Since the twins were born, we have been through a lot of part-time mother’s helpers.
A few were just summer help and then had to go back to school. One had a mental breakdown due to personal reasons. (Not induced by us. I swear. I SWEAR.)
One thought being “on time” meant “showing up at some point in the afternoon unless there was a flake of snow or drop of rain on the ground and then she’ll see you tomorrow. Maybe.” One loved the twins but was almost adversarial with our bigger girls.
And then came Diane. (Name has been changed to protect her privacy – not because she’s in the witness protection program. Our one rule is that we don’t hire candidates with mob connections. This rule is flexible if they are really good at laundry.)
Diane is a great mother’s helper. She’s dependable, sweet, good with the kids, helps me with all the house stuff and is just easy to be around.
Ever day I pray that she will not suddenly announce her plans to move to California with her biker boyfriend or seek a workplace environment that is “less spirited.”
Which must be why 5-year-old Summer turned to her this week and said,
“I don’t like you. And I don’t want you to be my babysitter.”
Oh my god. Did my 5-year-old just attempt to fire my sitter?!
No one else was around at the time and this conversation was relayed to us by Diane when Rick got home from work. So Rick, in an effort to smooth things over, said,
“Now Summer. We know you didn’t mean that.”
And my precious daughter said, “Yes, I did.” (IN FRONT OF DIANE.)
And then, because this can get worse, we learn that this is not the first time Summer has tried to personally fire Diane.
Oh lordy. A lot of apologies went around at this point. Summer said, “I’m sorry.” We profusely apologized. Diane was very sweet about the whole thing and just wants things to be better between them.
Turns out, Summer (who can be very moody) misses some of her favorite sitters from the past who were a little more boisterous and goofy than Diane. Which I get. But STILL. Summer ended up making a very lovely card for Diane and we may have survived this little bump.
I certainly hope so because I really really really don’t want Diane to leave us and be back to interviewing candidates who wear ripped jeans and text during interviews.
19 Responses to my babysitter and my 5-year-old. this does not go well.
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kelcey kintner
Oh my GOD. I am completely used to the kids saying they don’t like ME (hey, it means I’m doing my job), but a good sitter is worth her weight in gold and I probably would have died right then and there, at the point at which the child said, “Yes I did!!!!”
Ouch!
Eew… ouch…
I fired my mom when I was three, came home from preschool and saw the mess my brother had made. I said “this place is dirty and you ate fired!” she’s still upset about and said little shit brother turns 40 next week. I feel so old that I can’t worry about it anymore!
Totally empathise with Summer-I distinctly remember trying to fire nannies and babysitters as a kid too. Wish my folks had thought of that ‘make a card to apologise’ idea though because maybe we wouldn’t have got through so many! Sure Diane will get over it!
Please go vote for Kelcey in the Circle of Moms Top #25 Funny Moms.
http://www.circleofmoms.com/bl…..roll_id=51
Right now she is #20 – even though we already know she is #1.
Oops. Try this link instead:
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Thanks!
I voted! I think Kelcey would get more votes if there was an image available. Maybe her logo. Or that sweet photo of her and Harlowe. Just sayin’.
Thanks for linking it. I voted!
Please stop letting your 5 year old watch “The Apprentice.” I thought we discussed that.
I have a 5-year-old who loves our current sitter, except when she doesn’t and would rather Miss Beth or Miss Ashley come back. So, yeah, I hear ya.
I babysat regularly when I was in my early 20s (pause for sweet nostalgia of those carefree times) and I ran into this with one family. The little boy would sometimes tell me “it’s time for you to go home.” Not sure he was firing me as much as he was dismissing me, sometimes minutes into my shift. It never bothered me. I chalked it up to him being jealous if I was playing with his sisters too much. Or him being 4 — fickle, fickle creatures.
The good news is Summer feels confident in herself and secure enough in her relationship with Diane to say potentially upsetting things. The bad news is that you and Daddy are probably next to get pink-slipped. So don’t take it too hard, Kelcey, when it happens. It’s the economy. Honest.
Ahh, 5 year olds. Keepin’ it real.
Summer sounds like she is well on her way to being an excellent supervisor.
Yikes!! I hate doing damage control like that!
Too funny!
Reminds me of when I was leaving my mom to babysit the kids and my 4 year old son said that “Grandma is stinky” to her face! Really, I just think that one of the kids farted and he blamed her.
Yeah, it seems to be a common thing to attempt to do the hiring and firing in this household, too. My 3 year truly is convinced that she is the best judge of character. If it were up to her, Flynn Rider from Rapunzel would be her new sitter.
My sentiments exactly. Word for word…only adding my daughter would prefer Flynn or Darth Vader. In her eyes, both equally qualified.