A man has revealed how he refused to ‘babysit’ his stepdaughter during weekends because he wanted to play golf.
Posting on Reddit, he explained that his wife, Jane, asked him to care for her daughter Emily, 9, every Saturday.
He said during the beginning of their relationship, his wife told him that he wouldn’t be any father figure to her daughter.
“I was only supposed to be a trusted authority figure in case she ever needed anything,” he wrote. “I didn’t mind and tried my best to respect that boundary,”
However, their relationship was being ‘threatened’ by unexpected responsibilities.
The man then reminded Jane that he is not a ‘parent on demand’ when her daughter needs someone to watch over her.
He also added that Emily’s relationship with her biological father’s new family made things even more complicated.
“Jane is currently doing a certification course for the next 12 months and they have classes on Saturdays from 9-5pm,” he continued.
“She asked me if I can babysit Emily on Saturdays, but I can’t because I play golf with my brother and sister on Saturday mornings from 8am-1pm.
“This has been our tradition from before Jane and Emily came into my life and I had told Jane from much before that this is important to me and my siblings. I told her she can hire a babysitter but she doesn’t want to spend money when I can do it for free.”
The man then told his wife that he would not sacrifice his hobbies just to be a babysitter for free.
Reddit users were quick to share their thoughts on the situation, with one person saying: “It sounds like this is something that should have been worked out more carefully as a family before agreeing to. Is it possible that the dad/step-mum change their kids’ schedule as well? That way they have her when Jane is busy with certification courses.”
Another said: “Your wife can’t say her daughter doesn’t need you as a stepfather, but then expect you to step up as a stepfather every single Saturday when she needs you. She can hire a babysitter.”
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