If you're asking my high school and college-aged daughters to babysit, what are you thinking?

[Anonymous]

You’re letting your kids go to protests and mingle with hundreds of strangers in close proximity, but you can’t handle the risk of having them sit for a family that has likely been hunkered down since mid-March? Okay, Crazy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your college aged daughters are adults.

I can't believe OP would even write this. OP, what about babysitting do you think is dangerous for your daughters? Do they have diabetes, obesity? Do you? Otherwise, what's your problem? Also, you live in an entitled, liberal bubble.

Her problem is that she feels the askers are blithely asking her family to up their potential risk exposure. Many parents of teens and college age kids are over 50, or have underlying conditions. I totally agree that the kids can politely say no, and should, if their household agrees it's too much risk. I wouldn't shame parents of small kids for politely, considerately, asking if the teens are interested in sitting, but both households have a frank discussion about the added risks and be considerate of each other.

It’s not “blithe” if the daughters are already going to mass protests. It’s a drop in the bucket, especially if the parents are working from home.

The daughters are free to say no, of course. “Sorry Mrs. Smith, I prefer to spend my free time being an online activist and using my ‘exposure points’ showing up at protests to make myself feel good!” but the question is not an offensive one, especially if the daughters are already doing non-essential (and REALLY RISKY) things.

[Anonymous]

You can’t have it both ways. If you’re heading downtown to protest with the unwashed masses, then you can’t worry about germ exposure. You are willingly jumping into the Petri dish and bringing germs back to the burbs. You are the real issue.

[Anonymous]

I wish everyone would stop with the PSA crap. If you don't think it is safe for your kids and the kids they would be watching, say that directly to whoever is asking and have your kids decline to work as babysitters. Really not that hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can’t have it both ways. If you’re heading downtown to protest with the unwashed masses, then you can’t worry about germ exposure. You are willingly jumping into the Petri dish and bringing germs back to the burbs. You are the real issue.

This. If anything, OP’s kids are the real risk. They should use that as the excuse not to work, instead of blaming parents of young kids.

OP is raising her kids to be lazy useless people like herself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish everyone would stop with the PSA crap. If you don't think it is safe for your kids and the kids they would be watching, say that directly to whoever is asking and have your kids decline to work as babysitters. Really not that hard.

Well, the entire neighborhood is asking. Because they want cheap labor.

So its faster to post a PSA on Facebook or NextDoor than to deal with Susan asking on Monday for her twins and Rebecca wanting to know on Tuesday morning about her 4-year-old and Mary chiming in on Thursday for 3 kids for 2 hours a day.

Blanket policy notice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here -- So sorry that many of you did not understand what I stated clearly -- i.e., that my daughters have no problem telling people, "No, I can't babysit". And, yes, as I stated (in the first sentence of my post), I know that life is difficult right now for parents of young children. To those who note we are financially fortunate, yes, that's correct, and I apologize for not acknowledging this. All that said, folks who are asking teens and college students to babysit are acting irresponsibly and irrationally.

My boss would disagree. So would my bank, as I need my job to pay the mortgage. Op, this is your “Let them eat cake” moment. Frankly, it’s pretty galling that you would pat yourself on the back for attending BLM protests, but remain obstinately ignorant of the circumstances that would lead people to need babysitters during a shutdown of childcare services during a global pandemic.

+100 I'm sure if OP's teens were preschoolers and she had to work FT, she'd suddenly find it was a reasonable risk to hire a babysitter!

LOUDER FOR THOSE IN THE BACK
YES YES YES this.

Super judgey OP, you are very fortunate that you can still attend BLM protests, and don't have to worry about working while taking care of a young child. Stop judging others for the choices that have to make in life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You’re letting your kids go to protests and mingle with hundreds of strangers in close proximity, but you can’t handle the risk of having them sit for a family that has likely been hunkered down since mid-March? Okay, Crazy.

+1 OP is a privileged twat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish everyone would stop with the PSA crap. If you don't think it is safe for your kids and the kids they would be watching, say that directly to whoever is asking and have your kids decline to work as babysitters. Really not that hard.

Well, the entire neighborhood is asking. Because they want cheap labor.

So its faster to post a PSA on Facebook or NextDoor than to deal with Susan asking on Monday for her twins and Rebecca wanting to know on Tuesday morning about her 4-year-old and Mary chiming in on Thursday for 3 kids for 2 hours a day.

Blanket policy notice.

Lol, except this is an anonymous board. I doubt OP has the guts to post this under her own name and deal with the flak.

[Anonymous]

How much do you want to bet OP will be posting her vacation pics from the “resort where we took all covid precautions! we got a ground floor room and just felt so refreshed by the pool. wow my girls needed that after all these difficult months.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here -- So sorry that many of you did not understand what I stated clearly -- i.e., that my daughters have no problem telling people, "No, I can't babysit". And, yes, as I stated (in the first sentence of my post), I know that life is difficult right now for parents of young children. To those who note we are financially fortunate, yes, that's correct, and I apologize for not acknowledging this. All that said, folks who are asking teens and college students to babysit are acting irresponsibly and irrationally.

Oh ffs OP. Nothing makes your precious children better than childcare workers who are working right now. Your kids are no different - they are just rich & white and don’t need to work. Take the words BLM out of your mouth. You are FORTUNATE your kids don’t have to work. End of story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm thinking that if I am speaking to a college student, then I am speaking to an adult who can drink, vote, buy a gun, serve in the military, drive, serve as a nurse, become a lifeguard, fly a plane, get a tattoo, go parachuting, hire an attorney, operate a forklift, buy marijuana, sign over power of attorney, become an organ donor, participate in an orgy, and take a knee during the National Anthem.

In other words, if I want to make a phone call to another adult, I will, and it has nothing to do with you.

Whether they accept my offer is between me and them.

? What does "serve as a nurse" mean? A college student can't work as a nurse. Nor can a college student work as an accountant, middle school science teacher, spokesperson for the DoD, civil engineer, etc.

Not a *registered nurse*, but college students can definitely work as CNAs. My daughter has been doing at a hospital it since late May. Same with many of her friends.

Cna is not a nurse... They free up nurses from menial jobs like changing bedpans to do actual nursing.

CNA=certified nursing assistant; Yes a college student can get certified and work as a CNA. The job is currently starting at $33.00 per hour in COVID times not a bad rate of pay for a young person.

wow, smart and good kids to do that. (Unlike OP.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This post is weird as hell. Your daughters are welcome to say no. For my part, I am facing down accepting the risk of letting a babysitter into our house, or my H or I quitting our jobs. Those are my choices. If you are not juggling two full time jobs and multiple small children, maybe you cannot fathom what this situation is like, but don't tell me I can or cannot make the choices I have to make. This whole situation is a lose-lose.

For my part, we found a teen who is also socially distancing, we talked to her openly about who we are and are not exposed to, she told us, we laid a few ground rules, and everyone feels comfortable. And my H and I have been able to keep our jobs. We are paying her more than her asking price (she said $15, we pay $20) because of the circumstances and because of our expectations around social distancing. It's been going on for a month, the mental health of our entire family has improved, she has made more in a month than she would in an entire summer at her normal job, and it worked out.

Like I said, your daughters can say no but to act like considering this is irresponsible is just ignorant on your part. Not to mention you OWN UP TO also accepting risk to do activities such as protesting. There is no binary "good / bad" decision making here, it's all just risk weighing.

Right. Tell yourself that fairy tale.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let me start by saying that I have the utmost sympathy for parents of young children who are trying to work at home this summer when daycare and camp opportunities are limited.

But . . . when you ask my high school and college-aged daughters to babysit do you not realize how risky that could be for your family and for ours? My daughters, who have been much in demand over the years as sitters and who truly love kids (as well as the money they've earned -- thank you), are besieged with requests to babysit this summer. They are turning all of these down because they just don't see it as reasonably safe -- and my husband and I agree completely.

Folks, you may not be aware of this, but like many families with young adults in residence, we are stretching our bubble for essential activities -- most notably BLM demonstrations -- but also other activities, which we deem to be an acceptable for our family, but which we cannot, in good conscience, expose you to. Yet, even when our daughters explain this to parents, they do not seem to get it.

And, conversely, we don't know how observant you and your adorable children are of social-distancing, mask-wearing and other public health guidelines. So, please don't ask us to take on your risk portfolio.

I know I'll probably get flamed for this, but please just think of it as a public service announcement brought to you by Karen. (And, no, that is not my real name.)

Hey Karen, I think you meant to send this to someone else.

But seriously, passive-aggressive anony-posting on DCUM--in the apparent hopes that your actual intended audience will see your post and know who you are and heed your message--is just dumb, Karen. Woman up and confront the families you're concerned about directly. Or...let your adult children choose their own destinies, poor things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here -- So sorry that many of you did not understand what I stated clearly -- i.e., that my daughters have no problem telling people, "No, I can't babysit". And, yes, as I stated (in the first sentence of my post), I know that life is difficult right now for parents of young children. To those who note we are financially fortunate, yes, that's correct, and I apologize for not acknowledging this. All that said, folks who are asking teens and college students to babysit are acting irresponsibly and irrationally.

If your young adult offspring are capable of saying "no," then what, exactly, are you complaining about? That other families have a need for childcare that's very difficult to fill right now, and that they view your daughters as capable and responsible individuals whom they trust to care for their own? You're quite the bitter pill, Barb. If it's irresponsible to ask young adults to babysit, would it heal your wounded ego if parents instead asked cranky old hags like you? (Rhetorical question. We know you're acting out of fear and entitlement. Go pour yourself a glass and relax.)