Father Insists Babysitter Cover Costs of $2K Guitar His Own Child Broke

Jul 07, 2021 by apost team

Children are prone to accidents, and sometimes those accidents can become quite costly. One father was very unhappy to find that his three-year-old daughter had destroyed one of his expensive guitars while she was supposed to be under the supervision of the 19-year-old babysitter. The dad went online to explain the story and see if he was in the wrong to ask the babysitter to pay for a new guitar.

The father’s post begins by explaining that while he and his wife were at work, the babysitter was left alone with the child in their home. While the parents were away, the babysitter had to take an emergency call and stepped outside for 20 minutes, leaving the toddler alone. During this time, the child was able to move the couch to the security gate, climb over the gate, go downstairs to the basement, pull a guitar off the wall and break it. 

The father was furious when he saw the broken instrument and demanded that the babysitter pay to replace it. The babysitter’s parents have said that he is asking too much, as the cost is over $2,000 and the girl only worked for 3 hours at $20 an hour. The babysitter offered to babysit for free, but the father said she is ultimately responsible for the guitar. 

In his online post from May 2021, the father asked if he is in the wrong for demanding the babysitter pay for the replacement. Most users agreed that he was being too harsh, but they added that the babysitter should be fired for leaving a toddler alone for 20 minutes while she talked on the phone.

It seems that the child’s parents are pretty strict about where their daughter is allowed to play in the house. The Reddit post explained, “My wife had to rush to work in an emergency and I was already at work. The babysitter is already familiar with some of our rules, like our 3-year-old is only allowed in the living room, play room, and dining room (when eating).” It is likely these rules are to keep the toddler safe from non-child-proof items.

The post also explained, “I'm asking the babysitter to front the bill on a new guitar, not a repair or neck replacement, as the alternatives diminish the value of the guitar (mismatching neck-to-body severely impacts value, and a neck repair does too). It's $2,200.” The father makes it clear that he wants a replacement instead of repairing the guitar neck, which he described as “warped.”

Most users did not agree with asking the babysitter to pay for a new guitar. “Once your kids are mobile you learn to secure all valuables from them. I'm sure you are mad but it was your kid that damaged the guitar. Fire the babysitter but she shouldn't be liable for damages,” wrote one commenter.

Another person agreed that the babysitter at least be held responsible for endangering the child. They wrote, “I'd be angry if I found out that my babysitter had stepped outside and left my 3-year-old by themselves for 20 minutes. If that kid rolled down the basement stairs and broke a bone or suffered a head injury, would the sitter not be responsible for that?”

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Do you think the father was right to ask the babysitter to pay for the new guitar? What would you do in this situation? Let us know your opinion and be sure to send this on to your friends and family.