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.

Anonymous wrote:People should think about emergency child care before having kids,!

Anonymous wrote:So don’t OP. People are thinking that they need to work and it’s near impossible with little kids.

My teen is looking for babysitting jobs. If you don’t get it, move on. No reason to try to make other people feel like they are compromising their health because they need a sitter.

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, f[b]olks who are asking teens and college students to babysit are acting irresponsibly and irrationally.[/b]

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.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here -- So sorry that many of you did not understand what I stated clearly -- i.e., that my daught ers 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.

Some folks would say that going out into shouting crowds to protest is also acting irresponsibly. Yet you somehow deem it an essential activity. Huh.

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.

So when it’s something you want to do “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 working parents with young children who need childcare are “acting irresponsibly and irrationally.”

Seriously?!

OP is in LALA land to think protests are safe but babysitting is not.

Anonymous wrote:

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 wrote:

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 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.