My husband, Jake, was excited to meet the new babysitter — until he saw who it was. He had no idea I planned everything.

A week earlier, I overheard him joking to his friends that he hoped we’d hire a “hot babysitter” because he “loved aesthetics.” Instead of fighting, I decided to teach him a lesson.

I told him I was ready to go back to work, and we’d need childcare. Jake immediately started sending me profiles of attractive women. So when I found a great babysitter, I let him believe he’d love her.

When the door opened, Jake’s face fell. The babysitter was Chris — tall, handsome, athletic, professional, and very good with kids. Exactly the “aesthetic” my husband hadn’t expected.

Jake was clearly uncomfortable. Meanwhile, Chris was amazing, and the kids loved him. Over the next few weeks, Jake started coming home earlier, helping more with the twins, cooking, cleaning, and actually being present.

Eventually, he apologized for taking me for granted.

We don’t have a babysitter anymore — because what we really needed was for Jake to understand how much I was doing alone. And trust me, he’s never joked about wanting a “hot babysitter” again.