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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Mortified! Babysitter related. AIBU?

136 replies

TattyDevine · 31/08/2014 14:21

Went out last night with a group of friends, it was a little last minute in organisation because we've been away on hols so I had to get a babysitter at the last minute, so used Sitters, who are great, and they sent someone I hadn't used before, which is fine, they are CRB checked and mostly childcare professionals of some kind (this one was an ex-social worker) and my children are a little older now so no big deal.

So, to set the scene, like I said we'd been away so in my upstairs study I had my week's worth of dirty washing of my own (I'd put the children's stuff through the night before and during the day) and my husbands stuff had mainly been done.

When I got home from our night out, there were clean ironed clothes hanging everywhere. On the sofa was all my dirty washing from my bag in the study washed, dried and folded, including my undies (and cringe - some period pants that happened while I was away that were separate in a plastic bag that in all honesty I probably would have binned once I got round to sorting through).

Because we'd been away for a while I had some of my less good undies in there too. In fact I could do with a sort out of stuff

Of course she meant well but I was MORTIFIED! Though I tried not to show it. At the point I first noticed washing about I hadn't even quite realised the extent to which she must have gone digging for washing - at first I thought she'd just taken it upon herself to fold some of the clean washing basket that was languishing in the utility room but after she left I had a good look at her stash and realised she had been upstairs particularly when I saw all my stuff there!

Also, she had found hangers and lots of them, which means she was in our room and probably opened my heaving full of several different sizes wardrobe to pick around for hangers! Blush My son told me she had asked him (after he had gone to bed) for hangers and he had gone in our room with her.

Bless her for trying to be nice but I'm paying minimum wage for what should be an easy gig - sitting on my sofa watching my tv while my children sleep. As much tea, coffee, stuff out of the fridge or toast or whatever you want. And I expect nothing else other than you keep my children alive and tick the box that is not leaving your children unattended by paying someone to sit there!!!

I just felt slightly ...violated? I just didn't expect someone to go upstairs and through my bag and my stuff and in my wardrobe...I just feel that my mess is my mess (and its usually in reasonable semi-chaotic but clean order except I'd been away!)...

AIBU to be a bit Blush about this or should I just be grateful and get over it? Can't do anything about it now, of course! Husband was miffed and embarrassed and mentioned it to my mum on the phone and she' was a bit "WTF!"

Discuss!

OP posts:
Gruntfuttock · 31/08/2014 21:05

In fact, it's just occurred to me that she may not have done any washing if your DS hadn't heard her come upstairs and asked her if she was OK so she had to come up with a reason.

ScrambledEggAndToast · 31/08/2014 21:07

That's really weird that she would do that and you are right to be a bit annoyed and weirded out. I definitely wouldn't like it and would feel she had overstepped the mark. I would complain to the company and refuse to have her again.

slithytove · 31/08/2014 21:12

We had a cleaner who we asked not to go into a certain room as our kittens were in there, explained why etc.

She went in. One escaped, fell out of an open window that she had opened. Thank god he was fine other than some cuts and bruises, but cost us at the vets, and we had to come home from work to deal with it that day.

It really screwed up our trust.

slithytove · 31/08/2014 21:13

Not quite the same I suppose as she went against a direct request.

TattyDevine · 31/08/2014 21:17

She didn't go against any direct requests - the only thing in her remit was to see to the kids I they needed it, we did the whole bed bath story thing, really she just had to sit there and watch tele or do whatever she wanted. Crochet up a storm. Loom band the jeffing hell out of the place but LEAVE MY PERIOD PANTS ALONE!

OP posts:
furcoatbigknickers · 31/08/2014 21:35

We use sitters and I don't expect the sitter to do anything except watch the dcs. The one I had friday washed up, which was a bit of a bonus.Smile

furcoatbigknickers · 31/08/2014 21:36

I just thought thats nice, she must have been bored.

partyskirt · 31/08/2014 21:39

Did she seem like a weird person OP?

TattyDevine · 31/08/2014 21:48

A little in other ways once we got home to be honest partyskirt but I don't want to go into too much detail in case she reads this!!! (are you her?) Grin

OP posts:
furcoatbigknickers · 31/08/2014 21:50

Go on op, you let the cat of the bag already nosey

Sparklypants · 31/08/2014 21:50

Pleeeeease go into it Grin

I feel invested in this thread now and have to know!

Icimoi · 31/08/2014 21:50

But apparently Sitters tell people they mustn't go into any part of the house that they don't need to - so she did go against a direct instruction.

OP, I understand why you don't want to get her into trouble, but I don't understand why you don't apparently want even to mention it to the agency. OK, you didn't have anything confidential on show in teh study, but she didn't know that. And she didn't just go in there, she went looking in a bag she found there. What else did she look in? Surely for her own sake she needs to be warned off before she gets into major trouble.

partyskirt · 31/08/2014 21:51

No - no I'm not her! Certainly not looks at own pile of dirty washing in corner of room

partyskirt · 31/08/2014 21:52

OP I usually lurk on AIBU, but reading this one I am completely scandalised on your behalf. It is my WORST nightmare.

Aeroflotgirl · 31/08/2014 21:53

Yes I can see it's embarrassing and overstepping the mark somewhat, but I would be really happy and think what a kind thing she did. I couldent report her, but next time you use her if you do, thank her for doing the ironing bug not to bother next time.

Fletchermoss · 31/08/2014 21:56

Did she ask the kids where you kept your laundry? Maybe she wasn't snooping?

ravenAK · 31/08/2014 21:58

I'd dislike this enormously if a friend or MIL did it, but some random Sitter I'm paying & never necessarily have to see again? That'd be OK, from an 'aargh she's seen my period pants' POV.

The private areas of house is more of an issue - I might very easily have GCSE Controlled Assessments waiting to be marked in my study, for instance, so that's one thing a random person shouldn't have access to, & I'm not exactly the CEO of SPECTRE.

I think I'd hire her again, but take a deep breath & try to have a conversation to the effect that she really really doesn't have to do anything beyond parking her bum on the sofa & keeping an ear out, & can she not go in , but if she gets bored there's some washing up & ironing...Grin

Moreisnnogedag · 31/08/2014 22:02

See I think I'm with raven on this. My nan-in-law did this (aided and abetted by my mil) and I was mortified.

But random sitter? Hmm actually liking that quite a lot. I'd probably have spurious nights out on a regular basis.

hollie84 · 31/08/2014 22:06

Aero - really, you'd be ok about someone going through every room in your house to find dirty laundry and then washing it all? It wasn't just ironing a pile of clean stuff! She went through the OP's study and bedroom.

ToomuchIsBackOnBootcamp · 31/08/2014 22:10

I would be very upset and angry. Going into closed rooms is not acceptable. Rooting around in my stuff is not acceptable. I would phone the agency, she needs to be told it's not on. And yes, it does leave her open to accusations, silly nosy woman. Makes me wonder why she is an EX social worker - poor boundaries in that job wouldn't be good!!

slithytove · 31/08/2014 22:13

I meant my cleaner went against a direct request

NannyAnna · 31/08/2014 22:18

The families that I have worked for regularly, I have done this for, gone to the children's rooms and found the laundry and have done the adults too because I felt that that's what they would be doing if they were home on an evening and feel it's a nice gesture. It's not because I wanted to be nosey, or wanted to look at the rooms with the closed doors, nannys and childcare workers see it all, the dirty pants, the skids in the toilet, the arguments between the mum and the dad, condoms on the bed side table, sanitary towels still attached to pants, when the mum looses it and throws cereal at the wall, when the cats bring in fleas and world world three breaks out at Xmas.... Trust me, I don't bat an eyelid and she probably didn't either. Chill out and enjoy the fact that someone you paid minimum wage to went above and beyond, when she could have just been relaxing.

I personally think YABU!

HarrietdeBagotSoay · 31/08/2014 22:21

I am wondering if there is a cultural thing here. Something similiar happened to us before. Not to the sane extent. I don't feel like posting the details of the experience here but OP do you reckon there could be any question of this? If you think there is, I would consider contacting her and explaining why this wouldn't be usual in the UK. Someone will be freaked enough to complain; she could well get accused of stealing something a family misplaced sometime. Just a thought.

hollie84 · 31/08/2014 22:21

NannyAnna - it's incredibly rude to look through the rooms with closed doors to find someone else's dirty clothes though, unless you have been specifically asked/agreed to.

itsmeitscathy · 31/08/2014 22:21

I need this woman in my life.