Mum demands $860 compensation from babysitter for feeding meat to vegetarian kids

Photo / Getty

Photo / Getty

A babysitter has refused to pay a mum "emotional support" compensation money after she fed the woman's vegetarian children chicken nuggets.

The 19-year-old has been babysitting for two years and was recently asked by a new family to look after the mum's 7-year-old girl and 9-year-old boy.

While she was looking after them she wanted to reward them for their good behaviour, so the two children requested a chicken nugget Happy Meal for dinner.

However, the mother was left fuming when she returned to find out her children had eaten chicken.

The babysitter says the mother or children never once mentioned they were vegetarian.

Now she wants emotional support compensation for the baby-sitter's unfortunate mistake.

"The mum came home early and saw her children eating chicken nuggets. She literally ripped the nuggets out of their hands and started screaming that I'm horrible for allowing her children to eat dead corpses and yelling at her children for eating the meat," the babysitter claimed.

"She kicked me out without paying me and then later text me saying that I need to pay her £227 ($430) for each kid for the emotional damage I have caused them and if I didn't she'd take me to court.

"I refused to pay the money and told her that she should have told me that she was vegetarian and I would have made sure to completely respect her family diet choice and since she didn't tell me it's not my fault.

"She said that I shouldn't just assume everyone eats meat."

The threat of court didn't intimidate the babysitter, revealing both her father and brother are lawyers.

Not knowing what to do, she took to social media to ask for advice on how to proceed.

A number of people said she was right to refuse to pay the emotional support money.

Others said she's entitled to receiving payment for her babysitting and encouraged her to chase money off the mother.

One person sided with the babysitter, saying any dietary requirements need to be made clear by the mum beforehand.

"It was her responsibility to tell you her kids were vegetarian. She still owes you money for babysitting. I'd be willing to bet she has pulled this stunt before to get out of paying and maybe try to get some extra cash."

Another added: "Give her contact info to your lawyers. Ask her when you can expect to be paid or if you should settle that as well in court."

This article was first published on the NZ Herald and is republished here with permission.

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