After 2 Years W/My Family Now Things Are Very Awkward And I Don't Know How I Am Feeling.............
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Anonymous
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I have a family that I baby-sit for occasionally for for the past two years. When I first started watching their son, he was 5 and I watched him 2x a week and he went to school the other 3 days, then during the summer I watched him full-time. The following academic year, he started going to school full-time, so then I started watching him occasionally, mostly on school closures/vacations and on parent's date nights, etc.
This family was referred to me my another family who I baby-sit for who I have an awesome relationship with. I also have an awesome relationship w/this current family and have always felt our chemistry was perfect and that they trusted me 120%. Always. Okay, so today I babysat their soon-to-be 7 yr. old son who just loves and adores me as much as I do him. Now typically when I watch him, we have usually played inside the house. No particular reason why, we just did. Occasionally we would play in the yard or on the front porch, but we really never went anywhere. Again, for no particular reason. So today we were playing school and we were on the porch + he wanted to go on a pretend "field trip." I said, "Sure..Let's go on a field trip!" So he went inside + put on his shoes and I remember while he was doing so I took a swig of water from my water bottle in the kitchen and glancing at the clock which stated 3:35. So we walked in front of the house for about five minutes in circles, then he wanted to go a little further down + and we did. To make a long story short, we ended up going a little further down, no more than 3 blocks altogether. On the way, we met a very nice lady w/two adorable little chihuahuas who we stopped to chat with before we came back home. Well when I returned home, my phone was ringing and ringing and ringing!! It was 4:00 and I had 9 missed calls and multiple texts from the parents!! Saying..."We texted you to ask you a question, we were going to ask you if you guys wanted us to order you pizza tonight for dinner, but you never responded!"...."We called the next door neighbor to check on you...She knocked on the door + said you and our son didn't answer the door and she cannot hear you two playing, please call me ASAP...I am SO worried!!"....."If you do not text/call me back in 2 min., we are coming home!"...."Ok...This is it...We are driving home right this second!" This was all between 3:40 to 4:00. So I obviously called them back and they seemed peeved. I apologized over + over for not bringing my phone. I told them it was only 25 minutes and that I honestly didn't feel that that much time had passed by, I told them I was chatting w/someone and that probably made the time go by quicker, etc...I said I was really sorry over and over and that it would never happen again. They said it was okay, but they acted kinda mad when they came home and now things are kinda awkward. I apologized again to them and told them I didn't bring my phone was because I really didn't plan on going that far...It just sort of happened as we were playing. Honestly, I have watched other kids and if I don't answer their parent's text messages immediately, none of them have ever reacted that extreme before. I could understand if it took me two hours to respond how a parent would feel on edge, but after 25 min. for a parent to almost come home just because I didn't respond to a text? Now I doubt that they ever really trusted me at all. What do you DCmers think?? |
Anonymous
| Sounds like another psycho family. |
Anonymous
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The silly three question poster should go work for them.
They'd be a perfect match! |
Anonymous
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The parents totally over-reacted. Yes, you made a mistake by not bringing your phone with you but I rarely bring my phone with me into the bathroom when my charges are in the bathtub and never leave them to answer the phone if I hear it ringing.
They freaked because they were not able to reach you for the first time in their relationship with you - it's not about trust in you at all. The most trustworthy nanny could still get hit by a truck with her charge or killed in a mass shooting. You apologized, explained yourself and all you can do it move on. |
Anonymous
You're silly. A call from the parents does not constitute a "personal call". |
Anonymous
You must be confused. |
Anonymous
NP here - Do you think of a call from your boss as a personal call? I don't!!! |
Anonymous
No one said that, silly. |
Anonymous
| These parents seriously over-reacted. I can't imagine calling my neighbors if the nanny didn't answer a text or phone call for less than 30 minutes. If you otherwise like them though I think if you just give it a few days they'll get over it. |
Anonymous
??? Then why would the OP from the three questions thread be hired by these employers? Honestly, I don't understand the point of your post. |
Anonymous
| I would be concerned and confused too. Is there an unspoken rule about how long they can wait for a return call? Were they just surprised because it was the first time? Sounds like a conversation is needed. |
Anonymous
| do they pay your phone bill/? |
Anonymous
| They are very high anxiety people. They'd be this way regardless of who was watching the child. |
Anonymous
MB here. I agree with this completely. You made a small mistake that, unfortunately, freaked out the parents. They had not previously had this situation with you. Hopefully, they will calm down and everything will be ok. You did everything you can do. You sound like a great sitter. |
Anonymous
+1 Another MB here. I agree. They just need to get over the scare. Great sitters that you have a long-time, trusting relationship with aren't easy to find. They'll come around. 
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