A babysitter gently pointed out to her client’s children that their costumes were cultural appropriation. It turns out it’s a bit more complicated than that. Now, she might get fired.
Babysitters tow a sensitive line. On the one hand, they’re in charge of caring for kids when their parents aren’t around. Because of this, they often have to make quick decisions and answer unexpected questions without having time to consult their parents.
However, how they handle things may not always be to the parent’s liking and may directly conflict with their parenting choices.
Babysitter Lyric recently had to deal with a complicated situation that’s left her unsure about whether she still has a job or not.
In the viral video, which has more than 3 million views, Lyric explained that she was babysitting for a family when the kids showed her their Halloween costumes where they were dressed as Indigenous people.
“Do you like this one?” they asked her.
“No, not really,” Lyric responded gently.
Not only are the costumes cultural appropriation, but they also have an extra layer of racism. See, the depictions the kids are used to seeing of Indigenous folks are deeply stereotypical and inaccurate. They come from the Davey Crockett movies of the ’50s that portray Indigenous people as violent, stupid, and monolithic—none of which they are.
When the boys asked her why she didn’t like their costumes, Lyric surprised herself with her honesty.
“It’s just a bit inappropriate,” Lyric said. “…Imagine if someone were to wear my Nigerian garb as a Halloween costume, right? I would just find that a little bit uncomfortable. But to each their own.”
She added that last bit to try to diffuse the situation and not cause problems.
Well, when the kids’ mom reached out about the situation, she clearly had a problem with how Lyric handled it and clarified that her parents and her husband’s parents are “both Native American.”
“So if they want to wear their Native American headdresses, then they should be very, very proud,” the mom responded.
Before ending the video, Lyric clarified that she found it problematic because the kids were referring to the depiction of Indigneous folks in old movies and said she found it odd that Indigneous people would let their kids watch so many movies with violence against their own people.
@lyric.eo I love this family, but they watch a loooot of questionable things :/ but i shouldnt have brought it up ANYWAY #babysitting #fyp ♬ original sound – lyric.eo
People had plenty to say in the comment section.
“I’d think as native Americans they would understand and appreciate you saying that (even if they had to correct you about their background),” a person wrote.
“They watch a lot of Davey Crockett? After 1960?” another pointed out sarcastically.
“BRO nannying is so many moral dilemmas constantly I felt this,” a commenter shared.
In a follow-up video, Lyric shared that her fears were realized. She got fired after the incident but hasn’t gone into detail about it.
The Daily Dot reached out to Lyric for comment via Instagram direct message.
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