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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To ask your babysitting confessions?

74 replies

PushAPushPop · 06/02/2016 17:40

Was going to nc but cba. Was just listening to my friend saying she was going out tonight and someone from work's dd was babysitting, but it's ok 'cos she's "sensible"

Got me thinking all the tricks I got up to babysitting with various mates (early-mid 90s) and specifically the time when we got an empty Coke bottle and filled it with the entire contents of the parents' drink cabinet... Whisky, vodka/ brandy/ eggnog

We ended up spewing (inevitably) and blamed the 7 year old for the mess.

Another time, a different friend had turned down a lad's advances and he launched a brick through the window while we were watching telly Luckily the kids were in bed at this point and we just played dumb when the adults came home.

Aibu to think some parents would literally employ anyone to babysit back then?! Any other stories?

OP posts:

nellyflora · 06/02/2016 18:49

I was an angle compared to you lot. I babysat for a police lady so I just sat and did my A level revision. I ended up with loads of work from all the local family's as she recommended me. Also I was a lonely geek with no social life so was always available. The worst I did was read magazines I found (felt guilty as was reading them rather than chemistry) and feed the odd cat that damanded extra food when it was meant to be on a diet. I really want a babysitter like me now!

Vintage45 · 06/02/2016 18:53

When my best mate and I babysat for her mums friend at the age of probably 12, we used to pinch the baby to make it cry so we could cuddle it better

ILostItInTheEarlyNineties · 06/02/2016 18:54

I remember inviting my boyfriend round to help babysit and having a joint in the kitchen. We then found some placemats with very graphic images of different sexual positions on each one. All very surreal. Were they for a dinner party? The mind boggles

CandOdad · 06/02/2016 18:58

Used to babysit for a woman with two kids of 5 and 7. I was brought up with a bed time of 9pm on the week days so not being told any different I felt the same should be with the (since she never told me any different)
One night one of them made a run for the door at his disgust at this regular Saturday arrangement of him having to go to bed at 9pm.

Every week their mum would come in with a random bloke, pay me and I would leave. One night the guy she came home with thought I deserved more than £5 so gave me an extra £2. The next morning he knocked on our door a few houeses down to check he had actually given me the money since he was convinced the mum had stolen it off him and had insisted she tell him where I live so he could check.

Needless to say her blokes were always a real catch.

ReadyPlayerOne · 06/02/2016 19:03

I was a very good and diligent babysitter. The worst thing I ever did was to tell two boys in my care (6 and 10 IIRC) a spooky story and yes, I regretted it later on.

My last babysitting gig was when I DH (then DP) were first dating. He sometimes babysat for the neighbour and she asked us both to watch her sons. I remember being very grumpy about this though as her youngest son (2) would sleep the night away, but her older son (12) would stay up and chat and watch TV with us and I had wanted to snog the face off chat with my boyfriend. We pissed her off after babysitting for a full month of Saturdays when we said we had plans, so she never asked us again. She eventually lost custody of her kids and the 12 year old I'd not been interested in socialising with ended up battling to care for his brother once he reached 18 and has become a really nice man.

WitteryTwittery · 06/02/2016 19:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

voodoolooloo · 06/02/2016 19:10

I babysat for years for the same couple. They owned the local Chinese and had a boy and a girl. The girl played violin. She was awful. I babysat usually 2/3 a week.. I lied to her parents for years that she'd done her violin practice. We played PlayStation 1 instead
They never questioned why she didn't get any better, she really was dire!
Best part of the evening was when the phone would ring and the mum would ask what I wanted for my tea to take him.. Sweet and sour chicken balls and egg fried rice, everytime

deregistered · 06/02/2016 19:19

Oh wow this thread brings back memories!

Babysat in mid 80s as a 14-17 year old.

I'd eat ANYTHING from the fridge - think a concoction of cream/cheese/chocolate and stuff it all down just because.

Swig from vodka.

Use the phone all night - literally would be on the phone to a friend for five hours straight.

Snoop through drawers and cupboards.

Also even at 14 no-one asked for references or cared who you were really!

Dads (never mums) would drive me home reeking of booze!

Bloodybridget · 06/02/2016 19:19

My friend had a little niece, maybe 15 months or so, whom we babysat once when we were (clueless) teenagers. She was sound asleep and we really wanted to do some hands-on childcare with her so we woke her up - oh god - she was still howling when her mum got home.

deregistered · 06/02/2016 19:21

Oh and the girls who babysat ME in the 70s - one went hysterical as her boyfriend had dumped her and threatened to jump out the window, one let us watch inappropriate films till midnight then rush us upstairs when we heard the car, one threw an egg at me (we were messing around playing catch with it but it bloody hurt when it hit my forehead and cracked!), one tried to convert me to Judaism

Good times

WeAllHaveWings · 06/02/2016 19:22

I used to babysit two dc a couple of doors down from me when I was 14/15. I was snooping and found an adult VHS tape and used to sneakily watch parts each time I was there (only a few minutes at a time), it was a few years back but it had something to do with a nurse (in a rather impractical uniform) a football (or maybe rugby) team and a big bath .

sarahlux · 06/02/2016 19:39

I used to babysit for my brothers partners two kids. One of them was 7 and was an absolute terror. He set the house on fire and absolutely gutted the house. We all ended up in hospital with smoke inhalation. Found out years later that the mum had blamed me as she was on the verge of getting her children taken off her.

Whereisahardman · 06/02/2016 19:42

Ah memories...I wasn't too bad of a baby sitter, most I ever did was smoke ,occasionally I'd have a bf round,maybe sneak a swig of vodka (all with parents (not mine- my "employers")permission!I was 13/14 ).
I got caught by my parents sneaking my friends and our boyfriend's into their friends house once (where I was babysitting and not meant to have) and got in huge trouble.

What2 · 06/02/2016 19:46

I think I was a good babysitter I might have downplayed how naughty or upset the kids were if they had been naughty or upset but apart from that I can't think I did anything wrong.

I babysat for a few different families and they were all 'cool' art'y types who were happy for my BF to be there too and who left alcohol for us.

I loved babysitting and saved hundreds pounds from it.
My DD2 averaged about £50/£60 a week babysitting during her ALevel years. She worked for the same family the whole time who couldn't have been kinder and more generous to her.

insan1tyscartching · 06/02/2016 19:48

I used to arrive at 7,the parents left at 7.10, the girls' bedtime was 8.30. As soon as the parents left I'd move the clock on an hour and get the children in bed so I could spend the evening shagging my bf I'd put the clocks back to the proper time just before they were due back.

Turquoisetamborine · 06/02/2016 19:52

I babysat in the UK from around 13 and would do the ironing for extra cash while I was there but it was when I moved to the Middle East that my babysitting career really took off.
I charged the equivalent of £20 a night 18 years ago and did at least 4 nights a week. The main house I babysat at was next to an apartment where a few single lads lived so I would get the kids who were around 5 and 9 to bed early then nip next door to hang out with the lads and drink ethanol.

I would then fall asleep mildly drunk in the maid's room. I was a shit babysitter. If the kids kicked off I would mostly shout at them. I just didn't have a clue but because people were away from their families they didn't have much choice but to employ me.

I was left at the age of 14 with a 6 month old baby who cried for hours. I'd never made a bottle up before and clearly now I'm a mother myself the baby was teething. Luckily my mam came over to the apartment and looked after the baby as I didn't have a clue how to soothe her. The mother eventually came home around 2am. My mam was not happy.

Stoodonlegoagain · 06/02/2016 19:52

At about 14 me and my friend were left in charge of 4 kids for the weekend ranging from about 9 months to 10. She left instructions of what to give them (porridge ect) we ended up taking them to McDonald's, giving the baby Breakfast lunch and dinner there. Lost the 2 oldest boys in the town centre for a few hours after they ran off. Then at night had a full on party in the living room, the baby woke up and she just ended up downstairs with us for the evening while we all got drunk, then when the eldest woke up and saw the party he said he was running away to find his mum and again had to chase him down the street, we cleaned like crazy and denied all knowledge of the event when the mum got back. Feels good to get that off my chest, I saw him recently and still denied we ever had a party. No wonder I now only let my mum look after my DD now!

How terrible

Original poster

PushAPushPop · 06/02/2016 20:17

There was this one woman who I tagged along babysitting for, and my mate told me about this jar in her room, like a huge glass money jar full of change, that she sometimes would nick a quid from...

So when I was babysitting with her, it's awful
I know, but I would sneak handfuls of change out of it every week, must have been £50+ in the end.

My mate got blamed However she tried to steal my bf a few years later so hey ho

OP posts:

RedOnHerHedd · 06/02/2016 20:18

I was a really boring, sensible babysitter. I used to just eat pizza and watch videos (before the days of DVDs) with a friend.

PlummyBrummy · 06/02/2016 22:15

Push - I let one of the kids I babysat watch Eurotrash once too, thinking that she'd think I was a cool older kid (16 to her 12). It wasn't one of those funny Eurotrash ones with silly German men in rubber penguin outfits but a full on porn audition with wanking and orgasm faces. I was catatonic with horror as she was such a nice young girl, but thought that'd I'd already committed to it so bad to follow through. I sent her to bed pretty soon after that...

ILostItInTheEarlyNineties · 06/02/2016 22:22

Laughing at catatonic with horror the poor girl

facedontfit · 06/02/2016 22:42

You lot are making me look like an angel that's a first, the worst thing I got up to was to drink all the Ribena!

BurningBridges · 06/02/2016 22:47

When I was 16 I was left alone with an 18 month old and I couldn't cope, I was scared and had no experience whatsoever with children, was unable to change a nappy or feed the little girl, I simply had no idea. It was pretty horrible for us both. I later realised both parents had learning disabilities, I was so young and out of my depth. I'd forgotten about until now, it was nearly 40 years ago. I wonder what happened to that poor child.

MothertotheLordsofmisrule · 06/02/2016 23:02

Very dull as a babysitter - just ate all the choccy biscuits.
One of my regular charges parents still live in a townhouse that backs onto my garden!
Occasionally see the originally 2yr son wandering about the living room as grown up 20 something.
I doubt he needs sitting anymore!

iknowimcoming · 06/02/2016 23:06

I used to babysit for a very glamorous woman when I was 13/14 and I used to try on her clothes and I used to eat lots of their food (they were American and had lots of food I hadn't seen before). I remember looking after her boys once (18 months and 3) and had taken one upstairs to the loo whilst in the middle of making their lunch and came back downstairs to find the 18 month old holding a large really sharp knife in both hands and creeping towards him whispering like a police negotiator to put the knife down (he was totally unharmed), I wasn't too bad really, usually, lol!

When I was about 15 I used to babysit 3 boys all day in the school hols, I was hungover quite often and possibly not as interactive as I might have been laid on the sofa a lot and let them do whatever they wanted

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