AIBU to go and stick up for my little sister?

[thebrightside]

My younger sister, (just turned 18) babysits for a family with 3 kids aged 3, 6 and 9. She's been doing this for 2 years. Middle boy has epilepsy, can have fits during the night, but it is rare.

AShe charges £5 an hour, pretty reasonable! It's all unofficial, no contract/agencies involved.

They're a bit tight about money,although being pretty well off, but are generally quite a nice family who relied on and trusted my sister a lot.

Anyway, she sat for them last night. Expected them to be back at about midnight but was left till 4.30am. Rung them 3 times, each time they said they were on their way.

She fell asleep on the sofa at about 3.30 she reckons. She's never done this before and was cross at herself for it, but bloody hell anyone would struggle to stay awake at that time. They arrived home and found her asleep.

The Dad had had a few and shouted at her calling her 'negligent, useless etc,' and refused to pay her for the whole night, (nearly 10 hours - so should have been £50)

She's mortified, it's completely knocked her confidence. I'm furious at them.

I understand, especially with having an epileptic child, you want the sitter to be alert and responsible. BUT parents were 4 and a 1/2 hours late. They know she wasn't asleep for long as she had rung them at 1.30, 2.30 and 3 am. They sleep through the night when they're at home.

So are there any reasons that I shouldn't go round and demand her money back? £50 is a lot for an 18 year old.

I'm glad you sorted it but am amazed at their brass neck! Some people are just the limit! What a pair of twats.

So glad you got the money off them. I can't believe they think they're in the right. What kind of person carries on staying out even after the calls? Ok, so you might be having a good night and lose track of time. But after the first call surely you'd come straight home?

I really hope they tell this story expecting sympathy and get their friends telling them they're prats. I would if they were my friends.

Thebrightside, why the hell did the couple not use professional nanny or nursery nurse then, if the child has such severe medical needs, instead chose to rely on a young unqualified girl! If they had hired a professional there is noway that they would get away which such appaling behaviour and bad payment. Had you not intervened, they would still expect your sister to babysit for them after treating her like dirt , what tossers. Yes post do print out this thread and post it through their door, then they will realise what idiots they are.

Glad you got your sister the money - I can't imagine I was the only one reading this thread and thinking I'll send it to her myself if she doesn't get it.

Please please please post this thread through their door.

Some people deserve to know what absolute arses they are. Yes Mrs. I'll-be-looking-for-a-new-babysitter-for-a-very-long-time I am talking to you!

Don't print out the thread, it'll give away your MN name.

glad your sister got her money. The family have clearly shot themselfs in the foot, they will be lucky if any other babysitter will take their crap.
Good on you too well done :)

They were negligent - not your sister.

Shame they only paid up once you stepped up - but they did. Your sis will get lots of babysitting work I'm sure - is she in the n12 area - as I'd get her around no issues - and I'd never come home later than agreed.

Oh and then namechange!

Brightside - what city are you in? So that any potential babysitters in that place know to look out for them. Or did I miss this earlier?

Your poor sister, being put through this, but good on you and your dh for backing her.

What makes me laugh with this is that they think she was negligent enough to not deserve paying fully (and to warrant a bollocking from the father) but they're perfectly happy to have her babysit again? This to me says it all. They are utter shits and deserve to have any and all babysitters avoid them in the future. I feel dreadfully sorry for the DCs and your sister, but I suspect she's had a lucky escape if this is how they treat people.

Good job!!!

I liked the part where they coughed up once you stepped it up. They really thought they'd get away with it didn't they, exploiting an 18 year old, and expecting her to sit up all night - awake and then shouting at her. Like slave labour!!

Well I hope the mum is an MN'er and reads this thread. The parents are a bloody disgrace. If they were that worried about their middle child, they shouldn't have stayed out so late and they should have brought tne monitoring system downstairs. Its unlikely that without it even when awake your sister would have heard it!

They wanted professional care on the cheap. If they were so worried about their middle child's health needs than they should have contacted a professional care agency, but hey judging by their mentaility they would not have liked to have paid £8-9 per hour for one child.

The mentality of some folk.

Well done!

I think If your sister is happy for you to talk on her behalf you absolutely should.
I suspect however that he was drunk....

Glad it's sorted- in case the mum in question is reading this generally Babysitters get extra for sleeping over, not less

They really truly were being insultingly twatish ,a moniter system in their room ? and how do you suppose your sister was supposed to hear that ,wide awake, from downstairs ? In my experience ,even adults having full on grand mal fits ,might not be heard over the sound of a reasonably loud tv ,unless they fell out of bed ,so to summarise they are bollock talking twats , print this out and post it to them !

Good!!

I'm glad she got her money and I'm delighted she's not going back.

I hope she gains confidence from her big sister and seeing how to handle things

It always astounds me that re childcare, people seem to want to pay as little as possible.

Now I know that a lot of the time babysitting is being paid to just sit on your arse, but if you want to go out then as a parent you "suck it up" or don´t go out!

Over here it´s regulated-babysitters have to have a certificate that they have completed a course & there are guidelines of how much to charge.

Also, there is a limit on the amount of hours "in one go" & I think 10 exceeds or is the max.

But of course the child wont have fallen out of bed ,because along with the moniter there would be a soft bedside to prevent this ,incase the parents were too sound asleep (drunk) to hear the monitor

Good point about even adults having full seizures not being that noticeable from other rooms, bumps. When I developed epilepsy, we lived in a flat (no more soundproofing than a normal house with living rooms on one floor and bedrooms above) and our neighbour never realised.

I was very pleased to hear that you went round there and got your sister's money for her. People complain all the time about the bad behaviour of teenagers, but older adults try and rip off teenagers quite a lot (both my children do paper rounds and have had a bit of trouble getting paid the correct amount and/or on time). She did the work, they should have paid her (so says the real Judge Judy if you every watch her show). Good on you, OP

I still can't get over the fact that they claim a sober 18yo sleeping downstairs is negligent but a pair of pissed adults (and you'd have to be pretty drunk to be out until 4.30 IMO :o) in the next room is fine.