For some people, keeping promises is really important, while others don’t take it seriously. Rachel, 30, told us about her worries regarding her younger sister, Chloe. Chloe had agreed to babysit Rachel’s kids, but now she wants to back out unexpectedly.
The sisters had a clear agreement that both were expected to follow.
Rachel let her sister Chloe, a university student, stay with her family for $500 a month. This covered her living expenses, utilities, and food. Chloe also helped with chores and babysitting. They even wrote this agreement down to avoid any confusion.
This deal was cheaper for Chloe than living at university, saving her $3,600 a year. For two years, everything worked smoothly. Chloe was a hardworking student and a good person.
But now, things have changed.
Rachel said, “Chloe and I had a big fight. Our parents are on her side, which is frustrating. Chloe has a serious boyfriend now and wants to spend more time with him. She started complaining about babysitting every other Saturday night so my husband and I could have a date night. This caused a big rift between us.”
Rachel insisted Chloe stick to their deal, even offering to find a babysitter but asked Chloe to cover the cost. Chloe was upset, saying the babysitter costs were eating into her earnings.
Rachel then faced criticism from her family.
Chloe got angry and said she’d rather stay on campus next year. Rachel told her that was fine and mentioned she’d get her hobby room back. Her parents said Chloe shouldn’t be treated like an unpaid nanny and should live rent-free. Despite explaining their agreement, her parents were adamant.
Rachel’s mom was furious about Chloe’s plan to move to campus and threatened to cut ties. When Rachel got home, Chloe was packing. Chloe felt Rachel was being unfair, given her increased expenses and time away from her job and boyfriend. Rachel believes their agreement was fair.
