I suppose I should be flattered....babysitter related

[florida-again]

I've been home from college for xmas....hmmm...18 hours, and I've already been asked by 2 different family friends to bbsit their young kids. One even said they're so glad I'm back because they won't go out unless I'm there to bbsit!

I don't get it, firstly I am 21 and have a great job banking, so I don't see why people would think I would want to bbsit.
Secondly I don't LOVE kids, the way some people do.
Thirdly, I have a 16 yo sister...isn't she the obvious choice for a bbsitter rather than me? She's never been asked to bbsit anyone!

As it happens, I do love the kids I've been asked to sit for, and I will happily go, but I've been babysitting for ten years now, one of these days I'm going to have to start saying no! Sometimes they recommend me to their friends which I have no say no to, I like to spend time with the kids I know and love, but strangers kids...I'm too old for that. Particularly when I've been working all week. I think I might have to gently hint that I'd rather they didn't recommend me to their friends

 

[florida-again]

I'm replying to my own thread! Is that the same as talking to yourself?

I was thinking about this some more...I guess I'm not asking why they'd want me to bbsit, or saying that I don't want to.

I'm kind of wondering why they haven't thought, as I have a job, a BF and am (i guess) an adult, that it might be time to find a new bbsitter, or to ask my sister instead. One of the families even calls my mum to ask if I'll bbsit, rather than asking me! These people know me really well and know I have a good income so it seems VERY strange that they'd recommend me to their friends.

 

[holycow]

Since you have bbsat for their families for so long I think it is more that they know you, the kids know you (and obviously love you) and you are trusted. I know we don't go out alot because of past incidents with bbsitters that have just scared the life out of me.

What you might do is next time ask and say did you know I have a sister who would love to babysit. Maybe you could bring her with you the next time so you could introduce her to the family (does she even want to bbsit?) then they might feel more comfortable asking her in the future.

My 23 yr. old still gets asked to bbsit...but the kids love her/parents trust her so they ask...if she can she does if not she just lets them know she can't.

holycow

 

[florida-again]

(does she even want to bbsit?)

No, probably not, at 16 I had a job and bbsat several nights a week. She sits at home and blow-drys her hair....sometimes she pauses to reapply her lip-gloss...she just doesn't have time to bbsit!

ETA: Actually these people are close family friends so they know my sister too, actually the kids know my sister better than they know me!

 

[Blueeyes101817]

Im 21 and i babysit all of the time for the kids i know..ive worked at a daycare center and met alot of families that i got close to--sometimes i will babysit for their friends, but i have quite a large group of families that i regularly babysit..THey trust me and some of them are like family now

 

[UrsulasMyHero]

Hehehe... Offer out your sister. *grin* "You know, I have plans that week end, but why don't you ask my sister, I'm sure she'd be Happy to help you, your friends, and their rug rats." *evil grin* Yeah, sorry, I was the last girl child in my family, I was the neighborhood baby sitter.... I don't have kids for that very reason. *grin*

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I babysat in college, but I loved kids (well, I still do ) and really enjoyed doing it. I do not think that you should babysit if you don't really enjoy it and want to be with the kids. Maybe tell the people who call that you don't really have time to babysit. I would kind of skirt around the issue since you don't want them to think that you don't like or want to be with their children. If they still keep calling you might need to be a bit more blunt.

 

[Rafiki Rafiki Rafiki]

When people kept asking me to babysit after I had a full-time job, I would just reply that I had decided not to take on any babysitting clients because of my work schedule.

If you word it correctly, they won't take it personally...