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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think my babysitter is a greedy pig?

247 replies

HeartsAreEveryWhere · 21/01/2013 16:53

So I went out with DH on Saturday night and my friends 15 year old babysat for us.

Came back about 1am and thanked her and DH drove her home. Decided to make a cup of tea how rock n' roll and noticed that she had eaten half of a victoria sponge cake, a whole block of cheddar had gone and she had drunk half a litre of diet coke.

I did say help yourself to food. But surely this is taking the piss?

OP posts:
MrsMushroom · 21/01/2013 23:12

No Hobbit* which was why I said "OR in the workplace" and mentioned cakes at a meeting.

ApocalypseThen · 21/01/2013 23:13

MrsMushroom, you're making it sound as though these kids are thieves rather than heedless teenagers, which I think is a bit unfair.

breatheslowly · 21/01/2013 23:13

Are you sure that your DH didn't have a snack after dropping her home, before joining you in bed?

ApocalypseThen · 21/01/2013 23:14

He was cheesybreathalysed and crossed off the suspect list.

Original poster
HeartsAreEveryWhere · 21/01/2013 23:15

I haven't said anything to her mum and didn't intend to.

But then I had quite a few posters suggest she might be bulimic and so by saying I should perhaps tactfully say something to her mum just in case that makes me a whinge??

But if I ignore it and she does have bulimia what does that make me then?

Damned if I do etc

OP posts:
MrsMushroom · 21/01/2013 23:16

apocalypse but it's a bit unfair to take ALL of anything. Heedless teens shouldn't be rude when it comes to other people's homes and belongings. I never said anything about thievery.

Original poster
HeartsAreEveryWhere · 21/01/2013 23:16

breatheslowly

Are you sure that your DH didn't have a snack after dropping her home, before joining you in bed?

No. I made myself a cup of tea and went to put the teabag in the bin and noticed the wrapper. DH was out driving whilst this was happening.

OP posts:
Hobbitation · 21/01/2013 23:17

Not everyone works somewhere where there are "meetings" or free blocks of cheese/cake provided...

I must look into that as a requirement next time I change jobs.

ApocalypseThen · 21/01/2013 23:17

Suggesting that they'd steal food from housemates is implying that they could be thieves.

TheCraicDealer · 21/01/2013 23:18

More than a babybel, less than an Edam wheel, littlemiss. That's what I'm guessing.

Loving the idea of the OP's DH not wanting to admit he ate the cheese...my DP has frequently eaten sliced smoked cheese whilst driving, and he did drop the babysitter home. That's his window of opportunity, right there #cheesesleuth

littlemisssarcastic · 21/01/2013 23:19

OP, I do believe you are forgetting something very important....

HOW MUCH FUCKING CHEESE WAS THERE?

I don't think I can attempt sleep until I know. Grin

Hobbitation · 21/01/2013 23:20

I bet it was a mini Catherdral city, lunchbox size, it's all been blown up out of proportion :)

MrsMushroom · 21/01/2013 23:20

Apocalypse I never said they'd STEAL from housemates...I suggested they may not realise the etiquette of sharing a takeaway and eat it all....especially if the poster's son who is unable to understand the idea of "help yourself" means SOME of the food and not all of it is anything to go by.

SpicyPear · 21/01/2013 23:22

I wouldn't say anything to Mum as not sure it would be that helpful. But just pointed out the possible food issue as she might have a problem rather than being rude or 'greedy'.

Original poster
HeartsAreEveryWhere · 21/01/2013 23:22

Can't remember the exact size of the cheese btw but it was bigger than the standard size pack.

OP posts:
SashaSashays · 21/01/2013 23:22

I can't get worked up about this but to answer your question.

I imagine when he stops feeling hungry most of them time his appetite will become more controlled. I haven't said that he eats everything in sight. The boy goes to restaurants, friends houses, shops etc without consuming all the food available. He lives at home and doesn't eat everything, he has siblings, he knows how to and does share. I don't think he's greedy, greedy to me would be he ate 5 sandwiches in one sitting instead of having one waiting half an hour then looking for something else. At the moment he is a growing teen and is very hungry. I was the same at that age, it shortly subsided.

If someone says help yourself you should really be able to do so, if I say that I mean it. It's one of those irritating phrases you have to learn that people are very insincere about.

I won't deny him food if he wants it, I never have. I've managed to raise another functioning adult on this premise, as well as being brought up like this myself, so I'm not that concerned or certainly not a such as you both seem to be. All I'm saying is she's 15 she ate a block of cheese, big deal cut her some slack.

Flatbread · 21/01/2013 23:23

I would be most pissed about the cake. If I spent hours baking and icing a cake, I wouldn't want a paid sitter devouring half of it. She is hardly a guest invited to a tea party.

Really rude and grabby.

ApocalypseThen · 21/01/2013 23:24

Well no, you didn't use the word "steal", what you said was I would think that any child who is allowed to consume whole packs of cheese as routine, is not going to be great hen they get into a house share at Uni.

This suggests that they'd be stealing other people's food in a house share.

LovesGSD · 21/01/2013 23:24

Sorry if this has been asked but could she have made the kids a snack? Toast on cheese?

TheCraicDealer · 21/01/2013 23:27

As with all mumsnet threads, this has taken ion a dual dimension- an in depth discussion on child rearing in tandem with other posters pissing about in the background. About cheese.

I note the discovery of the cheese wrapper while he was dropping suspect A home. This means nothing- could've been a typical smash'n'grab job, dumped packaging in bin and ate it out of his hands. I'm on to him.....

littlemisssarcastic · 21/01/2013 23:28

MrsMushroom Thank you!! Grin

That would fit in with OP's description of 'bigger than a standard size pack'.

OP, YANBU, that is a newsworthy feat for anyone, let alone MN. A 15 year old girl....to consume that much cheese is completely amazing!!!

I am in awe of your babysitters cheese eating abilities. Grin

I love a bit of cheese myself, but judging by MrsMushrooms exhibit, your babysitter loves cheese a lot!! Grin

Flatbread · 21/01/2013 23:29

Sasha, I grew up with very generous parents and an open kitchen for all guests.

But no way did I think that was a license to be grabby at someone else's house.

And what makes this situation even more inappropriate is that the girl was at her employer for the night...she should have exercised her best manners and judgement. Evidently she has none.

MrsMushroom · 21/01/2013 23:34

Moral is. Hide cake and cheese from teenage babysitters. Provide coarse, leftover victuals such as those consumed by Oliver Twist...if you give them meat, they will grow... and grow strong.

Keep them hungry and they will bow down and your cheese supply will not dwindle.

AskSiri · 21/01/2013 23:35

I love cheese, but I still could never eat just a standard block in one sitting that's just gross.

Also if I saw a homemade cake in the fridge then I wouldn't have eaten half of it on the off chance that it had been made for a certain reason.