SNL’s ‘Weekend Update’ Sketch Shows a Frazzled Mom Juggling a Cancelled Babysitter

When you’re a mom trying to keep the house together and the babysitter calls in sick, you might as well bring the chaos onto national television. That’s exactly what happened on the October 10 episode of Saturday Night Live, when Ashley Padilla stepped onto the Weekend Update desk as a frazzled parent whose weekend plans went sideways.

Padilla’s character explains, with a weary sigh, that “someone just wasn’t getting along with the sitter,” so she’s now stuck with her five‑year‑old whirlwind, Coco, portrayed by brand‑new cast member Grace Reiter. The script sets the scene: a mom eager to share a few sweet, autumn‑themed activities for families, and a kid who seems determined to turn every suggestion into a mini‑disaster.

First up, the classic leaf‑pressing exercise. “Mommy picks a book, and Coco goes and fetches a beautiful orange‑and‑red leaf from the yard,” Padilla says, trying to sound upbeat. Reiter’s Coco interrupts with a dead‑pan, “I fell into a pile of leaves, and no one knew where I was for a day.” The absurdity ramps up when the child declares she missed dinner because the pizza she “ate” didn’t count—she “didn’t like it.” The mom, exasperated, shrieks, “It doesn’t matter if you don’t like it. It’s still dinner if you ate it!”

The sketch doesn’t let up. Padilla then shifts to a wholesome craft: making dried‑apple dolls. “Fun fact: We got the apples just this weekend at a beautiful local orchard,” she chirps. Coco, of course, has a retort: “My mom stuck me in the corn maze for three hours so she could kiss a farmer.” The audience can practically hear the eye roll.

Between the rapid‑fire one‑liners, the bit captures something real—parents scrambling for a break while their kids keep them on their toes. By the end, viewers are left hoping Padilla’s fictional mom finally finds a reliable sitter, because even the toughest mom needs a moment of peace.

Beyond the laughs, the sketch taps into a universal truth: life rarely follows the neat, Instagram‑worthy plans we make. Sometimes, you just have to roll with the chaos, even if it means sharing a leaf‑covered disaster on live TV.