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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to feel like the teenage dog sitter is taking the piss

42 replies

usedtobeme · 30/08/2009 22:29

We have a 14 year old who lives nearby and when we are away one weekend each month (by neccesity) he walks our two dogs. They live out in a kennel by day and are brought into the house laast thing at night. It wasn't always the way, they did used to be in all day but they are sometimes prone to bouts of incontinence in their old age and it was all i could take to come home after the weekend to find shit literally everywhere because said teenager couldn't clean up properly.

So previously to make his job easier we said spend time at our house doing homework or watching tv if you like so the dogs have company and you can give them the time they need to do their poos etc but now he really doesn't need to be here at all and without saying that exact phrase u have given very exact instructions about what he needs to do.

SO to cut a long story short, he gats 15 quid a daywhich i think is very fair. Thats 40 quid for his weekend. Anyway first weekend i came home to find empty beer can in shower and reports from nieghbours that his pal was up on our roof 'playing a game?'
Had words with teen that this was not on.

Now when i came home i've opened laptop to find he has been on here chatting to folk and christ knows what else. I feel given its a personal laptop with lots of personal stuff on it he shouldn't have helped his self. It was closed and switched off when i left.

I'm well pissed off, AIBU?

OP posts:
Original poster
usedtobeme · 31/08/2009 08:06

I would know because there would be loads of shit in the garden and also the dogs would be naughty and hyper. I do think he probably doesn't walk them at the times and frequency hat i have requested tho but i was willing to let this ride.

OP posts:
SlartyBartFast · 31/08/2009 08:30

i dont understand, he is allowed to watch the tv, surely the computer is far more tempting? for a teen especially.

Original poster
usedtobeme · 31/08/2009 14:07

Why? i said to him he could spend time with the dogs in the evening doing homework or watching tv. The dogs don't live in now during day so no need to be in my house. The tv doesn't contain all my personal stuff, tax returns, banking info and generally private stuff. Since when does 'watch tv' mean and help yourself to my laptop. Totally different. AND he has his own pc at his house 50 yards away.

Also have since discovered my bottle of gin missing!!

OP posts:
overweightnoverdrawn · 31/08/2009 14:37

I would check the phone bill as well .

missmelly · 31/08/2009 15:41

lol @ bottle of gin missing
typical teenager me thinks!
I used to babysit for a couple that lived behind the shop that they owned. Soon as they were out the door, I'd be nicking the ciggies and helping myself to the icecream.

SlartyBartFast · 31/08/2009 15:44

agree, typical teenage behaviour. my friend stole a total mixture from people she baby sat for.. which we drunk and were promptly sick! well i was

i had a boy friend over when i was baby sit and we had sex in the spare room

Blondeshavemorefun · 31/08/2009 15:48

sounds like a typical teenager to me

if he is good with your dogs, and it is only once a month then have a chat with him, tell him no using lappy (or just password protect it if you prefer),and no drinking/friends over

at 14 he shouldnt be drinking

SlartyBartFast · 31/08/2009 15:50

agree, he shoudl be drinking. but they do earlier now than we did .. ime anyway.
and i was much over 14,

bobs · 31/08/2009 15:58

Teenagers will push any boundaries until you set them. As it sounds like you don't have much choice, tell him what you know he's been doing and what you're not happy about and that it's unacceptable (a word I use regularly!). However also praise him for what you're happy with him doing - teens love praise though you wouldn't know it when you give it!!
In an ideal world this might/should work.....

bobs · 31/08/2009 15:59

oh ---and hide the booze - locked away prefarably!

ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight · 31/08/2009 16:56

Hang on - he's only used the internet. Yes, it was cheeky to do it when he hadn't been given permission but if I was babysitting at that age (and the internet had been invented ) I would probably have logged on, especially if I didn't have access at home. If he was using it to look at porn then that's a big problem as it can fuck up computers (not to mention gross) but if just MSN, I don't think it's a sackable offence. Chances are if you have a word, maybe lie and say there were some weird pop ups on it, did he use it at all? he'll be embarrassed at having been caught and not do it again. But I think it's a bit mean to begrudge a bit of internet use. If it was a PC and didn't require opening up would have annoyed you less?

ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight · 31/08/2009 16:59

Ok just saw about the gin. He'll get very sick off that then... my bro did the same, nicked a mix of booze from the house of a couple he did odd jobs for, was found stumbling around in a field...he was a good boy really, I expect your dog sitter is too. I'd sit him down and say you know what he's been up to (teenagers think adults are stupid and blind, he'll get a shock to find you aren't) and ask him if he wants to keep his job, if so, no more funny business.

Original poster
usedtobeme · 31/08/2009 19:19

well i've since discovered bottle of gin and bottle of brandy missing. ALso food money and god knows what else.

He wasn't babysitting he was walking dogs who live outside.

It has all come to a head as his mum appeared round saying he was missing and suicidal as she'd caught him with the drink and he admitted stealing beer in the past from our house.

It was apparently his friend whom i banned from our house who was on my lap top.

I don't think this is acceptable behaviour, i think it is theft and a breach of our trust. I'm fucking livid and so is dp who spent the first hour after coming home out with his mum trying to find him.

OP posts:
SlartyBartFast · 31/08/2009 22:12

oh dear,
how dreadful.

hope he'll be ok

missmelly · 01/09/2009 08:31

not good, I hope everything is ok now

Stayingsunnygirl · 01/09/2009 09:18

Did he turn up?

Fwiw I'd have been as livid as you, and if one of my sons had behaved like that, they'd have been in huge trouble! I hope that his parents see this as a wake-up call and deal with his behaviour.

I wouldn't have dreamt of stealing from the people I babysat for - the worst thing I did was read a 'naughty' book that they had out on their bookcase!

katiestar · 01/09/2009 09:45

YANBU he is taking liberties !

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