LIFE

Dilemma: They keep asking you to sit…then don’t pay you.
Solution:  Write down the dates and hours you didn’t get paid and, when you sit for them again, remind them of the balance.  They say they don’t have enough cash on them?  Offer up, “No problem.  You can give me a check.”  Next time they call say, “I’d be happy to sit for you, but I need to get paid at the end of the night.”

Dilemma:  Their kids are monsters, and you never want to sit them again.
Solution:  No need to tell the parents their children make sitting through an evening of speaker feedback and chalk-screeching seem like a walk in the park.  If a few shots of, “Sorry, I’m busy that night!” don’t do the trick, use the old, “My schedule’s really tough this year, so I won’t be babysitting anymore.”

Dilemma:  The parents are drunk, and they’re supposed to drive you home.
Solution:  No way you’re getting in the car with someone whose breath could knock you over.  Simply say, “My dad wants to pick me up tonight…he needs to talk to me about something.”  March over to the phone before they can object.  A quick, “Dad?  It’s time for you to come get me,” should give your ‘rents the hint.

Dilemma:  They keep asking you to do stuff that’s not part of the deal.
Solution:  Picking up the kids’ toys is one thing…folding all the laundry or cooking a four-course dinner is another.  If not-my-job stuff happens every time, firmly say, “I know you need help, but I feel like this is a little outside of the babysitting box.  If you would like me to do housework, we’ll need to adjust how much I get paid.”

by GL | 2/1/2016