Our kids are in school together and last year they paid me to go pick their little girl up and have her stay with us after school. It was usually about an hour and a half or so but could be up to 3 hours. There were also times when she would just go home. But they paid me consistently because they figured they would be paying someone for after school care, why not me?
A little back ground of the little girl first. I love her. She is a wonderful little girl...most of the time. But like all kids they tend to get on your nerves if they are not your own. And I was with her everyday...while pregnant and hormonal. But I was fine with it because I felt like it was my responsibility as her "baby sitter" to just deal with it. Plus, she did keep mine occupied sometimes...when she wasn't wanting to hang around me.
So this year they have stepped in to take mine to school every morning so I don't have to get the girls out. Plus, the two of them ride the bus home, so the situation is different, but she is still here for the same amount of time every day. I still felt like her after school care had not changed.
OK, so the 2nd week of school just passed with no check. And I knew we hadn't talked about the money situation before school started and my heart just sank. Because I knew there was going to be trouble at the most and uncomfortableness at the least. I wish I could say that I could just keep her every day for free, but truthfully there were some days that money kept me from going insane with the extra noise and stuff. I would remind myself that this was my job and I would just deal with it. She never knew when I was irritated. This year is going to be worse in some ways because I have 2 new ones to try to care for on top of having two older ones to listen to. You know the whole, "we're bored with nothing to do " thing.
So I worried and fretted and practiced what I would say to my neighbor. I finally said something to her on Friday and she thought that since they were taking mine to school it all evened out. I am not sure why ten minutes equals and hour and a half. But she said she would talk to her husband. I told her that if it needed to be less this year that I understood since they were taking him to school. But I could tell it bothered her.
She just came over and talked with me. She said that she felt like it was more of neighbors helping each other out. I told her that in this small area it was business, just like if we asked her older daughter to babysit, we would pay her for her time. She talked of just putting her into other after school care, but dang people, I need the money.
But how do you tell someone that you don't mind watching their kid as long as your getting paid. You know?? Of course, I started crying like the big ninny I am. I hate that about me. We finally settled on the same amount as last year, but I don't feel good about it. She said she feels uncomfortable now. I hate that, too.
She also said she feels like they think of us as better friends than we do. Ouch!! That hurt because I know we haven't done nearly what they have done to help us out, but our lives are a little all consuming right now. Plus, we are kinda home bodies. We are not ones to go to our neighbors and knock on the door to hang out for awhile. We think of them as good friends but I guess the levels are different.
I just feel awful about the whole thing and wish that we had worked out everything in the summer.
So now you know.
Lady S
)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Advice?? Leave it for me here...