Not long ago I was asked about providing daycare for a baby girl. Babysitting has never been my thing but as much as I enjoy riding the freelance wave, a steady, regular income would be awesome. So I agreed to meet with the mom and at least consider it. Here are the details that came out during our interview, see if you can figure out why I decided not to take the job…
- The mom is a single mother with no local family, hence, no one else to take the baby when it is sick, when we are sick, or if I need a break.
- The mom works full-time for a cabinet maker but her schedule is sporadic so she needs babysitting for 45 hours a week anytime between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., Monday - Saturday.
- The baby is six months old but is still on breastmilk only, has never had a bottle or a pacifier, and there are no immediate plans to start her on solid food. The mom figured she would try to time her breaks so she could come here to nurse the baby.
- The previous babysitter was quitting because the baby pretty much cries all the time and cannot be consoled.
- The baby’s naps last 15 minutes or less.
- The baby wants to be held all the time and does not like walkers, jumpers, high chairs, gyms, the floor, or any other type of entertainment.
- The mom said it would be fine for my 8-year-old to take the baby on the trampoline (!?), but was worried that the gerbils (who are fully caged all the time) would gnaw her fingers off.
- She was offering $1.25 per hour.
I felt bad for turning her down since obviously she’s in a bind. But my sympathies do not extend to martyrdom.
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July 12th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
WOW. That would be a lot to take on, no? Don’t know how she’ll ever get daycare like that!
July 12th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
Been there…done that! I do NOT recommend babysitting to anyone who wants to maintain their own peace of mind. And think about this- would you want someone who was only making 1.25 an hour to be responsible for the safety and welfare of your child? I paid teenage babysitters more than that because I wanted to know that they weren’t resentful of the time spent with my children. You made the right choice!
July 21st, 2008 at 12:43 pm
A buck twenty-five an hour?! Whhaaaaa??