Are people always asking you to

[chatterbocs]

Babysit! I don't know wherther it's because they I'm at home but just recently people are always asking me to look after theirs....
I don't mind helping out now & again but not on a reg basis. Are you blunt & say no! Or do you just come up with excuses or am I being tight??

I hate people like that who take advantage of someones good nature, next time they ask make an excuse like meeting friends who you havent seen for a while or visiting someone, hospital appointment, or shopping eventually when you,v made enough excuses they will get the hint it worked for me!

Did that really work for you BABYNO2CHARLIE? Maybe I should try it. Happening all the time. Last week my Uncle rang and asked if I could babysit his latest girlfriends' 2 year old son every day for 3 weeks He explained himself by saying "well, I thought if you're not doing anything...." He told me to ring him back and let him know. Guess what I did?

Definitely out of order to ask. When I'm teaching ds I consider myself - and him - to be AT WORK. Nobody would consider asking you to look after their child if you were actually working in an office, or nursing on a ward, or whatever, so it's completely inappropriate to ask as a home educator.

It's hard, but you'll need to toughen up and learn how to say No. You don't have to give reasons or excuses (if you do you start to tie yourself in knots trying to remember what you said - I speak from experience here!) - just say "Sorry, I can't today" and leave it at that.

I wouldn't do the every day for 3 weeks thing unless I wanted to or it was a real emergency, but (ducks to avoid brickbats) because I'm lucky enough not to go out to work I do a LOT bf babysitting/emergency childcare/holiday gap filling for my friends who do go out to work. Partly because I like a houseful,a nd partly because I think that I should.

If I was he-ing though, I would expect the visiting child to fit in with whatever we were doing that day. Like the boy I've got here today is going to make candles with ds and me this afternoon whether he wants to or not!

No bricks seeker I get a feeling they'd rebound and hit me on the head. Like the 'whether he wants to or not' bit Making candles sounds interesting, never done that before....how do you do that? Hmmm... any more keeping them busy on rainy days ideas? I would really appreciate some as the artsy crafty side is my weakness.

here'sthe thread I got the candle making bug from!

Visiting child is going home with a scented candle for his mum or I'll die in the attempt!