A plea from a frozen babysitter

sweetilemon

I remember babysitting when I was younger and their TV was broken and wasnt told to use the 'good' living room instead... I just did and stuck back down before they came home. That was before the days of 3G too! No way was I sitting bored.

Savemesomemoneyplease

We all wear coats at my actual job, because the heating isn't on!

fabforty

Eliza wrote: »

Am just warming up after a freezing evening babysitting till 2 am. Can I please ask parents to remember to let the babysitter either know how to override the timer for the heating or offer an alternative method of heating.

It probably never occurs to them that their timer is set to switch the heating off at 9.30 cos they go to bed at 10 normally whereas I sat there for another 4 hours last night with my coat wrapped round me.

I'm going to remember to ask next time I'm babysitting somewhere (and this is the second time in different houses it's happened in the space of a couple of weeks) but it would be great if parents could remember too. It wasn't even cold outside but by 2 I was pretty frozen.

Thanks folks

Liz

It is a good point but couldn't you have just called and asked them? It's inconceivable that a babysitter is unable to contact the parents while they are out.

Eliza_2

I'm not sure anyone has suggested the parents aren't contactable. I always ensure I have mobile numbers and know where they are in case there's no signal. However I wouldn't dream of bothering them over something like this, they're having an enjoyable evening out, having a bit of well deserved freedom, not having to worry that the babysitter might be a bit uncomfortable!!

Interesting that I'm not the only one. Thanks for the interesting responses.

Liz

paulineb_2

If I was sitting for 4 hours with a coat wrapped round me, I'd text them.

Lunar_Eclipse

We do leave our heating on for exactly this reason, plus we have blankets in the lounge anyway which I'd point out if I had a new babysitter.

When I babysit (occasionally for a neighbour) I take a basket with me filled with snacks, activities like a DVD/mags, a blanket, another layer and extra socks. This way, I have quite a pleasant evening! This friend actually now gets me a duvet and pillow out, for the super late ones which tend to come at this time of year!

fabforty

Eliza wrote: »

I'm not sure anyone has suggested the parents aren't contactable. I always ensure I have mobile numbers and know where they are in case there's no signal. However I wouldn't dream of bothering them over something like this, they're having an enjoyable evening out, having a bit of well deserved freedom, not having to worry that the babysitter might be a bit uncomfortable!!

Interesting that I'm not the only one. Thanks for the interesting responses.

Liz

Apologies :-). I assumed they were uncontactable because it could easily be resolved with a phone call/text.


Being 'a little bit uncomfortable' and 'freezing cold for four hours' are two completely different things to me - and TBH if the person that I had entrusted to care for my children was the latter, I would much prefer them to call me and let me know.

pollypenny

Don't patents provide snacks for babysitters now? I always did and remember the son of one of our friends eating everything, six pack of crisps, all the Penguins, all the cake that was left!

I can also remember sitting wrapped in my coat, too. This was before the days if mobile phones.

Sneezy

I used to bring my own blanket as I felt uncomfortable trying to find any there, I also used to bring my own drinks snacks as the only ones they used to have in we're full sugar drinks and snakes and things that I didn't like.

However I was a shy 16 yo and wouldn't have dreamed of saying anything.

fluffnutter

fabforty wrote: »

Apologies :-). I assumed they were uncontactable because it could easily be resolved with a phone call/text.

It could. But if you're young and perhaps not assertive you might not feel able to interrupt someone's evening. Particularly via a call which will surely send any parent temporarily into a tailspin.

When people babysit my son I tell them not to call unless he's died. Imagine how I'd feel if the phone actually rang... only to hear someone asking how to put the heating on.