Aunt Shames Babysitter Not Speaking Their First Language
For parents raising bilingual children, language exposure can be an important part of everyday life. But does that mean everyone who spends time with the child needs to speak both languages, too? One babysitter found herself in an awkward situation after the aunt of the little boy she was taking care of found out that she barely spoke Spanish. What followed wasn’t a disagreement about the boy’s care, but a series of comments that left the babysitter feeling increasingly uncomfortable and as though she was being judged for something that had never been part of her job. She eventually found herself wondering whether to tell the boy’s mother what had happened—or keep quiet to avoid creating any drama. Here’s how the situation unfolded. A bilingual family hired this babysitter to look after their son pressmaster (not the actual photo) Her not speaking Spanish wasn’t an issue—at least, not un
