To think SIL shouldn't phone me when I babysit for her

[Mrssodapop]

I hope I have better luck on AIBU today I will try to tell the full story from the start. I have babysat sometimes for my brother, looking after his 3 year old dd which has always been fine except I think his wife is very anxious because she always calls while I'm looking after her daughter. Yesterday I looked after their dd all day and she called about half an hour after leaving her to see if she had settled. I told her she was fine and asked her not to phone again because everything was fine and I wanted to get on with the day with all the kids together (I've got 2). She got upset and asked why she couldn't phone and said she might want to call later in the day to let us know when she's on her way back. I said ok but was irritated by her checking up on me although she said she wasn't checking up on me but that she wanted to feel she could call to see how her dd was. Anyway, she phoned after lunch and I didn't pick up and was busy so didn't call back. I picked up her call when she was on her way back (about 4 hours later) but she was very uppity and was upset that I hadn't returned her call. Today my brother phones furious that I told her I didn't want her to keep on phoning me. In the end I've said I don't want to babysit for them again and now they're really hurt. They're also cross that I didn't put their dd in overalls when she painted and they said her clothes are ruined. There's a big family bbq coming up and I'm dreading it now.

Nah, that's not even close

LyingWitch I didn't take it as being patronising, don't worry. And hey, you said I was funny so I'm basically fine with everything now anyway and needy

Am totally scoffing the cake and Though, cheers

I agree with your post about stupid comments Barbara, sometimes logic goes out of the window in an argument.

Now what about this bleeding blancmange - is it true you have to use evap, not milk?

It was just hyperbole, wasn't it, to make a point? Granted, it was pretty thoughtless, but...

Ps if your blancmange is bleeding you might be doing it wrong, HTH.

I thought the my child comment wasn't insulting at all, the poster was saying that she knows her child best. The 'relevant experience' she referred to is experience looking after her child. And it was making the point that no matter how experienced you are with other children, the child's parent is best placed to know their own child. And I include adoptive and foster parents in that- they get to know their foster/adoptive child better than anyone else. It didn't say/imply that you had to have given birth to a child to know them. The birth/DNA part was just hyperbole, reiterating that her child is unique and there is no other child like hers, therefore you can't have experience with children like hers either.

As for nursery workers etc, they have looked after my child, therefore they have the relevant experience and would be in a position to advise me on my child. My DD's nursery workers haven't looked after your child, therefore have jack all relevant experience in looking after your child. See, giving birth doesn't actually come into it.

Though if I tried, I'm sure I could be offended because DD was a c-section delivery...

A parent may know their child best (in fact one would hope so) but your argument renders every single board on Mumsnet where parents ask for advice regarding their child's behaviour, feeding habits, potty training etc obsolete on the basis that none of the posters have ever met that child. And as adults are just as unique as children, that gets rid of most of the rest of it, too.

Someone should tell them, then we could all concentrate on keeping chickens and other matters of import .

It's different if someone asks for advice. The original quote was in the context if someone giving unsolicited advice because they thought they knew better than the parent.m

PS you'll find that the same argument applies to chickens, so best keep off HensNet too.

Context of

Damn autocorrect.