Would You Have Offered Anything?

[CamColt]

This morning I took DS to the bus stop and his friend(our neighbor) wasnt there. I figured he was out sick or running late and would get a ride to school(his mother had left already for work, but the father goes later). When I returned to the house I got a phone call from the boys father saying that he(the son) wasnt going to school today. He wasnt feeling too well and would be staying at the grandfathers house for the day(also a neighbor). So I just sort of said "ok, hope he feels better", but I wasnt really sure why he was calling to tell me this. The kid has been out sick before and no one ever checked in with me, LOL! The more I thought of it, I wondered if he was calling to see if I would offer to watch the kid. I also have a 2.5 yo old who is home with me, so I wouldnt really want a sick kid(not even mine) to be over here all day. As it is, being a SAHM, I do get stuck taking their son home from the bus stop from time to time and keeping him here for a while. They almost never reciprocate. I dont mind if they are in a bind, but I even got stuck once watching him for 3 hours when both parents had the day off and decided to go run errands.
So my questions are, do you think he was calling to see if I would offer to take the kid and would you have offered?

 

[damom2daboyz]

I think that they are taking it forgranted that you will be there even if they're not. Unfortunately, just recently in the same boat as you. When that happened to me the last time I said, Oh well, I'm glad that he's with so and so because I have errands to run and will be gone all day. The message finally got thru. There are a couple of other individuals who have the habit of doing the same thing that I have not spoken to yet about the "free babysitting/chaffuer service". I'm working up my courage, one at a time. Good luck.

 

[Serena]

Don't do this to yourself. It doesn't matter what he wanted. I found I had to do much, much less for people if I made them come out and ask me what they wanted instead of them hinting, and me being the person I am, automatically offering.

You escaped intact. lol

 

[JAP]

He was probably hoping you would offer. If I was at home with my 2.5 I would have not offered. However, I am kind of a softie and usually get stuck with those types of people.

I think you did the right thing. DH and I work out who stays home and when. We share the duty b/c I cannot always take off work.

 

[Lucky4me]

I know I'll call my neighbor and tell her that dd will be staying home when she's sick. I wouldn't want her to worry if she didn't show up at the stop. With all the crazy stuff happening lately maybe he just didn't want you to worry about his son.

I think if he wanted you to watch him he wouldn't have said he was staying at the Grandfathers house.

 

[CamColt]

Originally posted by Lucky4me
I know I'll call my neighbor and tell her that dd will be staying home when she's sick. I wouldn't want her to worry if she didn't show up at the stop. With all the crazy stuff happening lately maybe he just didn't want you to worry about his son.

The bus stop is at the house next to theirs(both houses are on the 2 corners of my street) and I can literally see their back gate where he comes out of their yard from the bus stop. Plus our kids are in Kindergarten so I always go with my DS and if this kids mother is home she goes with him. When its just the father home he watches out the window. So, I would have known if he started out but never made it.

Sounds like your situation is different and I think thats a great system you have going. Its a good idea too, in case God forbid anything did happen, someone would know right away as opposed to waiting a while until she didnt show up at school and then someone noticed and got a hold of you, etc... You cant be too safe!

I guess I just found it strange because they have never called before when he was out sick(twice so far this year), but this time they did.

 

[Kermit]

They probably did want to see if you'd offer, but I agree that you shouldn't feel guilty at all. One of my pet peeves is when people act like SAHMs don't have anything better to do than do the stuff they can't do because they're working outside the home. You definitely shouldn't have to watch a sick child when you have your own child at home.

 

[gepetto]

If they were my friends and someone I could count on to recriprocate if I were in a bind then yes I would have offered.