Childcare - is she being a CF?

I would have said a flat out no to the Friday. Once you’ve done it once she’ll think it’s open season whenever she’s “in a bind” ie doesn’t want to pay for childcare.

The Thursday when your husband is off work I might have said yes to in his shoes as the 10 yo can help with the 2 yo.

Edit - I’ve seen she’s not his sister as I assumed but your brother’s wife - so request is really from your brother to you: still no to the Friday though.

She’s in a bind because they have unreliable childcare.

I hope your work don’t find out. I certainly wouldn’t be taking the risk.

As I said on another thread, there would need to be a serious emergency for me to look after someone else’s child whilst I paid for my own to be in childcare. This doesn’t sound like one- a failure to plan on your part is not an emergency on mine.

Yes my workplace would not allow me to have a child in the house if I'm working from home either.

I would get disciplined for it.

I’d be disciplined for that if my work found out I had a primary age child at home when I’m supposed to be working.

OP’s work may be more relaxed about it but many places aren’t.

I would have said no straightaway.

Sometimes you have to stand up to people.

Especially in this instance where she has very shaky childcare in place.

How on earth would a neighbour ever be able to take care of the child for five days every week.

No is a full answer.

I would definitely say no

If you're happy to do it Op that's fine but I'd be very aware you're setting a precedent here. If the neighbour gets ill or fed up with the situation your SIL will be straight back on to you. Most employers really don't like you having children at home when you're WFH so I'd make it very clear this is a one off, you can't afford to lose your job because your DB and his wife don't want to pay someone to look after their DC

OP I would say no.

You are working from home.

Also, it's not like your SIL has any kind of childcare properly sorted out, which she needs to do.

The neighbour is starting to back out and your SIL is going to start landing the child on you more and more if you say yes

I would say no.

Sil can pay for a summer camp

This

Yes to Thursday
No to Friday

'sorry I'm working, DC is in this holiday club I imagine they might have spaces. Unfortunately I can't take on Friday as it's a disciplinary offence as part of my contract to have children at home with me whilst working'

She's a CF

This. It's likely true; every employer I'm aware of doesn't permit childminding to be mixed with wfh.

Her emergency is not your problem. Let her find and pay a minder.

You said "my 9 and 7 year olds entertain themselves".

I certainly wouldn't want to look after a nine and seven year old for a whole day.

Especially while Im working From home alone.

Seven is young . He could easily get into an accident

Well, I don't really think having a 10 year old on your sofa watching TV counts as childcare.

But as OP has done a massive drip feed that she already does plenty of actual care, that changes things considerably.

Do not give her an inch. Some people have very strange ideas about WFH - that it is somehow not real work because you're not physically in the office. If you give way, she will carry on asking you. She needs to address her childcare issues properly and at the very least communicate with the neighbour properly to avoid last minute problems (assuming it was a genuine communication error and she hasn't just left it until it's an "emergency" in the hopes of pressuring you into doing it). It's the summer holidays, for Christ's sake, it's not a surprise that her 10-year-old needs looking after.

@Hardknocks I would say that at the very least, your brother needs to bring her over to yours and collect her!! rush hour on fridays starts around 3pm and it is a nightmare crossing town. no idea how far they live from you but i can see this escalating into a regular occurence and them just using you!! you are being taken for a mug by both your brother and sis in law!

It matters because OP is working. She’s paying for hers to be in childcare to work, not so she can look after someone else’s child for free.

How is it separate when you already do plenty of childcare as it is?

So you already look after your niece at the weekends and now your SiL is asking you (as a once off .... for now) to look after her tomorrow and Friday?

Tough shit.

Brother is going to have to take a day or two off and look after his own kid. I feel so sorry for the kid here but it is NOT your responsibility nor is it your DH's responsibility to look after this kid. Your brother has to step up here.

I would be concerned that this would become a regular request.

You need to say no, as you are working, not running a childminders.

But OP's child is two and the niece is 10 - in terms of care and supervision, you really can't compare the two. OP even says herself that she'll just watch TV.

I also can't see why it matters that the SIL doesn't use paid childcare? She had an arrangement in place that fell through so now needs some help - it's not really relevant that that help happens to be free

This is one of the reasons why so many companies don’t want to continue with WFH. You can not look after a child properly and do your job properly - it’s not fair on you or your niece.
You can and should say no, they’re totally taking the piss.

You're making a rod for your own back. Agree to this once, and you'll be doing it on a regular basis. I honestly wouldn't - because you won't be able to work properly with a child to look after anyway.