I clean for a friend's mum however last time I went she basically screamed at me because she forgot the time I was coming and spilt her drink over herself when I knocked at the door and didn't ring the bell (there is a sign saying please ring the bell next to one of the bells (she has two). I didn't know this meant not to knock the knocker!
I had reminded her a couple of days before because she also came along to the social voluntary group she used to run but that her daughter has since taken over, but still she forgot. Because her daughter and her don't get on, her daughter hadn't reminded her either.
As if that wasn't bad enough, she then started criticising the club, saying how awful the tea was (I make it!!) and in fact how everything was terrible except the performer. My friend had made an effort with decor etc that week for VE Day and people had dressed up even. I didn't take it that seriously but it did make me think.
Really I don't want to go back to either the cleaning or the club. I know people can change for the worse in temperament as they get older (my grandad became aggressive as he aged with dementia) but she was really quite horrid and has been difficult in the past. She even said "I don't want YOU twice in one week' when I offered to come the day before I went away so her house would still be cleaned twice in two weeks!
The club I feel I kind of got drafted into. I help set it up which involves putting out twenty or thirty chairs and moving tables, I make the tea and wash and tidy up after. It's unpaid labour really particularly given that my friend who runs it has amassed a grand off people which she's not putting back in to it. To top it off, the other lady I'm supposed to do it with is lazy and often just leaves me to it! I do challenge her but I really can't be bothered with it over and over again. She's old and I think she just volunteers to get in your free to socialise with people her age. I'm also quite a few years younger than most of them and often think volunteering at more of a main stream organisation would be better if anything.
What would you do? I feel like I'd be letting down my friend but I also don't really want to continue either. Should I make something up or give a date I can do them til? My sister lives in Brighton and I was thinking of saying something like she's asked me to babysit Fridays and Saturdays each week which will mean I won't have time to do either job). My partner is disabled so I could say I'm not having time to do both mine and his housework and look after our dog which is actually kind of true.
I also have this lady's dog every other Friday and Saturday while she works. She gives me petrol money to get her. I don't mind really doing this if it's the difference between her being shut up for ten hours a day and having some kind of care Though sometimes I feel a bit used. This lady owns a 4 bed house, has a caravan, 2 chalets, 2 vehicles, carers allowance and paid work at least two days a week one day for waitrose so surely she has money to pay someone to walk her dog!
I have put off talking to her about any of it so far because she was going away and then it's her birthday.
You might have read something similar a while ago. In response I did stop taking her dog out on weekdays, which I was doing also, but I carried on with the rest as I didn't have the heart to stop and wanted the extra money
I'm not in a contract so I can walk away but I want to do it without upsetting anyone! Thanks.