"Being A Mother Isn't The Hardest Job In The World" - Redditor Snaps At Presumptuous Neighbor Who Constantly Abandons Her Children

Okay, but seriously, who just leaves their kids with a random neighbor?

Kylin

• Published in Interesting
• May 2, 2023

As a mother myself, there is no argument from me that being a mother can be hard. Like, sanity-destroying hard.

However, I still wouldn’t consider it *the* hardest job in the world. Draining, exhausting, neverending, yeah, but there are definitely more difficult jobs out there that I couldn’t ever successfully do.

But I sympathize when another mother complains about their struggles with motherhood because it is essentially neverending! And you never quite know the full story behind anyone’s struggles, mother or not.

So when I saw this post on Reddit’s AITA, I was definitely ready to watch other Redditors tear into user bonthonpele for his post titled “AITA for telling my neighbor that being a mother isn’t the hardest job in the world?” As those sorts of posts tend to be flagrant mom-shaming and misogynistic dumps.

It turned out that the comments were largely in his favor, and for good reason. While at first glance, it does look to follow the typical mom-shaming posts, when you get to the meat of the story, OP had some really good reasons for his feelings.

OP has been watching his goddaughter recently while his best friend is going through a divorce and found himself in a very uncomfortable position with his neighbor and her young kids.

Keep scrolling to read the full story and the comments and judgments from the AITA community. 

OP has been helping with his goddaughter while his best friend is going through a divorce

Soon after his neighbor noticed him playing with his goddaughter, she began to come over with her children uninvited

Which would be all fine and good if she actually watched her kids

Or if she didn't complain incessantly

OP tried to kindly set boundaries

Occasional visits were okay, but daily was too much

Then things finally came to a head

After a brief chat with his neighbor, OP took his goddaughter to get some water

While getting water, OP hears a knock on his door and then sees his neighbor's kids

The older child tells OP that her Mom said she will be right back

Left with strange children, OP immediately goes to look for their Mother

OP eventually ends up calling her husband and tells him if she's not back he will call the police

When his neighbor finally came back, she started complaining about how being a mother is the hardest job in the world

OP was NOT having it

Maybe not the *hardest* job in the *world* but still a job

Either way, she's not doing her job if she's leaving her kids willy nilly

Apparently OP tried calling her before he reached out to her husband

She just didn't answer his call

Part of being a parent is being responsible for your children

It's literally the biggest encompassing thing about being a parent

It's not okay to leave your kids with someone without asking

I feel like that's the very basic level of common decency

Even if being a mother was the hardest job in the world, it isn't OP's job

OP most definitely didn't sign up for parenthood, he's just trying to help out with his goddaughter

Something isn't right with his neighbor to so easily leave her kids with a practical stranger

There are SO MANY reasons why it's disturbing

Hopefully she learns her lesson

This Mom gets it

OP did the right thing here

Seriously, what is she thinking?

Make it make sense

The neighbor's kids are getting a rough go at life

It's past the time of setting gentle boundaries

OP needs to be explicitly clear

She needs to get help with her kids from her own support system, not some random neighbor

OP's neighbor is negligent

Neglect is 100% abuse

Like any sane parent, you don't leave your child with just anyone

*Especially* without their consent

Boom, there it is

Mic. Drop.

I admit I was totally ready to be angry with OP about his post just based on the title, but after reading the full story, I find myself sympathizing with him more than his neighbor. While, yes, it seems obvious she’s struggling with motherhood, she’s being reckless and negligent with her children by leaving them with OP, who is at best a friendly acquaintance.

We want to know your thoughts, though. Do you think OP was out of line telling his neighbor that being a mother isn’t the hardest job in the world, or do you think she needed that wake-up call?

Drop your own AITA judgment in the comments section below, and let us know what else you think about this ordeal!

Kylin