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Original poster

need advice with babysitting family

26 replies

addictedtosuckingblood · 23/10/2009 09:30

i've been babysitting for a family for a couple of months now, i thought everything was ok. they didnt contact me last weeek about working which is unusual but i just figured that they didnt need me. this morning i get a text from sitters offering me a sitting job, which i accepted.

it turns out its this family!

now i dont know what to do. are they going through sitters because they arent happy with me? if so how will they feel about me just turning up?

when do i call, do i call now to allow them to find someone else if they dont want me or do i call an hour before like i normally would and have them possibly shocked when its me?

what do i do???

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SHRIIIEEEKPoolingBearBlood · 23/10/2009 09:33

oooh
would call them and tell them, see what they say

Original poster
addictedtosuckingblood · 23/10/2009 09:39

i'm really scared i dont understand. i'm not a fan of confrontation.

and ontop of it all, i charge less than sitters do and the last time i worked with them they gave me £5 extra to take off next week if that maskes sense. so payment at the endo of the night is going to be so messed up.

i'm literally dying inside, i know i have to ring, i just dont want to!

OP posts:
SHRIIIEEEKPoolingBearBlood · 23/10/2009 09:44

well this way yu find out
they'll feel worse than you, trust me

nannyl · 23/10/2009 09:44

I would just call them.

As its through sitters i would expect sitters rates, and take the right amount of change.

They should sort out the £5 owed when you are privately booked, NOT through sitters

PicketyBing · 23/10/2009 09:44

Tell Sitters you know them, and get Sitters to let them know that they know you. That gives them the option to pull out if they want to and you don't have to confront them at all.

How awkward! And how strange!

SHRIIIEEEKPoolingBearBlood · 23/10/2009 09:45

good idea PB

Original poster
addictedtosuckingblood · 23/10/2009 09:58

i just phoned sitters and they didnt understand what i was saying!

they said it will be fine to acall them tomorrow like i normally would.

i'm going to call this afternoon i think, give them a chance to find someone else. i dont mind doing the job i quite like the family, but i cant help thinking they must have a problem with me!

OP posts:
SHRIIIEEEKPoolingBearBlood · 23/10/2009 10:06

how useless of them!!

Original poster
addictedtosuckingblood · 23/10/2009 10:31

i've just taken the cowards way out and text her, this way i dont have to have an awkward conversation with her and she can pull out if she wants!

OP posts:
Original poster
addictedtosuckingblood · 23/10/2009 12:35

GRRRRR, they have just cancelled tomorrow. i dont understand.

OP posts:
SHRIIIEEEKPoolingBearBlood · 23/10/2009 12:38

what did they say?
what have they said in the past - have they seemed happy?

frakula · 23/10/2009 12:42

How weird! I know you said you don't like confrontation but I think you really need to talk to this family and see what the problem is. I hope it's just a simple misunderstanding.

Original poster
addictedtosuckingblood · 23/10/2009 12:50

the last time i left the dad said x (the mum) will contact you in the week to confirm saturday and that never happand, then i got a call on thursday saying can you work friday (today) and i said no, she then said oh i hear screaming i'll phone you back in a second and never did.

i text her it said

hi x its y, i do also work for sitters and by coinsidence have been booked to you tomorrow evening, if thats ok i'll give you a call tomorrow to confirm. y

i get no reply and sitters text me 2 hours later o tell me they have cancelled.

i really dont understand any of this

OP posts:
nbee84 · 23/10/2009 12:54

I think they obviously are not happy with you for some reason .

You can handle it by walking away or you can ask her what the issue is.

paisleyleaf · 23/10/2009 12:57

You know it is quite short notice and they might've used sitters as assumed it'd be too short for you.
Also, that last phonecall (with the screaming) sounds a bit chaotic at the time and there might easily have been a misunderstanding there....like she's got confused about the day she asked you to do and thinks you can't do it.

Original poster
addictedtosuckingblood · 23/10/2009 13:08

sorry i should have said there was no noise in the background, it was silent. i think she was trying to get rid of me. she usually phones me on the day to ask if i can work, and usually i can this was the first time i said i couldnt as i was already working for someone else.

i dont think that there is any point asking her what the problem is. i dont feel she would give me an honest answer, so i'm just going to leave it and walk away.

OP posts:
cat64 · 23/10/2009 13:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

SHRIIIEEEKPoolingBearBlood · 23/10/2009 13:10

yes if the last conversation you had with her was her asking you to work tonight they obviously don't have that much of a problem
Unless the problem is that you can't always work when they need you
I agree - this sounds like a mix up with the days, sort of thing I'd do

Original poster
addictedtosuckingblood · 23/10/2009 13:32

if its a mix up with the days why would the cancell when i text her?

OP posts:
Doublebuggy · 23/10/2009 16:19

maybe there are diddling sitters out of the £4 placement fee and are expecting you to come tomorrow privately

warthog · 23/10/2009 18:59

sounds to me like they do have a problem with you. sorry. i'd ask sitters to ask them - it's in their interests too! perhaps there was some mishap, possibly something's gone missing and they're worried it's you. could be anything.

Blondeshavemorefun · 24/10/2009 13:57

have i got this right?

so they didnt book you for the following weekend, sitters rang you and booked you for this family

then mum called you and asked you to work friday (which you couldnt do as you had agreed to bs through sitters?)

you then text the family and say you are bs for them but through sitters

why on earth didnt you say to mum when she asked you if you could bs that you had been booked by sitters for them, rather than saying no on phone that you couldnt bs for them (she obv thought you were busy) and then said bye

then texting them to say you were bs for them but through sitters

you say you charge less than sitters do

i dont work for sitters, they pay crap money but

dont they ring/let family know who they have booked for them? or do they always leave it to the babysitter to contact them?

if i work tho an agency,that agency will ask me to bs, then ring family and say blondes can bs for you, she (meaning me) will give you a call to say hi etc

i think you need to take the bull by the horns and ring them and ask - texts can mistaken sometimes

PicketyBing · 25/10/2009 20:42

No, blondes.

She usually babysits for this family, but they hadn't got back in touch with her to do so, which was unusual.

Then Sitters contacted her to babysit for a family, she accepted and it turned out to be them. They hadn't asked her to babysit, they'd contacted Sitters instead. So now she wonders what she's done so wrong that they phoned Sitters for a babysitter and not her.

I think.

nbee84 · 25/10/2009 20:52

Pickety - that's how I read it too - and that they cancelled (with sitters) when they found out that she was the person sitters would be sending to them.

BratleyEatsBrainsForBreakfast · 25/10/2009 21:12

Well, thats fried my brain!

If I've understood it properly, I'd say either ask Sitters to speak to them or, take your brave pills in the morning and call the mum! It could have been just a complete mix up, end of the week, things going on. Or, she might have an issue with something you've done/ haven't done. Say to her you're worried it might be something you do with other families too and would like the chance to correct it if its an issue.

I'd lend you my brave pills but, I've hidden them so I don't try to be too brave!

Good luck!

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