Neighbor Asked My Daughter to Babysit for a Week, Then Refused to Pay – I Was Furious and Taught Her a Lesson

When Lucy came home in tears after a week of babysitting, I knew something was seriously wrong. She rarely cried. Her voice trembled as she explained: Mrs. Carpenter had refused to pay her, calling it a “life lesson” and slamming the door in her face.

Lucy had worked five days, four hours a day, caring for unruly kids—earning every penny of the $220 she’d planned to use for an art course. Hearing what happened, my anger flared. I pulled her into a hug, then handed her the full amount from my purse.

“You earned this,” I said firmly. “And I’ll handle Mrs. Carpenter.”

We’d never been close neighbors—but this crossed a line. If Mrs. Carpenter wanted to teach lessons, she was about to learn one herself.