So I (28F) live in a quiet neighborhood where most people know each other in passing. A few weeks ago, my neighbor (let’s call her Tina, 35F) knocked on my door and asked me for a “small favor.”

She has two kids, ages 7 and 9, and she recently started a new job with early morning hours. She said since I walk to work around 7:30 AM and pass by the elementary school, it would be “no problem at all” for me to walk her kids to school on my way—just a 10-minute walk.

I was caught off guard and politely said I’d have to think about it. The next day, I told her I didn’t feel comfortable taking on that kind of responsibility. I’m not a parent, and frankly, I’m just not okay being in charge of someone else’s children—especially not every single morning. My job is flexible but stressful, and I really value my quiet walk before work. Also, what if something happens on the way? It’s a lot of pressure.

Tina did not take it well. She told me I was being “incredibly selfish” and that as a woman in the neighborhood, I should be looking out for other women and helping where I can. She even tried to guilt me by saying, “You don’t have kids, you wouldn’t understand.”

Now a couple of other neighbors are giving me weird looks, and I feel like there’s some whispering happening. I honestly didn’t expect this to become such a big deal. I’ve helped with small things in the past—taking in mail, watching a pet for a day—but this just feels different.

I don’t want to be responsible for kids that aren’t mine, especially not on a regular schedule. I don’t think that makes me a bad neighbor, but the vibe on the street is weird now.

So… AITA?