Reply to How to tell these parents I can’t help?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Your problem, OP, is not that you can’t do it, but that you don’t feel like doing it (but you don’t want to cone right out and tell them that because you don’t want them to think you’re a jerk).

Just be honest and then don’t expect any favors, ever, from these people going forward.  I wouldn’t be surprised of they just completely write you off, but it’s your choice.[/quote]

Because she can’t commit to babysitting for an unknown amount of time every morning for an unknown number of weeks while she’s trying to get herself and her own child ready for the day? Asking for a day or two is a reasonable ask from “the village” but that’s not what’s happening here. [/quote]

Letting a kid who is fully ready for school hang out in your living room for a few minutes and then tag along with you and your own kid on the journey you were going to take anyway is hardly babysitting.  These kids go to school, we’re not talking about infants and toddlers here.  Ya’ll are so dramatic.

If the kids act like brats OP can (extremely justifiably) tell the parents that she won’t be taking them anymore because of the kids’ behavior, not because it is just SO HARD to literally do no extra work other than opening her freaking door in the morning.[/quote]

Yeah this would be age dependent for me. I also WFH and walk my kids to school. The older the kids, the less I’d care about them tagging along. I would say no to watching kindergarteners— but 4th graders? Why not. [/quote]

This is a good point. If kids are at least 2nd/3rd grade and fairly responsible I’d probably say they’re welcome to come play outside with my kids beginning at X time and we are leaving at Y time. I’d offer maybe a 10 min window. But not for 5/6 year olds or kids with any behavioral issues (I say this as a mom of a kid with ADHD so I know how mornings can be with them).

Also I say outdoors because I wouldn’t want several kids inside first thing in the am. My house isn’t huge and we’re usually trying to clean up from breakfast and get things tidied up (I don’t like to WAH in a mess). Kids inside = they may start pulling out toys, plus now I’m dealing with supervising kids taking shoes off and putting them back on in since we ask kids to leave shoes by the door. Not to mention if they get engrossed in an activity in our playroom I’m now the adult who has to yank them away from the fun activity to go to school (easier with some friends than others).

But if you’re okay with them hanging in my front yard/porch with supervision through a window then they can walk with us. [/quote]

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