I Agreed to Babysit My Friend’s Child, Now I Want to Adopt the Girl

When Mike, a 35-year-old man from the Midwest, offered to babysit his friend’s young daughter for the weekend, he expected nothing more than a few quiet days filled with cartoons, snack time, and maybe a trip to the park. A favor for an old friend — simple, temporary, and familiar. After all, he’d watched little Lila before. She was bright, sweet, and full of energy. What could go wrong?

But within days, Mike found himself pulled into a situation that no one had prepared him for — one that would test his morals, his patience, and his very sense of what it means to be family. In a heartfelt and deeply personal letter to Bright Side, he shares how a routine babysitting arrangement spiraled into something much more complicated — and far more emotional — than he ever anticipated.

Mike, 35, wrote a very emotional letter to our editorial and shared a story that shattered us.

Mike shared, “My friend has a 4 YO daughter. She doesn’t even know who the father is. Recently, she asked me to babysit her kid for 3 days. I couldn’t say no. I was horrified to discover that my friend actually was not even going to come back from her trip and didn’t have any wish or intention to take care of her daughter again.”

The man could never even imagine that a simple favor he agreed to do for his friend would turn his own life into a total mess, with no clear way out.

The man was asked to babysit his friend’s daughter, and he agreed without hesitation.

Mike shared, “A while back, my friend Cassie had a daughter named Lila. She’s never been sure who the father is, and honestly, she’s never been the most responsible parent. She’s impatient, often emotionally distant, but I always assumed she cared about her daughter in her own way.

I’d babysat Lila occasionally, though there were other sitters in the rotation. Over time, I grew genuinely attached to her.

Lila’s now four years old.

Earlier this year, around January, Cassie started gushing about this new guy she was seeing in Atlanta. Then in late April, she messaged me: ‘Hey, my sitter canceled last minute. Can you watch Lila from Friday to Monday? I’m flying out to see my boyfriend and can’t take her with me.’

I agreed. Cassie told the school I’d be picking her up, and that was that.

On Friday morning, Cassie dropped off a bag of clothes and a stuffed animal at my apartment. Looking back, she brought way more than what was needed for just a weekend, but I didn’t question it at the time. Then she left for the airport.”

The kid’s mom vanished and Mike didn’t know what to do.

The man wrote, “That afternoon, I picked Lila up from preschool and brought her home. (For context, I don’t work — I’m on disability due to a serious knee injury I sustained at my old job.) We spent the day at the park across the street, then came home to make dinner together. Afterward, we cleaned up, watched a movie, and I read her a few stories from my phone before tucking her in on the couch. Cassie never kept any books around, so I improvised.

The weekend went smoothly. Saturday we spent at the library and the park, and Sunday was a cozy stay-at-home kind of day — we made crafts, watched cartoons, and napped a lot.

Monday came, and Cassie was supposed to pick Lila up after school around 5 p.m. She never showed. I called and texted her over and over — nothing. Total silence.

Unsure what else to do, I kept taking care of Lila. By Tuesday, I was still getting no response. Lila began asking where her mom was.

On Wednesday, I went to Cassie’s place — no one was home. I reached out to mutual friends, but nobody had heard from her. That night, Lila had a complete meltdown. She screamed and cried for her mom until she was exhausted. I kept her home from school the next day.

Eventually, I calmed her down and told her, gently, that her mom must’ve gotten a little lost on her trip, but I would take care of her until she came back.”

The situation was becoming a real rollercoaster, as the kid’s mom didn’t show up for a far longer time than Mike expected.

Mike shared, “The days turned into a week. Lila started having intense nightmares and became extremely clingy. I moved her into my room to sleep beside me, and that helped calm her anxiety. After a few days, I bought a small futon and set it up right next to my bed, so she’d feel safe.

When Cassie had dropped her off, Lila’s clothes were dirty and didn’t fit well, her shoes were too small and falling apart, and I soon discovered she needed glasses. I replaced everything — got her new clothes, proper shoes, taught her how to cook a little, and even started basic guitar lessons designed for kids.

She blossomed in my care — her appetite improved, her energy levels rose, she looked and acted healthier. She hadn’t had any soda since being with me and was finally eating balanced meals.

But then, we hit a problem. When I tried to take her to an optometrist, I was told I couldn’t sign off on anything because I wasn’t her legal guardian. Around the same time, the school started asking where Cassie was — and I still had no answers.

I told my mom I was planning to go to the police to report the situation, but she warned me that if I did, child services might remove Lila from my care. They could place her with Cassie’s mother — someone who never loved Lila and often yelled at her.”

Mike doesn’t know what to do and needs help and advice.

The man shared, “I was heartbroken. One morning, as I got ready to head to the police station, I broke down and hugged Lila tightly. Through tears, I told her I loved her. She looked up at me and, completely unprompted, said, ‘I wuv you too, Daddy.’

That word had never even been used around her before.

I don’t want to lose her. I’m the only one in her life who’s shown her real care. I love this child. I want to be her parent.

Both Cassie’s mother and brother know that Lila is with me. They’re aware — and they also seem to know where Cassie is — but they’ve never expressed any interest in taking Lila back. They’re indifferent.

So what do I do? Is it possible to gain custody or adopt her based on the time I’ve cared for her and the circumstances? Or will she be taken away and handed over to someone who never wanted her in the first place?”

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