were justified.

Redditors React

The mother's Reddit post received a supportive response from the community. Many users agreed that she was "NTA" and expressed sympathy for the babysitter, emphasizing that her daughter needed to understand the consequences of her behavior.

They praised the mother for teaching her children the importance of accepting "no" and acknowledged that not all parents instill this lesson. Furthermore, commenters stressed that addressing the issue at the age of six was crucial to prevent potential problems in the teenage years, as it was an opportune time to teach the child about the repercussions of mistreating others.

Some shared their experiences with similarly behaving six-year-olds, emphasizing the need for children to recognize that bad behavior results in consequences. However, there were also differing opinions, with some commenters critical of apologizing to a six-year-old for providing what they considered an appropriate lesson in response to bullying behavior, expressing concerns about entitlement and narcissism in kids who were not held accountable for their actions.

Do you agree with how the mother handled the situation? Would you do things differently if you were in her place? Click here to read another story about a 13-year-old girl who yelled, "You're a maid!" at her nanny, unaware that her mom had come home early and heard everything.