Babysitting

[KSUViolet06]

I'm a recent college grad who is going back to school this fall. I have a "grown up" job, but I babysit for extra money.

Every once in awhile I get a new family via someone referring them to me, but I really only have one family that I regularly work for.

The little girl is Katie. Mom pays me $15.00/hour but that's because she is a very time consuming little girl. Ladies and gents, Katie is a child beauty queen (i.e. yes one of THOSE little girls) .

Mom is a wedding planner and single mom. She has to be gone most of the afternoon/evening with clients and vendors. So I have to take care of Katie from the time she gets home from school to the time her mom comes in at 8 or sometimes 9. I get $5 extra per hour anytime I have to stay overnight (when she is working on a wedding that's too far for her to drive back and forth).

My day with Katie starts with getting her off of the bus, then making her a snack. After that I have to make sure she does any homework she might have.

*I have to make sure that she practices her talent song at least 3 times. This gets hard because she is 5, and doesn't always feel like it.

*After that, her modeling coach comes and she has an hour of modeling lessons. After modeling, she can watch no more than one hour of TV.

*After TV, mommy will usually call & make sure she practiced and did her homework. She will tell me of any phone calls I need to make concerning pageants. For example, if I need to call the tanning salon to make her spray tanning appt OR the hair salon to switch her hair appt. I usually let Katie play upstairs while I make phonecalls.

*I usually start dinner around 6ish or order delivery. I have to be mindful of what I cook or order because Katie doesn't eat meat.

*After dinner, it's bath time. Then I have to make sure that Katie's hair is washed and rolled so it looks "wavy and cute for school."

*After I get through with her hair, it's about 8 or so. It's bedtime at 8:15!

*Once she goes to bed, I pick out her clothes for school and iron them if they need it. By then, it's 9 and mommy's home and I made $90.

It's a LONG day, especially if I have to work earlier. Also I have babysat on days where she has a pageant coming up and those are even worse. Those days include:

*After homework, the seamstress comes over to drop off her $1500 dress and she has to try it on. I have to check the dress for loose or missing sequins and call her back if there are any.

*The hairstylist comes to do a "test run" of her hair. That's the worst because while I'm trying to make dinner I have to listen to her say "owwwwww" the whole time.

*After the hair is done, she has to practice her talent in FULL costume.

*Then it's dinnertime. Mom says no carbs before a pageant, but I refuse to tell a 5 yr old that she can't have Pizza Hut so I cheat.

*After dinner, it's bedtime (at 7:15). Then I have to make sure her things are packed to go to the pageant tomorrow morning because Mommy won't feel like packing when she gets home. This includes packing all 4 outfits, her make up, toiletries, and toys.

[SydneyK]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

*I have to make sure that she practices her talent song at least 3 times. This gets hard because she is 5, and doesn't always feel like it.

*The hairstylist comes to do a "test run" of her hair. That's the worst because while I'm trying to make dinner I have to listen to her say "owwwwww" the whole time.

It sounds like Katie might not be as much of a Beauty Queen as Katie's mom wants her to be. I hate hearing these kinds of stories. Poor kid. I bet her mom says (and worse, believes) things like, "Katie LOVES being a beauty contestant!"

[susan314]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

The little girl is Katie. Mom pays me $15.00/hour but that's because she is a very time consuming little girl. Ladies and gents, Katie is a child beauty queen (i.e. yes one of THOSE little girls) .

My head is swirling after reading that post - I can't post most of my thoughts about poor Katie, because they wouldn't be polite.

But I will ask this...does Katie get any down time? Ever? (aside from the "no more than one hour of TV after modeling ) What about time to just play and be a kid?

And what kind of mom preaches "no carbs" to a 5 year old? (okay, so one semi-impolite comment snuck in there, but believe me...it was the least impolite out of the other options I was thinking of )

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by susan314

My head is swirling after reading that post - I can't post most of my thoughts about poor Katie, because they wouldn't be polite.

But I will ask this...does Katie get any down time? Ever? (aside from the "no more than one hour of TV after modeling ) What about time to just play and be a kid?

She is free to do what she wants pretty much after modeling as long as it doesn't involve more than an hour of TV. She plays from then until it's time for dinner and bath time.

Originally Posted by susan314

And what kind of mom preaches "no carbs" to a 5 year old? (okay, so one semi-impolite comment snuck in there, but believe me...it was the least impolite out of the other options I was thinking of )

Now THAT is one of the rules that I break. I refuse to tell a little girl that she can't eat carbs. She doesn't even know what they are!