When it comes to finding a babysitter for your children, it is incredibly important to choose someone you trust.
Not only must you think about safety, but you want to know your kids will be happy while you are gone.
But sometimes, despite your best efforts, childcare plans fall through.
Such was the case when one dad asked his eldest son to cancel plans with friends to look after his siblings, from the parent's second marriage.
And he thought it was a fair plan, having struck a "deal" with his 17-year-old son until he was blasted by his ex-wife for "parentifying" the teenager.
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Unsure what to do, he took to Reddit's Am I The A**hole forum for some much-needed advice.
The unnamed dad started by explaining he has four children: a 17-year-old boy from his first marriage, plus a 7-year-old boy and twin two-year-old girls from his second marriage.
"My wife is currently in the hospital (nothing too serious) and I'm working four hours in the office and the rest from home," he continued. "Last week my wife went to the hospital and my son was staying at my ex's that week, so I got a nanny for the kids for the 4 hours a day I have to work in the office."
But the nanny "didn't work out", working for just one day, as his youngest son, who has autism, "is very particular about his needs and wants."
So he turned to the teenager. The dad claimed his older son "watches his younger siblings a lot when he is at our house", what's more "he likes it" and the "kids adore him".
And he explained that whenever he has "watched them alone" in the past, the son was paid 50$ (£42) an hour, the same as the parents would pay a nanny.
The post continued: "I called my son last week, asking him to come babysit the kids for the remaining three days of the week, then I'd get some leave and stay home myself. He told me he already had plans to go to the beach with his friends and take a roadtrip with them.
"I told him if he can come for those four hours for three days, I'll pay him 100$/hour (£83) instead of the usual 50 and if he can reschedule his plans for just a few days to next week, he'll then have a lot more money to spend on his vacation. He then agreed and was really happy about our deal."
But not everyone was happy with the proposed deal. "His mother called me later furious, saying that I am parentifying our son, that I should let him have a life and that it's mot his fault I had more kids I can't manage," the post concluded.
Confused by the turn of events, the dad then took to Reddit, to ask if people agreed he had been unreasonable.
And many were quick to defend his decision, given the circumstances.
One person said: "If you’re willing to pay and him and his friends are willing to wait a few days to do their trip then you’re fine. It would be different if you forced him to babysit with the same or no pay but that’s not the case."
A second agreed: "The son agreed, so I don't get what the big deal is. He offered a big incentive and his son took it."
And another added: "Mom doesn’t really wholly understand the concept of parentifying. This is a job opportunity for the son, not forced labor; just happens that the job involves his family. He’s also 17 and can make his own informed decisions."
Do you agree? Let us know in the comments below.
