Reply to Watching the kids...part of the family?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Our AP was at an AP friend's house on Sunday watching movies.  Host dad was out of town, older host kids (2 14 year old boys) weren't home, just 6 year old host kid and host mom.  Host mom comes downstairs and tells AP that she needs to pop out for some groceries and that 6 year old is using the iPad but will AP be home to keep an eye on her?  AP says yes but is very upset about this and our AP is all whipped up about it too.  They want to report the family to the agency for making her work on her day off.

I guess HM was gone about 40 minutes and came back with all of the groceries for the week for the family.  Host kid stayed on iPad the whole time and they just checked on her once.  I think they are being ridiculous to think this is a violation of the program.  I told our AP I thought it was a "part of the family" kind of task....someone needed to shop and it was easier and faster without a 6 year old in tow so she gave her the iPad and just wanted a warm body in the house to make sure she didn't get hurt or anything.  Our AP kind of sees what I'm saying but is young and I think prone to drama.

What do you all think?  I mean...it's not like she's an infant or toddler who needed entertainment and close supervision or that mom was gone for a super long time or for a personal errand.  Isn't keeping an eye on a younger sibling a part of the family task?  If her older brothers had been home that's what they would have done.  I guess mom could have taken her to the store but if she's like my kid it doubles the shopping time to take her along.  It's only slightly different from supervising kids while a host parent cooks dinner or cleans up the kitchen afterwards.  [/quote]

Entertaining kids while the parent cooks us work time.  Helping cook dinner if she’s eating is not work time.
Watching tv with 6yo on the iPad when no other responsible party is home is work time.  Watching tv while 6yo is on the iPad and knows to go to a parent who is in another room is not work time.
Being the responsible party while a baby or toddler sleeps is work time, even if someone else is home (as long as the AP is the person responsible for the child).  Being allowed to leave the house for 2 hours (whether they leave or not) while the parents work and child sleeps is not work time; parents will handle anything that happens during that time.

Member of the family/member of the household is meant to divide up household tasks, ie. housekeeping.  Babysitting is clearly spelled out as the crux of the position, so any babysitting (regardless of what the child does during that time) is work time.[/quote]

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