Justin Andress
Every single day, an army of brave souls in search of some extra spending money take on the somber task of looking after other people’s kids. Whether they spend the day with their charges, or just swing through long enough for a pair of parents to get a few hours of sanity, Nannies and babysitters watch over your kids, so you don’t have to, motivated only by a singular sense of charity and $12.50 an hour. On the best day, being a caretaker for children is a tiring and thankless job. When you’re managing the spawn of Satan, however, things can get a little bit dicier. From around the world — and more than a few dark corners of Reddit — here are some of the most hair-raising stories from the front lines of the babysitting sector. Gird your loins; it’s going to be a rough ride.
1. The Joys of Watching a Fire Starter
Watching three kids is tough enough, but when one of them is a firebug, things can always get more interesting. Redditor AverageJoe5555 recalled a story from the 1960s, when — as a 16-year-old sitter — he thought the 9-year-old he was looking after climbed out his bedroom window and set the house on fire. Fortunately, AverageJoe5555 called the fire department and got the kids out of the house before any real damage was done. Oddly enough, the tot in question grew up to be a firefighter.
