Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Back in the 1980's it was a common practice. Most of us ladies knew one another and often when we got into a pickle, relied on one another. It was a bit of a sisterhood back then. I suppose times have changed and that ideology of lending a hand has long been replaced with "My responsibilities" are more important then digging someone out of a jam. As a single parent I needed help and there was no way I could pay someone 20$ a day when I only made $25 a day back then. But I do understand in todays' market, the value of tending to a young one should not be taken lightly. A simple No will suffice. And when you are in a pickle I am sure you'll respect the NO response.
When I did do some months of being unemployed (ergo, a SAHM) I had no qualms in helping my neighbors. I came from a large family so one more kid didn't cramp my schedule. Usually it was for 4-5 hrs..three days a week..
Back in the 1980's it was a common practice. Most of us ladies knew one another and often when we got into a pickle, relied on one another. It was a bit of a sisterhood back then. I suppose times have changed and that ideology of lending a hand has long been replaced with "My responsibilities" are more important then digging someone out of a jam. As a single parent I needed help and there was no way I could pay someone 20$ a day when I only made $25 a day back then. .
But even if you couldn't pay, you could probably help in some other way to reciprocate?
Back in the 1980's it was a common practice. Most of us ladies knew one another and often when we got into a pickle, relied on one another. It was a bit of a sisterhood back then. I suppose times have changed and that ideology of lending a hand has long been replaced with "My responsibilities" are more important then digging someone out of a jam. As a single parent I needed help and there was no way I could pay someone 20$ a day when I only made $25 a day back then. But I do understand in todays' market, the value of tending to a young one should not be taken lightly. A simple No will suffice. And when you are in a pickle I am sure you'll respect the NO response.
When I did do some months of being unemployed (ergo, a SAHM) I had no qualms in helping my neighbors. I came from a large family so one more kid didn't cramp my schedule. Usually it was for 4-5 hrs..three days a week..
No, that's different than people trying to take advantage under the assumption you do nothing all day.
Back in the 1980's it was a common practice. Most of us ladies knew one another and often when we got into a pickle, relied on one another. It was a bit of a sisterhood back then. I suppose times have changed and that ideology of lending a hand has long been replaced with "My responsibilities" are more important then digging someone out of a jam. As a single parent I needed help and there was no way I could pay someone 20$ a day when I only made $25 a day back then. But I do understand in todays' market, the value of tending to a young one should not be taken lightly. A simple No will suffice. And when you are in a pickle I am sure you'll respect the NO response.
When I did do some months of being unemployed (ergo, a SAHM) I had no qualms in helping my neighbors. I came from a large family so one more kid didn't cramp my schedule. Usually it was for 4-5 hrs..three days a week..
I saw this topic from the sidebar and was intrigued - I didn't know SAHMs had this problem in their neighborhoods, but I can certainly relate.
I was doing a 6 week housesitting job once and my regular job was a 3 to 11 shift. So one morning I get awoken by the doorbell (I would get home about 11:30 at night and in bed at about 2am, and this is 6am in the morning) and there's a woman with, I guess, a 6 year old little boy standing on the doorstep. She says she's seen my car in the driveway in the mornings (maybe she thought I just moved in there, I don't know) and thought she could drop her child off before she left for work so he wouldn't be alone until he had to catch the bus for school.
That was so weird, all I could do was say no, I worked a swing shift and wasn't even awake until 9 or 10 am. She then had the nerve to tell me he would be quiet! I said no again and that I wasn't going to be responsible for her child and just shut the door.
I never thought it about it maybe being a one time thing like maybe her regular babysitter flaked on her, but still.
The other thing I wondered about was several years later when I was cashiering and a woman came in trying to pull a scam. She had a small child with her and after reading some of these posts, does anyone possibly think the reason people are asking strangers to babysit is because they're using the kids to case the house?
I usually won't talk to them long enough to find out.....
Assuming a SAHM will do any babysitting at all is somewhat presumptuous. Even if it's a "in a bind" situation. There are drop-in daycares and people who babysit for a living they could contact.
I've had a friend ask me to babysit a friend's child for one to two weeks, I thought that was not only rude but weird, why would she want a stranger watching her child during the day? Woman doesn't even know me. I'd much rather take my child to a licensed daycare facility than a total stranger's house. There was also no offer to pay so I guess the bind she was in, was a financial one. oh well, tough.
Moderator cut: delete
I work, I have had friends who have asked me to babysit at nights or on weekends. Sometimes it is because they have to work, sometimes it is for a date night, sometimes it is for other stuff. When my best friend's sister died I took her son for days I even had to take a day off work to watch him.<snip>
Besides the notion that multitudes of total strangers walk up to you and ask you to babysit is bizarre. How would they even know you are a SAHM?
If it is just a few people why are we making this a general topic? I had a parent once call me at home, and ask me when I was coming over to her house to tutor her son who was failing my class.Moderator cut: delete
Last edited by Miss Blue; 12-01-2017 at 02:51 PM..
Reason: deleted or snipped rude off topic and baiting comments
Besides the notion that multitudes of total strangers walk up to you and ask you to babysit is bizarre. How would they even know you are a SAHM??"
I said "a few" in my original post. Which means something vastly different from "multitudes".
This is a reading comprehension issue for you. Do you want to look those words up in the dictionary? It might help to clarify the meaning of what you are reading. Yes, I have had people ask for free babysitting and even referenced my SAHM status, so I'm pretty sure it has to do with that. It's unfortunate that you find my post so upsetting, but it is what it is.
I saw this topic from the sidebar and was intrigued - I didn't know SAHMs had this problem in their neighborhoods, but I can certainly relate.
I was doing a 6 week housesitting job once and my regular job was a 3 to 11 shift. So one morning I get awoken by the doorbell (I would get home about 11:30 at night and in bed at about 2am, and this is 6am in the morning) and there's a woman with, I guess, a 6 year old little boy standing on the doorstep. She says she's seen my car in the driveway in the mornings (maybe she thought I just moved in there, I don't know) and thought she could drop her child off before she left for work so he wouldn't be alone until he had to catch the bus for school.
That was so weird, all I could do was say no, I worked a swing shift and wasn't even awake until 9 or 10 am. She then had the nerve to tell me he would be quiet! I said no again and that I wasn't going to be responsible for her child and just shut the door. ?
You are trying to make this about your SAHM status.
I work, I have had friends who have asked me to babysit at nights or on weekends. Sometimes it is because they have to work, sometimes it is for a date night, sometimes it is for other stuff. When my best friend's sister died I took her son for days I even had to take a day off work to watch him. So what?
Besides the notion that multitudes of total strangers walk up to you and ask you to babysit is bizarre. How would they even know you are a SAHM?
If it is just a few people why are we making this a general topic? I had a parent once call me at home, and ask me when I was coming over to her house to tutor her son who was failing my class. Should I assume this parent was just a whackadoodle or should I make a thread about "why do all parents assume teachers tutor for free?"
If SAHM status is the reason why some people felt because she was at home all day and available to provide free babysitting, that I would say her status was relevant.
A neighbor with a boy a year older than mine and a girl a few years younger. They were the only kids home all day close by. He would come over to our house to play, but never invited over to their home. On some occasions the little sister would tag along because she was lonely, so mom said. On one hand it was good my son had someone close by to do things with, but it got to be too often. I finally said something to mom, why does my son never get invited to their home. She said because she baby sits for one child (she did) and cant have another kid over while babysitting. She was really reaching for an answer. Didn't call bull to her face but we were not so available for both coming over for playtime.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
