What the heck? Babysitting?

Seraph

Mon, May 12 2008, 1:05 am

So I was snoozing in bed this morning, in the middle of a very nice dream, and from my slumber I heard a faint knocking at my door. I ignored it and continued dozing. My husband went to see who it was.
"Breslov," he wakes me up. "Theres a Russian lady at the door, she said something about you watching her daughter?"
Confused, I rouse from sleep. "Tell her I'm coming, I've gotta get dressed." I, half sleeping, put on some clothes and go to the door, but by then she had left, leaving her very upset 11ish month old daughter with me.
I now figured out what was going on. This russian lady in my community (btw, no offense to russian women here, the only reason I'm saying russian is that my husband had no clue who this lady was besides for her accent, and bec of the language barrier we had between the two of us) asked me a few days ago if I'm available to babysit. I said not for long term because I am starting a job in a few weeks and wont be able to then. She told me approx what days she would need, but I didnt really remember what days or times (if she even told me) as this was all in passing when I was on my way home from the makolet. I gave her my phone number, expecting her to call me to discuss the babysitting thing with me.

But she just dropped of her baby here, without even telling me her daughters name. I think it might have sarah in it, but I'm not even too sure about that.
I know her daughter has allergies, I just dont know to what exactly. She sent a bib with her daughter, obviously expecting me to feed her, but I dont know what I'm allowed to even feed her, bec I remember her mother telling me that her daughter starts swelling (pretty dangerous reaction) as an allergic reaction to some food, so its not just a rash I'd be chancing. So I gave her corn flakes, thinking they'e pretty neutral because I havent heard of kids being allergic to corn.

She didnt send wipes.
She didnt send a change of clothes. So her daughter got soaked, and now shes wearing one of uriels new outfits that are too big on him, which kind of annoys me because its a beautiful outfit and who knows if I ever will get it back (this other kid who I did this with still has the outfit...). And if I do, it wont be the brand new clean adorable outfit... Sad

She didnt tell me anything about her daughters schedule. I dont know what time she woke up in the morning, what time she last ate, when shes supposed to take the bottle that was sent with her, when she needs to sleep, where to put her to sleep, how to put her to sleep, nothing.

And her daughter was sooo kvetchy, obviously bec she needed something, but how was I supposed to know if she needed food, a drink, a shluff, or just comforting if I didnt know approximately what she does every day, and what she did already before she came...

And she didnt call me beforehand, what if I had other plans? (I actually sort of did, I was half planning on going into yerushalayim today.)

Oh, let me add that I dont know the mothers last name or phone number in case I'd need to reach her in an amemergency.

And I was expecting to discuss with her over the phone payment- I have no clue now how much I'm gonna get paid after all this.
I dont even know how much to charge, as shes a very kvetchy baby, and shes the only kid I'm watching, and it was drop in, all things that up the price of babysitting here...

And the mother apparently said something about her being back in two hours. Well its been more than that and shes still not here.

What have I gotten myself into??

ora_43

Mon, May 12 2008, 1:34 am

That is INSANE shock

. Didn't she even leave contact info?

I can't imagine dumping a baby on someone I talked to once near the makolet, let alone with allergies...no change of clothes... no offense to you, but isn't this woman worried about her daughter? If she's not concerned enough for your needs to call and talk in advance, she should at least worry about her baby adjusting to a strange environment with a completely new caretaker.

What did you do/do you plan to do when the mother gets back?

smiley:)

Mon, May 12 2008, 1:55 am

Yea, something sounds quite (QUITE) off..... I would have a nice shmooze with her when she gets back (if she gets back), though with someone like this I don't know how much a shmooze will do.

Raisin

Mon, May 12 2008, 2:06 am

tell your husband not to let that happen again.

Seraph

Mon, May 12 2008, 2:57 am

I spoke to her. Rolling Eyes

shes a friend of mine. a street freind that I dont know her last name, but a freind nonetheless. I knew her child from before, I just forgot her name. (it was sarah. sarah mindel. Wink

) I can see why she trusts me with her child as I know her well. but still I needed specifics...

greentiger

Mon, May 12 2008, 3:37 am

wowowow! I'm shoked. Breslov youre really amazing I for sure would have freaked out. And using new outfits on other kids? I woulda left her in her diaper (as long as the house isnt freezing). What would you have done if you didn't happen to also have a kid? With allergies and not telling you?? Not sending food? Wow...

Marion

Mon, May 12 2008, 3:39 am

I would have left the baby in just a diaper if it was warm enough. Or at least hung the clothes to dry and changed her back before she went home (to solve the outfit problem).

And some children are HIGHLY allergic to corn. Cornflakes also have gluten in them, and can be problematic. Your best bet is usually rice...it's the least allergenic of the grains, followed by quinoa.

Seraph

Mon, May 12 2008, 4:54 am

apparently she had just eaten, she didnt need to eat. so thats why she wasnt sent food. and she needed to sleep 11ish, I put her to sleep 10:30ish.
I guess the reason she was kvetching was bec of stranger anxiety and not from hunger or tiredness. The cornflakes just occupied her.

(btw, when her mother told me her allergies in passing a few weeks back, they were all usual stuff I've heard of like dairy and nuts, but the only one I never heard of before was her allergy to avocado. if she was allergic to corn I would have remembered that because I've never heard of corn allergies before.)

Seraph

Mon, May 12 2008, 4:56 am

greentiger wrote:

I wouldnt have left her in just a diaper as her mother is one of those ladies who tsk tsks me for not putting my son in a hat when its shmoiling out.

greentiger

Mon, May 12 2008, 5:25 am

breslov wrote:

greentiger wrote:

I wouldnt have left her in just a diaper as her mother is one of those ladies who tsk tsks me for not putting my son in a hat when its shmoiling out.

I'm sorry, but anyone who just delivers her kid without calling first and not leaving a contact number or instructions should not be dishing out parenting advice.

If she doesn't want her kid in a diaper she should have thought of leaving you a change of clothes.

Tamiri

Mon, May 12 2008, 5:47 am

This is Israel and that lady is yet from another culture: who knows what is normal anymore? This story sounds bizarre but maybe it all makes sense to the Russian woman...
Breslov, you and your husband are malachim.

shalhevet

Mon, May 12 2008, 5:51 am

Unbelievable! And if I hear you felt sorry for her because she has no money and took NIS5 an hour I'm going to come and Shooting Arrow

you!

(Seriously, find out the going rate in your neighborhood and add some dmei daaga...)

cdawnr

Mon, May 12 2008, 6:10 am

Breslov,

Just to note on the corn allergy... montrealmommy's son is severly allergic to corn (and thus corn syrup and all those other addatives).

You are right, it seems a rare allergy, but it does actually exist.

Smile

Seraph

Mon, May 12 2008, 6:18 am

shalhevet wrote:

Unbelievable! And if I hear you felt sorry for her because she has no money and took NIS5 an hour I'm going to come and Shooting Arrow

you!

(Seriously, find out the going rate in your neighborhood and add some dmei daaga...)

6 shekel an hour...

Thats the going rate, and thats how much I was paid. I tried explaining to her that for one kid you dont only pay 6 shekel, because you pay 6 shekel when there are a few kids, so the babysitter makes 25 shekel an hour or so....

but bc of the language barrier I dont think she really understood what I was saying....

Tamiri

Mon, May 12 2008, 6:21 am

Breslov, for 6 nis it's worth the gas for me to bring him to you from here!

greentiger

Mon, May 12 2008, 6:22 am

I hope you told her not to bring the kid back tomorrow. (or that if she does she better pay more)

greentiger

Mon, May 12 2008, 6:22 am

btw I second what was said about you and your husband being tzadikim!!

mandksima

Mon, May 12 2008, 6:35 am

the teenagers her get 10-15 an hour, mostly 15, even up to 18 for the better ones graduating high school. Is it that much cheaper there? For 6 how can it be worth your time?

Seraph

Mon, May 12 2008, 7:13 am

Its generaelly six shekel an hour per kid, and if ur a metapelet watching 5 kids at 6 shekel an hour, thats 30 an hour. Babysitters generally watch your kids in your home and they take 10-15 an hour for a 12 year old girl babysitting... Whatever.
Tzaddikim? Not really. I didnt have much of a choice. Its not like I could tell the mother no- she had left by the time I got out of bed. I did tell her for next time, call me first, and I'll try to discuss the money issue with her, as its not worth my time to be tied down to the house for 6 shekel an hour. For someone who watches a bunch of kids and is already home, one more kid at 6 shekel an hour is worth it, but not for me.

Mama Bear

Mon, May 12 2008, 8:33 am

Next time tell your husband not to let a woman like that leave without talking to you first!