Babysitting and feeding the kids

[LentilmcLentilface]

I’ve taken on an extra job looking after two primary age children on a Saturday while their mum works. I do early morning into the afternoon so give them their breakfast and lunch.

breakfast is usually porridge/cereal/toast. No bother.

for lunches I have been giving them things like omelette, beans and veggie sticks
creamy vegetable pasta
mild veggie curry

they have really enjoyed everything I have made and eaten well.

their mum has recently brought up she is concerned about the protein content of what I have been feeding them. She has given me a list of suggested meals with ingredients etc. she would be happy with

the problem is I have been a vegetarian for years and feel very uncomfortable handling meat. I am also allergic to seafood. All of these meals either include meat or something I am allergic to so would rather not handle.

my suggestion was a compromise - she prep some meals and freeze them and then she knows exactly what they are having and I only have to minimally handle it. Or they can eat vegetarian food, which they have been fine with.

her reply was something close to “if I had time to meal prep I would have time to be at home with my kids at the weekend”

wondering if I should cut my losses and suggest a new babysitter might be better if she feels so strongly about this.

She should be bloody delighted with you!! Does she have any idea how hard it is to find someone reliable to take care of kids?

Either she gets on board with your lunches or she can buzz off!

'OK, that's fair enough. If I had the inclination to compromise my vegetarian principles and risk triggering my allergy I'd carry on with our arrangement. As I don't please make other arrangements after next weekend.'
As a vegetarian you shouldn't feel forced to deal with meat, even if someone else has pre-prepared it. I bet you don't earn much out of this either do you?

It’s one meal, she’s being ridiculous. Yes suggest a new babysitter

I'd be inclined to cut losses and give up the job. If she is being this picky about a perfectly healthy meal that children are happy to eat, chances are if you do as she asks she will then find other things to find fault with.

God, some people are obsessed with meat! YANBU

She can let them chew on raw steak later if she is that concerned , proper vegetarian food has good protein content and it perfectly nutritious.

Eggs are protein.

She's being dramatic it's one meal a week.

You can get frozen cooked chicken chunks that you can defrost and just pour into curry / pasta. Could you do that or is it still a bit meaty?!

I think she sounds like a nightmare but if you want to try and compromise could you use something like Quorn or tofu in your food?

Just be really honest and explain that you are vegetarian and can't cook meat and let her decide for herself.

I'd tell her to find an alternative provider.
I doubt she'll find one easily.

You don't need this hassle.

I once stupidly agreed to have a friend's child in the mornings and take them to school. They started coming earlier and said that their child would have breakfast with us.
I should have said no but I didn't.

I started to get comments about my range of breakfasts and that their child wasn't happy as I didn't allow Lego or computer games in the mornings.

So I found a backbone and said ' no more.'

I'd send her a link to some nutrition information, explaining the protein content of eggs/beans/pulses etc. Just sounds like she doesn't understand basic nutrition tbh.

I'd make it clear she accepts it or moves on

I'm sorry X, I'm not comfortable handling meat or food I'm allergic to. I'm happy to add more protein with beans etc., but otherwise I understand if you want to look for alternative childcare.