Really Conflicted....What Should I Do?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:An 11 year old knows how much you are both paid? Sure.

It's very possible that the 11-year-old overheard her parents speaking to each other about the pros/cons of each nanny. She didn't mention the hourly rate.

[Anonymous]

OP

[Anonymous]

I agree.

You merely did what this blog is supposed to be used for. You asked a question in the right topic section and it was an honest & detailed question. You wanted advice/input and you are entitled to it.

I understand if you wrote that you had an affair w/your DadBoss or something like that, but your post was nothing like that. I am embarrassed that most EVERYONE who responded to you called you a name or accused you of being a stalker, etc.

Please do not let a select few on here stop you from viewing future threads.

All the people who responded to you are the actual trolls on here. Ignore them all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree.

You merely did what this blog is supposed to be used for. You asked a question in the right topic section and it was an honest & detailed question. You wanted advice/input and you are entitled to it.

I understand if you wrote that you had an affair w/your DadBoss or something like that, but your post was nothing like that. I am embarrassed that most EVERYONE who responded to you called you a name or accused you of being a stalker, etc.

Please do not let a select few on here stop you from viewing future threads.

All the people who responded to you are the actual trolls on here. Ignore them all.

While posters could certainly have chosen gentler language, they are trying to tell OP something true and useful about this career: namely that she is not a bff or a family member; she is an employee. She made a couple of mistakes here:
1) If you don't have a contract, you are not a nanny. You are a sitter. The family has no moral or legal obligation to remain loyal to you. Hiring someone else isn't cheating on you.
2) One of the most important traits in any nanny or sitter is reliability. If you prove yourself unreliable (for example, declaring yourself unavailable for a solid month) your professional reputation will suffer.
3) It is YOUR responsibility to fill your hours. That means finding a job with a contracted number or hours, or having a pool of families. If you prefer to be a casual sitter rather than a contracted nanny, then you need to be constantly marketing yourself, or you need to have a deep commitment to the families you work for. If you aren't committed to being flexible and available and reliable for the families for whom you sit, then you can expect to have a high turnover rate as families move on to other sitters.
4) Never, ever involve the children in any discussion about your rate, hours, duties, or satisfaction. Her response to the 11 year old should have been: "I miss you, too, dear, but I am sure that your parents just want what's best for you. Now what should we make for dinner?" To engage in a discussion with your charge questioning your employer's childcare practices is extremely unprofessional.

OP, you can zero in on the harsh language or namecalling and decide that no one here has anything of value to say, or you can recognize that we are all seeing the same thing: an immature sitter who is confusing friendship with business and failing at both.

[Anonymous]

Ditto 13:58. Op sounds very young and incapable of observing professional boundaries. No adult thinks car trouble is a valid excuse for taking a month off work. Sounds like the parents decided you weren't as great as you think you are.