History Main / ChildCareAndBabysittingStories

** ''Film/AdventuresInBabysitting2016'': Remake of the above.

* ''Film/TheNannyDiaries'' is about a fresh university graduate being hired by a rich family after saving their son.

This trope concerns works that focus on the care of a child by [[ParentalSubstitute people other than their parents]] or temporary babysitting and the adventures or difficulties that accompany this task.

* ''Film/ThePacifier'' starts with Navy lieutenant Shane being sent to protect the five Plummer kids from the enemies of their recently deceased dad. The kids are a handful at first as they dislike their new guardian, but they warm up to him eventually, and he becomes like a surrogate father to them.

* In ''Literature/BabySittingIsADangerousJob'', Darcy is a teenage girl who is hired to babysit three rich kids, but ends up being kidnapped along with them, and has to outwit them to escape with her charges.

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* ''Webcomic/TheWotch'' had a chapter involving a babysitting night gone wrong as the children and adults' ages are swapped. The chapter title and cover both homage ''Adventures in Babysitting''.
[[/folder]]

* [[/index]]''Manga/PocosUdonWorld'': Souta, a young web designer, discovers a strange, {{shapeshifting}} child in his family restaurant sleeping inside a cooking pot. Souta decides to adopt him and name him Poco. Each episode follows the heartwarming relationship between Souta and Poco.

However, an interesting twist to this is to make the carer(s) the least suitable and least expected person ever to be burdened with the task of caring for a child. This character usually [[SinkOrSwimFatherhood becomes a caregiver unexpectedly without prior experience]]. The carer in question could be an [[ProfessionalKiller assassin]], a [[TheDon mafia boss]], or [[HumansThroughAlienEyes an alien who has no clue on how to deal with humans]], let alone raise a whole child. Or maybe the carer is a minor themself who still needs to be taken care of but has to take care of someone else now. And to spice things up, this domestic genre and theme would be combined with {{Action|Genre}}, {{Adventure}}, and even {{Horror}}. If it's a work leaning more toward realism, the carer would have to balance their own job or schoolwork and caring for the child. On the other hand, if it leans more toward adventure, then the carer will be juggling between their dangerous job and caring for the child while keeping the child from harm's way. This can often [[ChildrenRaiseYou shape the character tasked with babysitting and taking care of a child into a more sympathetic, responsible person]]. The babysitter and the child's relationship might also evolve into a BabysitterFriendship. That said, the carer doesn't have to be unsuitable or unwilling to qualify.

Usually a subgenre of SliceOfLife, but not always. Many of these works are {{comed|y}}ic in nature. If it's ''a single episode'' from a work that's not usually about child care/babysitting, then it's a BabysittingEpisode. Compare BadassAndChildDuo, where the focus isn't particularly on caring for the child, but on protecting the unrelated child.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:L-R from top to bottom]]''Literature/TheBabysittersClub'', ''Film/ThePacifier'', ''Manga/BunnyDrop'', and ''WesternAnimation/EsmeAndRoy''.[[/labelnote]]]]

* ''Manga/BunnyDrop'': Upon learning that his deceased grandpa left behind him an illegitimate 6-year-old daughter, main character Daikichi decides to raise her when no one from her relatives is willing to do so. The child, named Rin, becomes a part of Daikichi's life as he endures the hardships of being a single parent, and the two begin their unlikely relationship as "father" and "daughter."

* Although not the primary genre, several ''Anime/PrettyCure'' seasons have this as a subplot.[[index]]
** ''Anime/FreshPrettyCure'' and ''Anime/DokiDokiPrecure'' have the main cast taking care of a baby fairy who holds the TransformationTrinket.
** ''Anime/MahoGirlsPrecure'' has the two main characters find a baby fairy as well, though she eventually has a PlotRelevantAgeUp and joins them as the SixthRanger magical girl.
** ''Anime/HugttoPrettyCure'' is the most overt about these themes, with its theme of the future and fate. Unlike the other examples, the baby the main characters take care of is a human, albeit one with strong magic powers. [[spoiler:This turns out to be for [[KidFromTheFuture a very good reason]].]]

* [[AnimeFirst Original anime]] ''Anime/BuddyDaddies'' revolves around two hitmen who live under the same roof, Kazuki and Rei. The two somehow end up caring for Miri, the young daughter of one of their assassination targets who mistakes Kazuki for her biological father. The assassins have to balance their dangerous work and their new family life.
* Upon learning that his deceased grandpa left behind him an illegitimate 6-year-old daughter, Daikichi from ''Manga/BunnyDrop'' decides to raise her when no one from her relatives is willing to do so. The child, named Rin, becomes a part of Daikichi's life as he endures the hardships of being a single parent, and the two begin their unlikely relationship as "father" and "daughter."

* ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe'': In order to steal a shrink ray from a fellow villain for a planned heist of the Moon itself, supervillain Gru adopts a trio of orphaned girls who have managed to sell cookies to the rival. While he initially tries to ditch the children after getting what he wants, he unexpectedly bonds with them and becomes a more loving father to them.

->'''Gang Leader:''' ''(throws a knife into Brad's foot)'' Don't fuck with the Lord of Hell!\\

However, an interesting twist to this is to make the carer(s) the least suitable and least expected person ever to be burdened with the task of caring for a child. This character usually [[SinkOrSwimFatherhood becomes a caregiver unexpectedly without prior experience]]. The carer in question could be an [[ProfessionalKiller assassin]], a [[TheDon mafia boss]], or [[HumansThroughAlienEyes an alien who has no clue on how to deal with humans]], let alone raise a whole child. Or maybe the carer is a minor themselves who still need to be taken care of but has to take care of someone else now. And to spice things up, this domestic genre and theme would be combined with {{Action|Genre}}, {{Adventure}}, and even {{Horror}}. If it's a work leaning more toward realism, the carer would have to balance their own job or schoolwork and caring for the child. On the other hand, if it leans more toward adventure, then the carer will be juggling between their dangerous job and caring for the child while keeping the child from harm's way. This can often shape the character tasked with babysitting and taking care of a child into a more sympathetic, responsible person. The babysitter and the child's relationship might also evolve into a BabysitterFriendship. That said, the carer doesn't have to be unsuitable or unwilling to qualify.

Usually a subgenre of SliceOfLife, but not always. Many of these works are {{comed|y}}ic in nature. If it's ''a single episode'' from a work that's not usually about child care/babysitting, then it's a BabysittingEpisode.

Not to be confused with the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_realism Domestic Literary Fiction]], which tells stories about the daily lives of women written by and for women during the 19th century. Compare BadassAndChildDuo, where the focus is usually not on caring for the child.

!!Examples

[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:L-R from top to bottom]]Literature/TheBabysittersClub, Film/ThePacifier, Manga/BunnyDrop, and WesternAnimation/EsmeAndRoy.[[/labelnote]]]]

Not to be confused with the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_realism Domestic Literary Fiction]], which tells stories about the daily lives of women written by and for women during the 19th century.

* ''Manga/PocosUdonWorld'': Souta, a young web designer, discovers a strange, {{shapeshifting}} child in his family restaurant sleeping inside a cooking pot. Souta decides to adopt him and name him Poco. Each episode follows the heartwarming relationship between Souta and Poco.
* Although not the primary genre, several ''Anime/PrettyCure'' seasons have this as a subplot.

* WesternAnimation/DespicableMe: In order to steal a shrink ray from a fellow villain for a planned heist of the Moon itself, supervillain Gru adopts a trio of orphaned girls who have managed to sell cookies to the rival. While he initially tries to ditch the children after getting what he wants, he unexpectedly bonds with them and becomes a more loving father to them.

* Upon learning that his deceased grandpa left behind him an illegitimate six-year-old daughter, Daikichi from ''Manga/BunnyDrop'' decides to raise her when no one from her relatives is willing to do so. The child named Rin becomes a part of Daikichi's life as he endures the hardships of being a single parent, and the two begin their unlikely relationship as "father" and "daughter."

[[folder:Films -- Live Action]]

* ''Film/TheBabysitter2017'' tells the story of twelve-year-old Cole who has a beautiful babysitter called Bee. She protects him from bullying and they have a very nice friendship, albeit it's more of a PrecociousCrush on his end.

* ''Literature/TheBabysittersClub'' concerns a group of 12 to 14-year-old girls who form a babysitters collective, share expenses, and publish a single contact number that can be used to hire any of them. The stories all feature the girls babysitting for children of varying ages and temperaments.

* ''Manga/{{Hinamatsuri}}'' begins when a [[{{Yakuza}} member]] has his life turned upside down when a girl literally drops on his head out of nowhere. He only knows two things about her: her name is Hina and she has [[MindOverMatter psychokinetic powers]]. He's forced to be a responsible adult by becoming her de facto father.

As for the child, they'd either be the epitome of an innocent, {{moe}}, {{cheerful child}}, or the spawn of the devil in mischief and playing pranks. They'll both tug at the carer's (and the audience's) heartstrings and drive the carer's crazy with their endless schemes/brattiness at the same time. If they're a baby, they're more likely to be a {{straying baby}} who gives their guardians trouble. Regardless, the carer would get closer to the child(ren) and even grow fond of them in the process.

* ''Film/DaddyDayCare'' revolves around Charlie and Phil, two hardworking fathers who got laid off. In need of money, the two decide to open up a day care center called "Daddy Day Care." With the help of the kids, they get great ideas on how to make the center better and manage to keep the day care center afloat despite hardships.

* ''Literature/TheBabysittersClub'' concerns a group of 12 to 14-year-old girls who form a babysitters collective, share expenses and publish a single contact number that can be used to hire any of them. The stories all feature the girls babysitting for children of varying ages and temperaments.

[[folder:WesternAnimation]]

----
Indexes: AnimeGenres, {{Fiction}}, MundanityTropes, FilmGenres.