LinzyD
07-07-2007, 01:07 AM
I was hoping you guys could give me some advice...
For the past 4 months I've been babysitting evey couple of weeks for a girl that I work with (she's also a friend of mine, but we're not that close). The first several times that I babysat for her she paid me about $20 bucks each day (usually when I babysit it is for a minimum of 9 hours since she works 12 hour shifts) and I was okay with the $20. I felt like I was helping her out but at the same time still earning a little bit of cash. Well, one day I literally babysat pretty much all day b/c she worked and then her and her husband went out on a date. When she picked him up she paid me $80! I told her that that was way too much money and the only way I would babysit again is if the next time I babysat she didn't pay me. She agreed. Well, that was like 6 or 7 times ago and she hasn't paid me since! :eek: I like babysiting for her, but the baby just turned 6 months old so he's still a lotta work, ya know? Plus his parents literally hold him all the time and he SCREAMS if you leave the room for a second (like to go to the kitchen or something). The thing that bothers me is she is a RN and therefore makes decent $$ (at least twice what I earn) and her husband also makes okay money. I wouldn't mind doing it pro-bono if it were only a few hours at a time, but it's always for at least 8 or 9 hourse at a time. A few of the times I watched Jackson were simply because her husband had errands he needed to run or stuff he needed to get done-even on those days I still babysat for over 8 hours!
I babysat for them a couple of days ago and when the dad came home he hinted around that he wanted me to offer to babysit again this weekend. He said, "Man, this weekend is really gonna suck-Rhonda has to work both days so I'll have to watch him all weekend." HELLO?!? Part of being a parent means that it isn't always convient! :worried: I'm starting to feel like they're just taking advantage of me. I think she might have just misunderstood when I said I didn't want her to pay me next time...I guess she thought that it meant she never had to pay me?
What is a polite way to bring this up? I thought about just telling her the next time she asks me to babysit that I can't because I'm short on cash so I'm hoping to pick up extra shifts. Does that sound okay? I really don't want to hurt her feelings but it I kinda get the feeling that they think that I just enjoy babysiting (which I do but not for 8-10 hours straight with a cranky baby) and don't mind doing it for free. I keep hoping she'll get the hint but so far...my pockets are empty and my patience is running out!
Please help!
Linzy
For the past 4 months I've been babysitting evey couple of weeks for a girl that I work with (she's also a friend of mine, but we're not that close). The first several times that I babysat for her she paid me about $20 bucks each day (usually when I babysit it is for a minimum of 9 hours since she works 12 hour shifts) and I was okay with the $20. I felt like I was helping her out but at the same time still earning a little bit of cash. Well, one day I literally babysat pretty much all day b/c she worked and then her and her husband went out on a date. When she picked him up she paid me $80! I told her that that was way too much money and the only way I would babysit again is if the next time I babysat she didn't pay me. She agreed. Well, that was like 6 or 7 times ago and she hasn't paid me since! :eek: I like babysiting for her, but the baby just turned 6 months old so he's still a lotta work, ya know? Plus his parents literally hold him all the time and he SCREAMS if you leave the room for a second (like to go to the kitchen or something). The thing that bothers me is she is a RN and therefore makes decent $$ (at least twice what I earn) and her husband also makes okay money. I wouldn't mind doing it pro-bono if it were only a few hours at a time, but it's always for at least 8 or 9 hourse at a time. A few of the times I watched Jackson were simply because her husband had errands he needed to run or stuff he needed to get done-even on those days I still babysat for over 8 hours!
I babysat for them a couple of days ago and when the dad came home he hinted around that he wanted me to offer to babysit again this weekend. He said, "Man, this weekend is really gonna suck-Rhonda has to work both days so I'll have to watch him all weekend." HELLO?!? Part of being a parent means that it isn't always convient! :worried: I'm starting to feel like they're just taking advantage of me. I think she might have just misunderstood when I said I didn't want her to pay me next time...I guess she thought that it meant she never had to pay me?
What is a polite way to bring this up? I thought about just telling her the next time she asks me to babysit that I can't because I'm short on cash so I'm hoping to pick up extra shifts. Does that sound okay? I really don't want to hurt her feelings but it I kinda get the feeling that they think that I just enjoy babysiting (which I do but not for 8-10 hours straight with a cranky baby) and don't mind doing it for free. I keep hoping she'll get the hint but so far...my pockets are empty and my patience is running out!
Please help!
Linzy