Yikes. Don't get testy. It's not crazy for folks to think you are in the DC area- since you are on DC urban moms...

OP here. First, I'm not in the DC area, but in a smaller town, so there are not "plenty of 2-3 week gigs on care.com" here right now (trust me, I've been checking care.com, sitter city, and even craigslist multiple times each day). I've found one or two that are looking for the entire month of August, but that would put me in the EXACT same position, because my new full time job starts August 24th. (I actually did find a family on sittercity who posted Wednesday night saying they were coming out here for a vacation rental for the first week of August and their au pair decided at the last minute not to come so they needed help 4-6 hours every day that week. I contacted them, they called me for a phone interview, they told me based on the phone call and my sittercity reviews, etc, that I was officially hired and to start Monday. But they texted me just this morning to say their au pair had changed her mind again and was coming so they didn't need me after all.)

I delayed responding to the "unpleasant" family while I emailed my babysitting contacts to see if any of them could use me during those three weeks. Although one family said they can use my help for a half day one day, and another said they can use my help for 5-6 hours each on two days, I still have more than 2.5 weeks of no pay. And, the last family I was waiting to hear back from about that (who, like most of my other babysitting contacts, said they don't need me at all during the week because of preschool or au pair coverage), didn't respond to me until this morning, so I think by now the unpleasant family has probably found someone else for Monday anyway.

I'm hoping I might be able to find postings for "last minute, day of posting" babysitting jobs, but...I'll have to wait and see.

Sigh. I guess it's better that my karma is not ruined, even if I end up ruining my bank account

Jump on care.com. You can find plenty of 2-3 week gigs now. It's the break between when the college kids go back to school and ES starts. Actually- we are looking for a few weeks coverage, until 9/1. ?

You can find something else. Trust me.

OP stick with your original plan. You were prepared to wait these 3 weeks without a job, so do it. Blast an e-mail to all your contacts saying you are available for random babysitting and hopefully you'll get enough cash on the side. It is very important to start your new job with a fresh frame of mind and this family sound like they could drain your energy. Not worth it.
Also the karma thing. You know that'd get back to you somehow....

I bet you are right on the mark, they probably already hired someone but that person jumped ship due to the horrific job environment.

If you REALLY really need the cash, and are truly hard-up, I suppose you have to do what you have to do to survive.

I would only take this job if I was in dire straits however.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not sure I fully understand, but I think you're saying you will work just 2 or 3 weeks w/ the family for whom you've already accepted the job, only to quit and go work for the family that took a month to offer you the position?

If that's correct it all sounds bad. And I don't see how you would expect people to tell you it's ethical or ok in any way to accept a permanent position knowing you plan to quit in 3 weeks.

And a family that took a month to make an offer is no great shakes either.

Treat people the way you would want to be treated and you'll be fine.

Other way around. She accepted a job with a good family that starts in a month, but bad family just emailed to offer her the job starting ASAP. OP is asking if she can accept the new job, with the full intention of quitting the bad family in 3 weeks to begin her real permanent job with the nice family and not end up going to hell.

Ooooh. Ok. Thank you !

I still think it's bad. Don't lower yourself to anyone else's level. Offer to temp, do fill=in work with an agency or something to make ends meet but act in a way that you feel embarassed about.

Anonymous wrote:I'm not sure I fully understand, but I think you're saying you will work just 2 or 3 weeks w/ the family for whom you've already accepted the job, only to quit and go work for the family that took a month to offer you the position?

If that's correct it all sounds bad. And I don't see how you would expect people to tell you it's ethical or ok in any way to accept a permanent position knowing you plan to quit in 3 weeks.

And a family that took a month to make an offer is no great shakes either.

Treat people the way you would want to be treated and you'll be fine.

Other way around. She accepted a job with a good family that starts in a month, but bad family just emailed to offer her the job starting ASAP. OP is asking if she can accept the new job, with the full intention of quitting the bad family in 3 weeks to begin her real permanent job with the nice family and not end up going to hell.

I'm not sure I fully understand, but I think you're saying you will work just 2 or 3 weeks w/ the family for whom you've already accepted the job, only to quit and go work for the family that took a month to offer you the position?

If that's correct it all sounds bad. And I don't see how you would expect people to tell you it's ethical or ok in any way to accept a permanent position knowing you plan to quit in 3 weeks.

And a family that took a month to make an offer is no great shakes either.

Treat people the way you would want to be treated and you'll be fine.

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't do it OP, not worth it. Tell the family you've already accepted a new position but can temp for them for a few weeks, as the PP suggested.

+1

What take a job for 2-3 weeks and quit on them? Don't do it. You know it is bad Karma.

If you ever run into them, you won't be able to look them in the eye. It's a small world, particularly in this internet age. If they ever figure out where you went, like the MB's are in the same mom's group or something, your career as a nanny is done for.

My old nanny ran into my dad at Target while she was with different charges. It's a small world.

My nanny goes to the music together class. She doesn't know it but I know more than a couple of moms in that class and they tell me she is great, but she is basically getting reported on. We keep in touch through mom's group email distribution list.

It's a small world. Don't screw with this innocent family.

I wouldn't do it OP, not worth it. Tell the family you've already accepted a new position but can temp for them for a few weeks, as the PP suggested.

I don't take any job not offered within 24 hrs if the interview. These people sound like bad news and pp us probably right that they hired someone else who already quit. If you're strapped for cash and not networked enough to pick up a few random days then do it but I'm not sure I would. I'd email every family I do date night work for and let them know I'm available and see about getting work that way. Another idea is to tell the people you have temporary availability and are happy to fill in for a couple weeks while they interview again.

These people are crazy. Don't do it. No amount of money is worth putting up with crazy parents, horrible children.

OP again: also since the interview was nearly a month ago, and they just emailed me today to offer me the job and asked me to start next Monday it really makes me wonder if maybe they had hired someone else who also quit already? Maybe if it happens to them twice in a row they will realize they are asking too much and paying too little?

I have a full time position lined up to start the last week of August. Another family I had previously interviewed with just offered me their job (3+ weeks post interview). Their six and nine year olds were horribly behaved, and MB was a firm believer in only positive parenting techniques ( No time outs, no consequences, etc). They have a 22 month old who MB insisted must be worn in a carrier during his 1.5-2 hour nap, and she still breast feeds him (and will come home during lunch break to breast feed him before nap).There are numerous chores required, and the six and nine year olds do not have any down or quiet time, and there is no screen time allowed in the house (I don't usually use screen time anyway, but with three rambunctious kids and no downtime that is difficult). The whole job sounded like a pain, and the pay offered wasn't great either, so I was obviously happy when the other family offered me the job.

Anyway, my current position ends this week, and I have three weeks of no job and no pay. I am considering accepting the job with this other family, since they want me to start next week, and just dealing with the headache of that family for 2-3 weeks so I can make enough money to get by in August (I have some savings but it will be completely wiped out if I don't have any work for three weeks). The way I figure, the job sounds so bad (and the pay isn't commensurate with the amount of work), so any nanny they end up hiring would probably get fed up and quit in a matter of weeks anyway, right? Maybe I'd work two weeks and then give one weeks notice (knowing they might not have me at all the last week). Thoughts?