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Babysitting is one of the most underappreciated jobs out there. Quite a lot of people automatically assume that just because you’re a babysitter, you’ve got it easy. What they don’t often realize is that they’re seeing the tip of the iceberg: the world of babysitting is far deeper and far more demanding than you’d think… and it sometimes has a hilarious edge to it.
Case in point, the babysitters of Reddit have been sharing the weirdest and funniest rules that parents asked them to follow after redditor Foraring asked them to open up about their experiences. If you think you know everything there is to know about babysitting, you’re in for a few surprises. If you know nothing about babysitting, well, buckle in because it’s going to be a wild ride.
Pssst, Pandas, don’t forget to upvote the stories that you liked the most. Got any weird babysitting tales to tell of your own? Drop by the comment section at the bottom of this list.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Get ready for a creepy story....
I was 13 and was babysitting my neighbors’ kids. It was my first time, so the parents walked me through all the rules about the bathroom and tv and food and bedtime, etc. Just as the parents were taking off for the night, the mom came back in and whispered to me, “don’t go into the basement”. As a teenager in the 80s, my mind went to all of the scariest movies that had basements. I avoided the door to the basement all night until I had put the kids to bed. Then I walked slowly to the door and put my ear against it. I heard what sounded like whimpering. And then it sounded like sad laughing. I ran to the couch and started watching tv to get my mind off of it, but then I heard something fall in the basement and knew someone was down there. I really don’t know how I got the courage/stupidity to do it, but I went over and opened the door. The whining instantly got louder. I went down just three or four stairs so I could peek down....and I saw.....a goat. Not a ghost. A goat. As soon as the goat saw me, he started bleating loudly. It scared the crap out of me. I went upstairs and the goat was still bleating loudly...so much that it woke up the kids. The oldest girl came out and said, “Did you open the door to the basement?” I said, “Yeah, why?” She said, “When you do that, Carlos thinks you’re going to feed him and he starts yelling.” Thank god I knew it was a goat first, because if she had said that before I went down, I would’ve thought Carlos was some kidnapped person in the basement who would yell for food. It became very funny to me. The mom came home and I told her what happened and she almost died of laughing. They were repairing the goat pen and had to keep him in the basement for a few days. I still remember every moment of that night vividly.
Kanuli 4 years ago
Why did they not just tell you why 😂 I mean the reason was not for you to not go in the basement or keeping it secret, but to prevent the goat from expecting food obviously. Humans. Just communicate, we are often able to understand 😉
Al Cook 4 years ago
As a parent, I am guessing they were in a hurry and forgot to mention the goat, then didn't have time to explain fully as they were walking out the door. That's a funny one though!
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Vicky Z 4 years ago
That story had so unexpected twists!! I would recommend to remove the spoiler with the goat photo! It will make the story more interesting
Vicky Zar 4 years ago
First time I'm thankful the app does not show the pictures.
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Joanne Hudson 4 years ago
Its not funny when its you. I was an experienced babysitter when someone I'd known most of my life asked me to sit. She lived way out in the country. She didn't say anything about the basement but the kids were already in bed and asleep. The whole evening I heard sounds from the basement. When they got home they apologized; they'd got a new puppy. Another story is new people, kids in bed asleep. DON'T OPEN THE DOOR TO THE MASTER BEDROOM. Well, when you are taking care of people's kids, you are responsible. If there was an emergency, you would need to get everybody out of the house so there should be no secrets or surprises. I opened the door and discovered they were fostering a newborn who was on a VENTILATOR and they didn't bother to mention it.
RELATED:
#2
"If Brady stands by the door it just means he needs to go out. Open the door, and let him back inside in a few minutes."
Brady was a four year old boy.
Legen ( wait for it ) dary 4 years ago
Let me just say that this people follow the steps before have a child. First have Rock, then a plant, then a pet, then a child. 😅
Vicky Z 4 years ago (edited)
I'm currently at the stage where my rock is still alive and well! I have a long future in front of me
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grotesqueer 4 years ago
This need more explanation, I really can't tell what about this is supposed to be weird. The fact that the kid wouldn't ask to get out? Maybe he's nonverbal (eg autism) or just very shy of strangers? Or the fact that the parets would just let him go on his own? Maybe it's perfectly safe where they live, it really depends on the country/culture, the neighborhood and the yard and the area in genera. (Are there busy roads nearby? Is the yard safely fenced?)
Riley Quinn 4 years ago
Did they have to put him on a lunge line in the back or trust he'd simply return?
Tamara Kroonen 3 years ago (edited)
What happened to current generations? I vividly remember my neighbour kid in our street who was outside the house on the playground and said to me he was having his birthday. I asked him how old he was. He said 4. He was outside. Alone, with me, another kid. Nothing to worry about. All the kids were playing outside in the courtyard those days. Mom inside doing chores and father out working.
#3
Only 2 hours of reading time. To be fair, the mom was a librarian and her two kids were adorably nerdy. They had an entire room filled with books and even then we'd make trips to the library from time to time. The rest of the time was supposed to be outside or doing some activity. It was a super sweet deal too because she paid for not only her kids to have a pool pass but me as well, so we basically went everyday all summer and we would play in the pool.
Monday 4 years ago
I get this one. I would have limited reading time as a kid too because it was my favourite thing to do and if left to my own devices it's all I would do. Parents figured actually making me go play outside might make me a more well-rounded person. It didn't work, but I appreciate the effort.
~hUmMuS vIbEs~ 4 years ago
This isn't that weird; if it was nice weather outside, my parents would encourage me not to sit inside reading all day.
Liz Carroll 3 years ago
I would probably have just sat outside all day and read. Books are portable
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Luna 4 years ago
There are kids that don't even want to read for 5 minutes, I feel lucky my kids love to read... I love she recognized the importance and balance of all activities.
classbag 4 years ago
Not everyone is a good reader or enjoys books. I never hold that against someone. I would love it if my daughter likes reading when she gets older, but I won't consider myself a failure or her a less gifted child if she doesn't. Everyone has different hobbies, talents, and goals.
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Joe Reaves 4 years ago
Seems like it also reinforces that reading is a treat. Just like if you can convince broccoli is a reward they'll suddenly want it all the time. Helps keep the love of reading alive.
Lord Mysticlaw 4 years ago
Lol parents of non-readers often don't understand that a kid reading too much can indeed become a problem
just another teen 4 years ago
thats actually a good thing the kids will end up isolating them selves and not make any friends unless the get some activity in a social area
The world of babysitting is utterly captivating. I’ve been down this particular rabbit hole more than a handful of times, speaking to babysitters and industry professionals about their experiences taking care of other people’s children. Bizarre rules often spring up from the fact that each and every parent believes that they (and they alone!) know what’s best for their child.
There’s nothing wrong with that, however, it can make it difficult to look at things objectively from time to time. Your child might be the center of your universe, but that doesn’t mean that the 101 rules you’ve got in place for nannies are solid—they might scare away potentially great babysitters, instead.
#4
I had to change the kids cloth diaper every 2 hours on the dot. The kid was 6. I assumed it was for some sort of disability or something, but no. His parents just didn't want to potty train him, and the kid was content with being babied. I remember just making the kid put his own diaper on and encouraged him to use the bathroom if he had to go. I never went back.
~hUmMuS vIbEs~ 4 years ago
Why did they have a kid if they couldn't bothered to potty train him?
Rissie 4 years ago
Kids by that age will have potty trained themselves even if no active action was taken. Nights are different, but during the day, with no dissability, their minds are developed enough to be able to hold their pee and poop ánd feel a slight form of healthy disgust of not wanting to walk around in their own excrement. This would need some very active force against nature to get to this point and is a real sick dynamic.
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UpupaEpops 4 years ago
Was he homeschooled or something? In my country, no school would have accepted him.
Kat Olmstead 4 years ago
I would absolutely refuse to change the diaper of a 6 year old. This is beyond crazy.
Vicky Z 4 years ago
I wonder how they accept him! In my country they don't accept you in kindergartens if your child is not potty trained!! And this kid is older!
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M 4 years ago
This is so gross. First, please, please potty train your kid. They won't get any friends if they poop their pants. Second, he should've potty trained himself naturally by now, and third, with a kid this age, you should be able to just explain it. They will probably master it after a day or two.
#5
I’m a professional nanny and one of the families I worked for had a strict “no games” rule. Not as in video games, but as in any game that could have a winner and a loser. No board games, no tag, nothing. “Winning and losing leads to hurt feelings” was their explanation. I’d have to stop the girls any time they said something like “I bet I can get to the end of the driveway faster” and remind them “Mom and Dad say no competition, remember?” Everything had to be perfectly equal or the parents would lose it completely. I fired them as clients shortly after.
Monday 4 years ago
Yup....sure losing leads to hurt feeling but you're gonna lose a lot in life so better to get used to it early.
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Vicky Z 4 years ago
My God!!! They are raising two poor kids into extremely problematic adults that will face huge disappointment in their lives in the future!! What are these parents thinking? Losing is part of life too!! It will happen whether they want it or not!!! What's the point of being completely unprepared for that?
Otter 4 years ago
I suppose there's a small possibility that the kids have already developed a vicious sibling rivalry, and turn into screaming monsters any time there's a chance of one of them winning or losing... and this is their attempt to deal with the problem. Unlikely, of course, since it's 99% sure that the parents are just trying to keep the kids from having to deal with reality, but there's always that 1% chance ...
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Tamra Stiffler 4 years ago (edited)
Dealing with loss happens throughout our lives. Start teaching kids that losing isn't the end of the world - teach them resilience.
ThatOneWriter 4 years ago
How - I honestly cannot fathom how this works??? People are generally competitive and kids having small competitions are a way to experience winning and losing and how to handle both.
Melissa McGuire 4 years ago
How about learning to love to play. Winning is fine losing is fine - playing is the joy.
chrissy goodman 4 years ago
these parents r setting their kids up for major problems as adults. the kids will most likely get depression mayb even anxeity and deep stress issues. alot of therapy and meds r in these kids futures if they dont teach them losing is a part of life. wats going to happen if a guy breaks up with them r the gonna say "thats not nice it hurts my feelings. u shouldnt break up with me its wrong"? like come on im worried for these kids. ive had my fair share of weird rules too wen i was a nanny. id actually meet with parents before hand and talk about the rules and honestly if i wasnt ok with the rules i wouldnt do the job. i didnt want to disrespect the parents by not following the rules but i also didnt want to follow their rules so ya. this wouldve been a job i didnt take
#6
I watched 2 girls and the parents asked if I would give them a bath- I thought no problem... then they told me that I must get in the bath with the 2 girls for safety reasons... I said I didn’t have my bathing suit and they both looked at me like I had three heads and asked why I would wear a suit.. girls got a bath without me in the tub and I searched the bathroom for a hidden camera.. didn’t find one, but still never went back.
Sonia Reddel 4 years ago
Haha when I was a teenager I babysat for a new age type mother. I say babysat but she was there the whole time. After swimming once she couldn't understand why I wouldn't have a bath with her 5 year old son in the nude. They both pushed and pushed. People are nuts.
Sonia Reddel 4 years ago
She showered fully nude with the door open and walked around naked too. Just remembered.
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ChickyChicky 4 years ago
This is so wildly inappropriate for a parent to allow a child to think it's okay to have any old adult be naked with them.
chrissy goodman 4 years ago
wen i was a nanny baths r one of the things i did my way. ud b suprised how many bath rules some parents have. i always made it fun for them like bath time was an adventure or something. no parent ever knew i did it too except 1 set. they had a baby camera in the bathroom they never yelled at me they just simply asked if i was willing to come by wenever bathtime was bc there was no way they could recreate wat i do. they were so impressed that their child was loving bath time they wanted to do it too. instead i wrote them a book on how to really get the childs mind working and all the steps and and preparations needed as well as wat type of attitude to have. a few weeks later i got a phone call they succeeded the whole week the child wanted bath time and never complained.
SoozeeQ 4 years ago
You should create an ebook and sell it! Plenty of other people might want to learn those tricks too.
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Marcellus II 4 years ago
The idea of the camera is pretty extremely disturbing, as it would feature their own chiefly, so I'd not worry about that.
Parmeisan 4 years ago (edited)
Unless they a) wanted to watch a video later of the babysitter nude, or b) were trying to set them up to sue them. I'd worry about it.
Load More Replies... Veerle Dickx 4 years ago
I'm quite relaxed with nudity, I don't like my kids bathing with other nude kids or me/my husband. But with the babysitter?
Babysitting can be very lucrative if you’ve got the right skills and work with the right clients. Professional babysitter and redditor, Nannyponyo, told Bored Panda earlier how she once worked a job where she got a whopping 700 dollars per week. The clients also provided room and board and compensated for the use of her car during work hours.
“I think the most unreasonable demands are absurd restrictions for no reason. I have worked with several special needs kids or kids with special circumstances (severe allergies, anxiety, etc.), and some truly need healthy restrictions, but I’ve met with many families who expect a 45+ hour work week and the caregiver is not allowed to leave the home with the child,” the nanny shared with Bored Panda the range of parents that nannies can expect to work with during their careers.
#7
"just let the kid be right, we believe in his achievement"
...he's f**king 5 and wants to kick your lapdog around the house. No, we're doing it my way today.
Babysat twice for them.
Al Cook 4 years ago
Why are there so many people that dont seem to realize what this kind of s**t parenting will lead to as the kid gets older, and even worse thinks his word is gospel as an adult. It's like they want them to be a narcissistic psycho!
Monday 4 years ago
That might be exactly what they're going for. Narcissistic sociopaths tend to do quite well for themselves in life since they have no problem crushing other people's dreams to reach their own.
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Lara Verne 4 years ago
What exactly is "achievement"? Out-of-control kid? Parents should already set boundaries, 5 is old enough to understand it.
chrissy goodman 4 years ago
me and my husband believe u should have to retake ur driving test wen u reach 70. now lets add a test for couples to see if they should b having kids. honestly its parents like these that cause the children with attitude and entitlement problems
Jessica Combrink 4 years ago
Reminds me of the scene in Kim's Convenience tv show where the mom insists her child must never hear the word, "no" and tries to make Mr Kim (store owner) apologise for shouting at her son for making a mess in his store.
BeExcellentToEachother 4 years ago
I love that show. I also knew a lady who did the same thing. Her 5 year old never heard "no". I caught him destroying the mini blinds in a church and told him "no, don't do that." The kid didn't care, just walked off to destroy something else. She got really upset I had stopped him and said no, she said he was too young to understand and he should be allowed to do whatever he wants to do so he "develops naturally". Smh
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Damon Hill 4 years ago
A large part of what's wrong with society today. The mother and/or father failed at being a parent and now the grown kid has no concept of how to be a productive member of society. Just because you can have children doesn't mean you should. People say "what that kid needs is a good ass whoopin" which is true but in most cases, so does the mother and/or father ( I didn't say "parent(s) because if they had been "parent(s)" then the child wouldn't need disciplining)
#8
Asked me to drive their three year old twins around in my personal vehicle for 2.5 hours because “that’s the only way they can nap”.
No. I simply put the kids in their beds, closed the door, and they were asleep in 15 minutes.
Legen ( wait for it ) dary 4 years ago
Don't forget that many parents are learning to deal with some things for the first time in their lives and many feel ashamed to ask for help. Maybe they try this and it worked, and that's why they keep doing it. You have more experience and found a better way, now speak with parents as teach them.
Riley Quinn 4 years ago
Parents are learning as they go, but that doesn't give them the right to impose upon the babysitter because they're clueless.
Load More Replies... ChickyChicky 4 years ago
PEOPLE! KIDS VERY OFTEN BEHAVE MUCH BETTER WITH OTHER ADULTS THAN THEIR PARENTS! Yes, I know I'm shouting, but you think it's so easy to just put the kids down and they go to sleep for the babysitter, that's because the kids don't feel as comfortable with the babysitter and they obey better. Kids do this at school, in lessons, etc. They know parents will still care for them no matter what (at least kids with loving parents), but they don't want to lose the affection of the other adult, they want to be liked by that adult.
Mindghost 4 years ago
I know a person that "learned" to sleep when the mom was vacuuming. Now he gets really tired everytime he hears a vacuum cleaner :D
Gregg Bender 4 years ago
One of our kids had colic so bad as a baby that driving her around was the only way we could get her too sleep. She grew out of it, thank dog.
Riley Quinn 4 years ago
On the rare occasion I couldn't fall asleep, my father would drive me around the circular driveway. Father. Driveway. Not a babysitter driving in traffic. People expect way too much of their service people. Babysitter's response: Perfect.
#9
I had to put the kids to sleep with the CD player going. That wasn't the weird part.
It was a recording of their parents basically going "Molly, you are wonderful. You are a star. You're going to shine bright." That isn't super weird...But it was like several hours long, and apparently they listened to it every night.
ERIKA H. 4 years ago
It's words of affirmation. I think that's great. It would probably be better to just come directly from the parents though
PattonPawter 4 years ago
The parents probably tell the kids those words, but the CD is just because the parents aren’t there to tell the kids that
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Stannous Flouride 4 years ago
I suspect that the words just became meaningless white noise in pretty short order.
Crystal Pearson 4 years ago
nope, as you're falling asleep that in-between state is where everything goes directly to your subconscious making it anything but meaningless white noise
Load More Replies... ThatOneWriter 4 years ago
I understand wanting to encourage your kid but this feels like the entirely wrong way to do it.
Anna roberts 4 years ago
Yeah cause it's called mind control, scary stuff
Load More Replies... WilvanderHeijden 4 years ago
Wasn't this a notorious way of torturing people in dictatorial regimes to "re-educate" them?
According to redditor Nannyponyo, parents who don’t let their kids leave the house and, well, play and act like kids are doing them plenty of harm. “They’re destroying any chance for their child to grow and develop socially and often motor skills are delayed because they’re afraid to let their child out of the house to run and climb and play the way they should,” she said.
“I think they believe that it’s their child that they are raising the way they want to (which I do agree with, to an extent) and all rules should be blindly followed. But some nannies (like myself) have been in the field for many years and can offer valuable insight and advice, which they are rarely willing to take because parenting is so personal,” the babysitter explained that some parents are unwilling to listen to professional advice, no matter how good it might be.
#10
Babysat for a family that had three boys, one a newborn. I was never to feed the baby by holding it next to me, but I was to put it on my legs and make eye contact with him at all times...no cuddling. Also, I was never to let the older boys lose any game we were playing. I quit after about a month.
Al Cook 4 years ago
Good luck to those kids when they're older and have to face the competitive environment of the real world! Honestly, this "there are no losers" bullshit with participation certificates does noone any favours. It's better to learn that you won't always win and will sometimes experience disappointment in life when you're a kid, than to be dysfunctional as an adult because you never had that lesson earlier in life.
Otter 4 years ago
Except that that wasn't "there are no losers" bull, that's " there's winners and lovsers and we're going to make you expect to win all the time, so that reality will eventually crush your spirit" bull.
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Tamra Stiffler 4 years ago
Parents need to teach kids to be gracious in both losing and winning, and to not be defined by either. That's what I've tried to do anyway. Fingers crossed! 😉
ChickyChicky 4 years ago
Perhaps the parents were teaching the kid that, but didn't want to subject the sitter to the kid having a meltdown when losing.
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Celtic Pirate Queen 4 years ago
Participation trophies are just about the worst idea for kids, ever. All that teaches them is that they don't have to put in any real effort. Why try harder if everyone gets the same trophy? Yeah, good luck in the workforce.
Riley Quinn 4 years ago (edited)
Keep in mind that these parent-enabled children will one day be working in areas where your life depends on them. Start practicing how to kiss your ar*e goodbye.
#11
When I was a kid, there was a mom who would only allow her kids to do art on Tuesdays. I never learned why it was only one day or why it was Tuesday. But she totally flipped out one day when we did it on the wrong day.
Jo Johannsen 4 years ago
Sounds more irrational than evil. Psych consult in order for the mother.
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Sueet2b 4 years ago
Maybe because of the mess the kids can make. I'm a mom, I get nervous when my babysitter lets my girls paint. I don't have any rules over that just to not paint in the carpeted areas. But it still gets messy....so maybe the mom on Tuesdays clears things out that can be stained and puts them to the side like some expensive cushions or her clothes that she usually leaves laying around or anything that sticks out that the kids tend to run around while or after painting. Paint gets everywhere when your kids are little.
classbag 4 years ago
This is a good point. Some kids make really huge messes when they make art, so having a designated time and day that the mother can properly prepare for and the child can look forward to makes sense.
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Paul Pienkowski 2 years ago
I think this is OCD. That is a very OCD thing to do. We HAVE to stick to our schedule or we will "flip out" (panic attack).
#12
“Don’t let the children play with the nonbelievers.” They were a super Christian family that I babysat for a few times. One time the children were looking out the window at the neighbors playing and I asked if they wanted to go outside and play, and I s**t you not, this little 5 year old looks me in the eyes and says “We can’t. They are not of God.” So f**king creepy. I wasn’t asked back after I accidentally said “oh my gosh” one time. Apparently gosh is too close to god lmao
Parmeisan 4 years ago
What if I want to go to Heck to meet this guy cerberus-a...758322.png 
PebbleBoy Gaming 4 years ago
This kind of stuff annoys me. It's the stuff that gives Christians bad names. And Jesus hung out with "non-believers" all the time. The pharisees even questioned him about it and he said that it is not the healthy that need a doctor but the sick.
Viviane 4 years ago
Equating others with evil contaminants is one definition of a cult.
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Lara Verne 4 years ago
"Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" apparently does not fit their beliefs.
Dave Harris 4 years ago
Not Christian behaviour at all! Jesus taught us to love our neighbours.
Grace Noyes 4 years ago
When my kids were in elementary school, we lived next door to these fundamentalist Christian weirdos. Five boys, all homeschooled. They weren't allowed to play with my two boys because mine had action figures that one boy told my son "weren't Godly." The most freaky thing, though, was one time when I heard them playing in their backyard and the oldest boy said to his brothers, "You be the church, and I'll be the wicked government." Sent shivers up my spine.
Autumn Artemis 4 years ago
Dunno what version of the Bible they’re reading, but wasn’t Jesus constantly trying to take down barriers between Gentile and Jew? Love thy neighbor? What is this-
“That’s the same reason I believe they often don’t want to offer adequate compensation: it’s personal. They’re (most likely, in my experience) paying you under the table, they’re trying to get a good deal, and they love their child. They don’t think that looking after their ‘precious angel’ is a job; it’s a treat. They would love to be home with their child all day, so I think they feel like it’s not a real job. It’s something you get to do, and they’re mad they have to pay someone to do it.”
#13
Wasn't a rule, but on my first day they sent over an adult male friend of theirs who asked to come in. I said no, and was then told I was being tested and I had passed.
yeciye 4 years ago
If you're already a f*ucked up employer like this, why announce it was a test? The guy might have just reported the results to the employer and the employee would never know.
Muff_Fluff 4 years ago
I don’t think this was bad, just wanted to know the babysitter could be trusted.
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Memere 4 years ago
I sorta understand their fears, but it makes me shudder to think what happened to the parents to make them do this 'testing'.
Riley Quinn 4 years ago
Had many a client pull these "tests" on my crews. Eg. they'd tuck a $20 in the seat cushions. If it was still there, it meant we didn't properly clean. If it was gone, it meant we were thieves. Always had my crews place the "found" objects on the counter.
Pudgy Panda 4 years ago
Why are you leaving your children with someone you aren’t sure you can trust??? 😳
MellonCollie 4 years ago
Wow, that's ff-ed up. Many of these posts are really super weird, but this is one is pretty next level.
Marcellus II 4 years ago
Can't believe this one is at #15 as we speak, while #1 is "They weren't allowed dessert unless finished their main, WTF!".
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#14
My mom told me a story of when she you to babysit during her teenage years. She did it for this religious family whose church did not believe in television or their members watching it. She would bring a portable tv with her to watch once the kids were asleep. The parents came home and they were captivated by it. They would invite her over just so they could watch television.
Monday 4 years ago
I would assume she got the usual babysitting money for bringing over a TV...sounds like a win.
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Nunya Bus 4 years ago
In a sad way, that's sort of sweet. I was reading this expecting them to yell at the poor girl for bringing "Satan" into the home by way of a television but instead they found it fascinating and wanted to watch. I want to more. What did they like? What year was this so what was on at the time. Are we talking 50's 60's 70's 80's? Did they ever watch the news when she was over? M*A*S*H? Leave it to Beaver? Family Ties? Small Wonder? I mean that's so interesting...
Autumn Artemis 4 years ago
That… was a surprising ending. I can just imagine two fully grown adults walking in on Looney Toons and just being absolutely mesmerized
Heather Evans 4 years ago
Did they KNOW they were adults and could get a tv if they wanted one?
#15
The kid couldn't have dessert if she didn't finish her dinner. Problem was she was about 4 or 5 and dinner was two cheeseburgers and sides. She ate half of one and,was okay with not getting dessert
Jonathan 4 years ago
Wtf?! TWO cheesburgers and sides for a 4/5 year old?! Even this 33 year old couldn't manage that.
chrissy goodman 4 years ago
my husband could but then again only if hes really hungry. this kid has definitely been thru some stuff if they r 4/5 and ok with no dessert. ive been a nanny and not once met a kid who didnt want dessert
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Vorknkx 4 years ago
Why is it such a big deal if kids don't eat their entire meal? Force-feeding is way worse than having to store or throw away leftovers.
Night Owl 4 years ago
I agree. It can mess you up for life :( Best way to create eating problems. I'm in my 30s and still have a problem with forcing myself too eat everything up
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Lara Verne 4 years ago
I don't know how big these cheesburgers are, but two seems like too much for little kid. Not to mention it's not healthy.
J. Normal 4 years ago
Much better than playing the " clean plate club". Our rule - eat a bit of everything on your plate, and you are good. Dessert was a small "snack" about 2 hrs later. That started bedtime routine - gave sugar time to break down and any crash put them to sleep as he was reading
Thomas Ewing 4 years ago
I've seen a parent serve grown-up portions to 5-6-year-olds and command they finish every bite. Lots of tears.
Andrea Purzycki 4 years ago
Two cheeseburgers? Are we sure that it wasn't that one cheeseburger was for the child and one was for the babysitter and the babysitter was confused and thought both were for the child?
Redditor Nannyponyo said that parents love their children and would be willing to do anything for them. “There’s a connection there that someone else could never have, and they can’t imagine not having that connection, so they treat it like it’s not a job, it’s a privilege. The ‘you’re so lucky you get to stay home with my baby while I have to go to work’ mindset, when in reality we leave our families to take care of yours; we don’t want to leave our families in the morning for work any more than you do, but it’s our job.”
#16
Not a rule but a single mom once told me to use the bat by the door in the event the kids father comes by and tries to take them. That was pretty weird and uncomfortable.
Al Cook 4 years ago
That's actually f****d up. If she's that concerned about them being kidnapped she either shouldn't be leaving them, or the cops should be involved. She certainly shouldn't be relying on a babysitter to assault someone. Looking at it from another perspective, she could also have been a bit of a psycho who had lost them in court and was hiding.
Not A Panda 4 years ago
"shouldn't be leaving them" can maybe not be helped due to having to earn money to eat. "cops should be involved" it's quite amazing what cops won't get involved in unless you're already dead.
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Lord Mysticlaw 4 years ago
My daughter's school receptionist had a list of names and photos of parents who were not allowed to pick up their kids from school. I don't know if that's a common thing in schools but I found it so sad that there are kids in that kind of situation.
Dawn Nelson 4 years ago
Coming from being an abuse victim here, a restraining order is only a piece of paper in the end and even the cops will tell you “you need to have your own way of self protection”. Living in constant fear and having to work and raise kids alone is hard and survival mode can mess with your mind and you do become weird like this I believe.
Otter 4 years ago
If the ex was that big a danger, and she had to leave them,, then the kids would be safer in a day care center that has multiple staff members and security cameras, and which was near a police station, not at home with a kid and a baseball bat.
classbag 4 years ago
I'm not justifying the mom's actions because that's an insane request to make of a babysitter, but daycare is really expensive, so the mom may not have been able to afford it. And it also may have been in the evening or night time.
Load More Replies... #17
Oh god this is my time to shine. I babysat for this family for the first time ever and the mother was walking me around the house, giving me instructions and showing me around and then stopped at the fridge. She explained to me that when I sent her son to bed, I was to give him 1 hotdog out of the fridge. No heating it, no bun, just a cold soggy hotdog for her son to munch on in bed. Apparently he ate one every night. This was like 7 years ago and I seriously haven’t stopped thinking about it.
Katherine Boag 4 years ago
Hot dog is better than something sugary like milk or juice at least...
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Lord Mysticlaw 4 years ago
I wonder if this started out as some kind of thumb sucking substitute?
Kanuli 4 years ago
This means a sausage right? No bread? Is there no risk the kid could choke to death, eating half sleeping?
Legen ( wait for it ) dary 4 years ago
Yes it's a sausage. Not really half sleeping, normally kids have a lot of energy and sleep time is like a magic word for a boost of energy. But it's a strange before sleeping wish.
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Jo Johannsen 4 years ago
Risky if not downright dangerous. Hotdogs are notorious for presenting a choking hazard to young children unless cut up in a way to minimize that risk. On top of that, eating a whole one while lying down in bed? Hope the kid is still alive.
Robin Roper 4 years ago
Gross! I babysat for a family for about two weeks. The dad had taken a job with the company my father worked for and they needed someone to watch the kids during the day. I have no idea where the mom went each day because she didn't have a job. They had no food in the house except for a few water crackers and cheese. There was no fruit, no snacks, no milk, no juice - no food of any kind for the children. They left me money to walk to a small cafe/diner few blocks away were we bought hotdogs and chips for lunch. One day the mom talked about how they needed a new television. My thought was maybe you'll see these things called "commercials" and happen to see some that featured food. It was a very odd family.
#18
The mom had me put her kids in their car seats and sit in the driveway with all the car doors open while she just hung out inside the house. 5 hours of me standing in the driveway watching them sit inside their car. Never returned.
Edit: I meant I never returned to babysit for her again, not that the mother mysteriously disappeared.
As for people asking why I didn’t take them somewhere, she specifically asked me to just sit in the driveway with them. I also didn’t have my drivers license yet so I couldn’t have taken them anywhere even if I wanted to. The kids were twins who were 4 years old, I think. They were weirdly, weirdly well behaved and didn’t complain about what we were doing. To this day I have no idea what she was doing inside or why she didn’t just let them play in the yard. I am just as confused as you.
Cheryl Zandt 4 years ago
That's sad. Maybe this isn't what was happening with them, but it's a pretty normal response in severely emotionally neglected kids not to cry or complain
Jean Peterson 4 years ago
Yes, yes it is. They know that they will not be helped if they cry or scream so eventually they just do nothing.
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Jennine Paul 4 years ago
Four year olds who sit in a car that long, being well behaved is NOT normal and quite sad. Kids that act that way are usually not well cared for and have learned that crying and/or whining (normal responses for needs and attention in infancy or childhood) goes unnoticed.
Mohsie Supposie 4 years ago
Twin 4-year olds just sitting in car seats for 5 HOURS straight, without saying anything?
#19
I was to keep my skin entirely covered because they were concerned that the newborn drooling on me was too intimate. I had to drape a fresh baby blanket over my entire body every time I was to hold him.
Otter 4 years ago
Well no, they were probably worried about the baby forming skin-to-skin attachment with someone who wasn't a family member. Which may be crazy for a baby that isn't a newborn, I woukdnt know, and we aren't told how old the kid is.
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Courtney Grace 4 years ago
Who in the heck sexualises a newborn! What is wrong with people?!!!!
Tonija Mikula 3 years ago
unless the baby was rabid contagious, or the parents were severely OCD about baby drool I'd be curious to find out just what exact "intimacy" they believed baby drool conveyed. Were they convinced their baby was an alien hybrid whose saliva could burn through my skin? Were they Lichen-vampire conspiracists that needed to keep me from getting infected and polluting the bloodline? I'd need to know.
#20
One woman I found through care.com was just generally pretty weird. Some of the weirder things were:
-only let the kids have 3 spoonfuls of peanut butter each
-the boy might want to throw softballs at me, just try to catch them to avoid getting hit
-also if he doesn't want to brush his teeth just hold him down and do it for him even if he's screaming
Also both times I babysat she didn't tell me when she'd be home and didn't how up until the middle of the night, totally wasted. The first time she forgot to pay me, and I was too nervous to say anything so she had me pick cash up from her mailbox later in the week. She shorted me $5.
The kids screamed, hit, fought, and made messes the whole time, and wanted me to chase them around the yard with sticks. I did not. I also stopped going there.
Al Cook 4 years ago
I can see reasons for the three rules if there's a bit more context. The coming home in the middle of the night wasted thing is a bit unfair though.
Parmeisan 4 years ago
The first one, yes. The third is a lot to ask of a babysitter who is probably only a teenager themselves. The second one concerns me the most, it sounds like they are just too lazy to teach their kids not to throw things at people. That could lead to somebody getting very hurt someday.
Load More Replies... Vicky Z 4 years ago
Stories that involve kids are scarier than the ones with animals usually 😅😅
Load More Replies... Memere 4 years ago
The last two rules are insane! #2 is "let my kids assault you", and #3 is "it's okay to physically assault my kid". That needed to be reported to child protective services!
classbag 4 years ago (edited)
My daughter's dentist actually showed me how to safely restrain her and brush her teeth, even while she was squirming and crying. She said I needed to keep doing it despite how much my daughter hated it because otherwise she'd never get used to it and be engrained with good mouth and tooth hygiene habits. So I did as the dentist told me with a lot of soothing and kisses and hugs, and after a while, my daughter stopped fighting me and began cooperating. It's not appropriate to ask a babysitter to do, but parents sometimes have to be willing to do this sort of thing for their child's wellbeing. You just have to accompany it with other methods to help them not be traumatized by it.
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Riley Quinn 4 years ago
Hit me with a softball accidently, no problem. Hit me with a softball deliberately, and I'll toss you.
Heather Evans 4 years ago
When I was 11 a woman in my neighborhood paid me $5/hr to babysit her 3 kids (ages 5, 7 and 9). I had no business babysitting 3 kids at 11 Yeats old, but my mom let me and at 11 years old I'd never earned $25 whole dollars so I was stoked. The kids' bedroom, nay the entire upstairs, was 1 fool thick floor of toys and clothes. Mom would come home at 2 or 3 am but only pay me till 10 pm. One evening I came over and the oldest (9 yr old) daughter had seemingly rolled around in a bed of sand spurs. Her entire 2 ft long head of hair was matted with them. I spent the entire night ignoring her siblings and painstakingly combing out the sand spurs with conditioner. I like to think, as ill-equipped as I was to babysit 3 kids at 11, that night I wad there for that girl in a way her mom wasn't willing to be.
#21
The mother asked me to stop by the house to meet her 2 year old son a week before I was supposed to babysit him for the first time. I pulled up to the house and saw that the young boy was standing at the glass front door with a t-shirt on and nothing else. I go in and I must have given the child a strange look because the mom started to explain that her son doesn't like to wear pants so they let him run around pants-less with no diaper on, though he isn't potty trained. I told her that this made me uncomfortable and asked if I could put pants on him when I was watching him, and she got upset with me and said they don't like to make their 2 year old son do anything he doesn't like to do so they let him run around without pants on, which unfortunately means he goes to the bathroom on the floor since he won't wear a diaper and he isn't potty-trained.
Legen ( wait for it ) dary 4 years ago
The idea of a 2 years old dictate what he want to do and what not makes me totally agree with you.
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smugdruggler 4 years ago
People need to realise that parenting is not about pleasing kids all the time, it's about producing a functioning adult to replace them.
lightbulb 4 years ago
And this is how you end up with misbehaving kids who don't listen or respect you.
Tristan J 4 years ago
The comments are clearly from people who aren't old enough to have had kids. To clarify, even if a kid is wearing a nappy, they can and will pull it off and get it all over the floor at some point anyway, deal with it. There are far worse things than allowing a potty-training aged kid run around without pants, it's how they learn. The poster sounded very much like the issue was with nudity, and the toileting issues were secondary, in which case, they must have had a very oppressive upbringing if they get uncomfortable in that situation, and will really struggle if they ever procreate themselves.
classbag 4 years ago (edited)
Tbf, while I see nothing wrong with diaper-less time, the mother's reason (never wanting to make the kid do anything he doesn't want to do) and her getting mad at the babysitter are the problem here. That being said, this is far from the first kid who's been allowed to run around without a diaper on. Babies and small toddlers SHOULD be allowed to have diaper-less time, regardless of whether or not they're potty trained, because it helps prevent and treat diaper rash and it also saves on diaper waste. Diaper-less time is also used to help some kids learn to potty train. Also, while it may not be true in this case, letting kids run around the house without a diaper doesn't mean parents NEVER make them wear one or that they're unable to warn the parents when they have to go to the bathroom.
Load More Replies... Memere 4 years ago (edited)
Hope they plan to home school the kid, because I haven't heard of any school that allows a student to attend with a naked butt!
Concept-Peter Roosdorp 4 years ago
Why would people get uncomfortable with a child who doesn't wear pants? (Not saying anything about this situation or not forcing the kid to wear pants.)
Roshni Sapra 4 years ago
The child isn’t potty trained and could just poop on the floor
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Daniela Strobl 4 years ago
I know the US isn't doing well with naked kids but it's not so uncommon where I live. Yet, we don't let kids do their business on the floor.
DuchessDegu 4 years ago
My brother, as a toddler, pulled down his nappies a lot specially on very hot days as it made him uncomfortable. It was ok by my parents/grandparents, until the day he came running and giggling from the kitchen to the living room with brown stuff all over his hands, arms and face. It wasn't chocolate.
#22
Mom was a-okay with girls aged 7 and 9 watching Grease every day, leading the girls to ask over lunch one day what a hooker was. Mom was NOT okay with them watching Disney's Hercules, as it centered around gods other than the One True.
yeciye 4 years ago
That's fine. Later, when they're teenagers, they will still watch Hercules; their fascination with Old Gods will fuel their teenage angst; they will rebel beautifully.
Lord Mysticlaw 4 years ago
"They will rebel beautifully" is the best statement I've ever heard
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Olivier Caissy 4 years ago (edited)
Bugs Bunny VHS at my godmother’s house, there was one sketch she forbade her kids and me to watch, always skipping it. Saw it one day when it was only my mom and me in the house, it was about the greek gods. GM was super religious so no other gods allowed.
Marcellus II 4 years ago
So talking rabbits are real but gods aren't? Well OK then.
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Niall Mac Iomera 4 years ago
Does she also forbid her kids from say certain days of the week because they're named after gods?
NotTodaySatan!! 4 years ago
I can't believe out of all the things in Grease (amazing movie I've watched a bazillion times) to ask questions about they managed to focus on one word in a song. Lol
Jonny Man 4 years ago
As entertaining as the Disney Hercules could be, I have to dock it points for its sheer mythic inaccuracy, and further points for "Hades is the devil" stuff AND making Hera a good Mother! Keven Sorbo is where it's at, and Xena's not bad either. Or you can learn it the way I did, with the Usborne Book Of Greek Mythology! Look it up, between the art and the stories it is WELL worth your time!
ThatRandomGuy 4 years ago
3 things: 1. This woman was DEFINITELY a cultist, 2. Hercules is actually pronounced Heracles and indeed is WAY dirtier, and 3. you probably shouldn't let a 7 year old watch a movie that's literally about letting the Male dominate the female
#23
One had me feed her 1 year old ONLY from a freshly opened baby food container. If she only ate two or three spoonfulls, I was to throw it away and when she wanted more in 15 minutes I was to open a new one. I thought it was so she would finish her meal and be full for a while, but she said it was OK to feed her every time she wanted it. I would probably throw away 5 or 6 jars in a 2 hour sitting. They cost more than I usually made for sitting.
Monday 4 years ago
They were probably just overprotective. Afraid that germs would get into the food and make their baby sick.
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Kenya Tate 4 years ago
Years ago the jars used to say to throw away after one feeding. The idea being that feeding from the jar caused bacteria to become introduced. Most of us frugal (broke) parents got around this by pouring the baby food into a warmer plate then recapping and storing in fridge.
classbag 4 years ago (edited)
They still say that. When I first started on solids with my girl, I used to always scoop some of the food into a bowl with a clean spoon and then immediately recap the jar and put it in the fridge. I'd try to use it within two days after opening or throw it away. I eventually learned to ease up a little, but everything you read about food safety with babies makes you paranoid because their immune systems are so fragile.
Load More Replies... Vicky Z 4 years ago
I get so angry with people wasting food!!! A friend used to work for a family and was preparing meals for them! They made her make huge amounts of food and the next day she had to cook a new meal and throw the old one!! They never ate a previous day's meal and they always demanded portions for two families for no reason! They just didn't care!
Diana Pahule 3 years ago
I suppose they would also have a fit if she decided to take the leftovers home.
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Valisbourne Spiritforge 4 years ago
Sounds like a kid I knew who had to have a clean glass every time he took a drink. Not a refill, a drink. His mom kept disposable cups for him because if she didn't he would dirty every glass in the house in a day. (never did understand that one)
Diana Pahule 3 years ago
Kids come up with all kinds of interesting habits. Normally they outgrow them.
Load More Replies... Dawn Nelson 4 years ago
Curiously, coming from working in a hospital we are very strict like this for sanitary reasons. I wonder if this is some mindset that it can get contaminated and make the kid sick. Who knows but what a waste yes.
Riley Quinn 4 years ago
Parents have a unique level of foolishness that I'll never understand.
#24
OMG thanks for asking because you reminded me of a weird thing.
The 3 year old daughter HAD to watch this vhs tape of a live Fleetwood Mac concert before bed.
I was like, okay cute , that’s adorable, 3 year olds love the weirdest things she’s so quirky and this will be fun.
But she didn’t love it. She always wanted to watch land before time instead. But it was always on the note left for me. Like /pager number, pediatrician, chicken soup for dinner is in fridge and, and WATCH FLEETWOOD MAC at 630 before bed/
Obviously the family eventually found out I wasn’t making her watch it, as I had no f**king reason to believe it was a secret. They were clearly upset by this and I was never called back to babysit.
Chewie Baron 4 years ago
Maybe it's to do with Stevie Nicks and her love of lace?
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Riley Quinn 4 years ago
And, she will grow up to hate her parents who will sit huddled in tears wondering why.
ThatRandomGuy 4 years ago
I get the kid wanting to watch the land before time, but Fleetwood Mac is awesome!
#25
I was told that the only thing she specifically wasn't allowed to do was eat a bowl of sugar
Al Cook 4 years ago
I get this, my eldest daughter will steal anything she can get her hands on from the pantry, including bags of sugar. Anything sweet is now kept in a locker!
Monday 4 years ago
I would also steal sugar and secretly eat spoonfuls of it as a child....the rule makes total sense to me.
Load More Replies... Roxy Eastland 4 years ago
That reads like the parents were pretty laid back but learnt a lesson along the way
Jo Johannsen 4 years ago
I would be tempted with brown sugar, but not plain table sugar.
Load More Replies... Melissa McGuire 4 years ago
If the kid is ADD or ADHD you might wanna let the eat the sugar, or caffeine. My doc told my mom it's either Ritalin or let her eat all the sugar and caffeine she wants. Been self-regulating since age 6...
Andy Acceber 4 years ago
Well, that does seem like an appropriate Rule One. It's a shame they haven't continue to develop the list.
#26
I interviewed for a nanny position once and was asked how I felt about giving mom and dad massages.
#27
I used to babysit for this family when I was in high school (in the 80s) and they had no books or reading material of any kind, except that there would usually be like two sections of the WSJ and a running magazine lying around. No. Books.
Anyway, once I went over there and the mom told me like nine times, BEGGED ME, not to eat the box of 'Nilla Wafers that was in the cupboard because she needed them for a recipe the next day. BEGGED. I was like, "Ok, got it. They're totally safe because I don't even like vanilla wafers!" She kept mentioning it, and it was the first thing she asked me about when they got home.
Marcellus II 4 years ago
I had a colleague once jumping in to a conversation we were having about reading, to proudly state they owned a book. One book. Not a collector's item, special edition, whatever. In the same way you'd say you owned a computer in the very early eighties, expecting positive noises.
Parmeisan 4 years ago
I own FOUR books. And a computer that fits in my pocket!! Yes, you may worship me.
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Memere 4 years ago
Yeah, the first thing I thought was 'what's hidden in the Nilla wafers box???'
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AzKhaleesi 4 years ago
If they asked that hard I would've looked, makes me think there was money or drugs or something weird in the box.
May Au 3 years ago
Illicit stash of $$$$$ tucked into the inconspicuous nila wafer box.
Load More Replies... Riley Quinn 4 years ago
Someone has an anxiety disorder and it's spilling over onto the babysitter.
#28
No hot sauce after 9pm.
Edit: To give some context, the kid LOVED hot sauce...but his folks were super over protective...maybe they had heard of ppl eating too much hot sauce an throwing it up as it would not settle?
Honestly the kid was made of solid steel...we went to Taco Bell pretty much every time I babysat.
Andy Acceber 4 years ago
That seems like common sense and definitely an appropriate rule. 9pm is bedtime or even past bedtime for most kids in the U.S. who are young enough to need babysitters. No hot sauce in bed makes sense.
classbag 4 years ago
Well, there's also the fact that hot sauce can cause acid reflux, and acid reflux is worse when you're laying down.
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Michael Sanders 4 years ago
Makes sense. Hard to have a good nights sleep after eating hot sauce before bed. I’m 43 and still haven’t learned
Lori McMillen 4 years ago
'Feeds child Hot sauce at 9:05' now sit back and lets see what happens!
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I' Gomez & Morticia's kid 4 years ago
Isn't eating spicy b4 bed is bad for health? Can also cause bowel or acid reflux.
classbag 4 years ago
I don't think it's bad for your health but can definitely cause indigestion and acid reflux.
Load More Replies... Riley Quinn 4 years ago
I've been eating chili peppers, in some form, every day for decades. But even I don't eat spicy foods at bedtime.
Dawn Nelson 4 years ago
Acid reflux before bed causing esophageal inflammation and issues down the road. We love hot sauce in my house, then the Kindergartner. But I can’t have it too late or I pay the price laying in bed when gravity is no longer assisting keeping my stomach acid out of my esophagus.
#29
To give him warm milk in a baby bottle right after every dinner - he was a fully functional 10 year old boy.
Edit: To answer some of the quesions: Yes, he was fine with it; His parents were otherwise normal (as far as I saw), the kid himself was great; His teeth seemed fine from what I can remember (not that I really would have paid attention to that back then), but I just found him on facebook and it looks like he did have braces around 14-15 years old
Roxy Eastland 4 years ago
I've heard of other older children or teenagers that their one 'thing' for comfort was a drink from a baby bottle. Not my cup of tea (pun acknowledged) but can't see the harm if they're otherwise happy and healthy.
Robert T 4 years ago
I was waiting for this to be because mommy couldn't give him breast milk whilst she was out.
ThatRandomGuy 4 years ago
I feel like I need a bit more background as to why the milk thing because it seems to me like it was just a strange request
Riley Quinn 4 years ago
This is nearly as bad as mothers who continuing breastfeeding their older children. Wrong!
#30
I had to use a rock to trace the ABCs on the kids back so he could fall asleep.
StrawberryParfait 4 years ago
That's not weird, depending on the age of the kid. It's just gentle sensory stimulation, and having your back tickled feels very relaxing. That would be a lovely bedtime ritual to do with one's young children, and if the kid is used to it, it really isn't a strange request to ask the babysitter to fill in.
Vivian Orr 4 years ago (edited)
Geesh. Get over the persons hand. She just has some odd lines. Everyone’s fingers and palm markings are different. Her thumb is just wide at the base. Also could be the angle the picture was taken.
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Dawn Nelson 4 years ago
Oh I LOVED having people trace on my back as a kid. It was sooooooooo soothing to me. My friends and I used to trace things like snow men or write words on each others backs and we would have to guess what the person was writing. So I get this one.
Riley Quinn 4 years ago
A good snap to the back of the head with one would've hastened this a bit.
ThatRandomGuy 4 years ago
That is unnnnnccccooommmffffoooooorrrrtttttaaaaaabbbbbblllllllllleeeeeeee
#31
If the kids misbehaved I was encouraged to spank them with a paddle they had, then make them write their names on it.
Another family was perfectly normal until bedtime. Then I had to give the 5 year old girl a bottle, put her in a diaper, then cuddle with her until she fell asleep. Like I said everything else about her and the family was normal. But at bedtime I basically had to treat her like an infant.
Anonymousplease 4 years ago
I knew a 4 or 5 year old that wore a diaper to bed because they always wet their bed, but the milk is weird
WhatEvenIsLife 4 years ago
I don't spank my own kids, let alone someone else's. I would be massively uncomfortable with that.
#32
When my brother did babysitting for our neighbors' kids, their rule was:
"No locking the bathroom door. Allow one minute for the kid to do #1, three minutes for #2, and go inside to check if they take longer."
Legen ( wait for it ) dary 4 years ago
It's a normal rule because some kids love to play with toilet brush, play with water and worst case scenario they can play with their caca or pipi.
Jessica Rabbit 4 years ago (edited)
I can understand this one (although the time limits themselves seem weird)... Parents tend to know how long their kids take to do something and anything longer (when accompanied with silence) likely means they are doing something wrong. Also the parents/guardian needs to be able to get to the kid at all times, in case they get hurt or something.
Random person 4 years ago
For some reason I imagined12 year olds, even though it sounds more like just after being potty trained xD
#33
When I was about 15 I was asked by a family in my church to babysit for them. I didn't know them all that well. Like, I had never babysat anyone before and have no idea why they asked me. This family had a daughter about a year younger than me, so I figured she wasn't going to be home. I found out not only that she was going to be home, but the primary reason I was there wasn't for her two younger sisters, but for her. I guess she got nightmares and if she woke up I was supposed to "hug and kiss" her. This was quite the shocker to me and I was really uncomfortable with it, but I stayed anyway. Luckily she didn't wake up. Incidentally, that couple later got divorced. I think I was babysitting while the mom cheated (he was on a business trip).
Andy Acceber 4 years ago
When you're a teenager babysitting someone "too old" to be babysat, question if maybe this was just a ruse from your parents and the kids' parents. My parents used to pull that stunt.
lightbulb 4 years ago
I've been in a similar situation. Babysat two kids. An 8yr old boy and a 15yr old girl. The girl could take care of herself and her little brother perfectly well and didn't need a babysitter at all in the first place. She just wasn't allowed to because (and I quote) "she would read Harry Potter to her little brother in German". For context their dad was German/lived in Germany and she wanted her little brother to be able to talk with his dad, she was teaching him by reading to him. The mom was bitter about the divorce and didn't like that.
Isabel Care 4 years ago
I babysat the neighbour's kids when I was 12. She asked me to look after her friends' kids one time and was upset when I refused. Her kids were 8 and 10 and sensible. The friends ones were twins of 2 years, one 4 and a boy of 12. I have never even held a baby (early 50s now), and if a 12 year old needs a baby sitter, the sitter needs to be much older. I was much taller than the mother and looked older, but I kept reminding her that I was a kid too
Potato fries 4 years ago
Maybe the reason the girl had nightmares was because she could see the mom cheating lol idk
#34
Refused to let their kids eat raw veggies for absolutely no reason. They never told me this, so I gave the kids ages 5-7 raw, washed and cut broccoli with some ranch for a snack. They were happily eating as the mom was getting ready for a party. She walked by, saw the kids eating the broccoli, took it from them, microwaved it and said they like it much better this way.
The kids did not like it better and even they thought it was weird. I was then instructed to never give them raw veggies.
I could understand if they were toddlers still learning to chew, but these kids were plenty old enough to chew broccoli florets without choking.
Kanuli 4 years ago
It most likely was the unknowledge of the mother, as some veggies are harmful if not cooked, like beans. This misconception can lead to believing all veggies have to be cooked... Or she projects her own likings on others, which I see alot too. If she doesn’t like rae veggies, certainly her kids won’t either. Sadly it’s typical to think like this for some people, because they see the kids as “their kids”and not as individuals...with their own likings, personality, or even wishes and dreams... some don’t get it even later. It’s those horrible parents you sometimes read about on reddit and such.
Don't Look 4 years ago
A lot of moms out there really don’t like when someone gets along with their kids better than they do after they developed a routine with them.
#35
I babysat in a small resort area with a large concert venue in the PNW. There was a Phish concert and a couple contacted me to watch their baby — maybe a little less than a year old? I don’t remember now — while they enjoyed the concert. They said if she wakes up feed her a bottle and she will go back to sleep. I looked at the bottle and it was herb water. It smelled like kitchen spices mixed in with the water. I was so confused! I was like babies drink milk? Luckily when she woke up I just rocked her back to sleep and life was good. No nasty oregano water for her that day.
Penelope Orange 4 years ago
It could have been fennel seed tea and the baby may have already been fed. When my daughter was an infant she was very colicky and fennel seed tea calms the stomach and is often given to colicky babies. Then again, maybe they were just weird. LOL!
#36
There was an order in which we had to go up and down the stairs.
Kat Olmstead 4 years ago
I need more of an explanation for this one. Like, Billy has to go first, Sally second, and then you may use the stairs. Or, first you hop on 1 leg, spin around, then crawl on all fours. I need more information!
That_One_Harry_Potter_Nerd 4 years ago
If you had to hop and spin and stuff up the stairs, I think the parents would have done it to encourage creativity or something in the kids. Honestly sounds kind of fun lol
Load More Replies... Isabel Care 4 years ago
Just in case one would push or pinch any in front of them. Yes, it happened to me, I have older brothers
What do you think ?
Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
Why parenting, like driving, should come with education, written exams, and practicals....
Supernatural 4 years ago
Could be some of these kids are on the spectrum? Hence the need for routine?
Stephanie Cunningham 4 years ago
My first babysitting job (I was about 12) often consisted of me going shopping with the mom and kids. Mom would shop on her own while I wandered around with the kids...and the youngest had a leash. To be fair, he was the kind of kid who really NEEDED a leash.
Viviane 4 years ago
That's fine, as long as it was attached to a harness. Tied to a collar would defeat the safety purpose.
Load More Replies...
Mad Mar 4 years ago
I had many diff family's I'd sit for but the last time I ever did was for a friend of my brothers when him an the adults were going out. Like 7-8 kids. An one in diapers. So we get settled. Ordered a pizza for them like told. They all were insane. When the parents came back I went out to the car to wait for my brother an one of the lady's called him back an when he got to the car he said one of the little girls said I tried to look at the baby's penis. I changed him once. I didn't try to look. Ugh so I hated being told by a snotty brat I was a pedo so I just asked him if he got my $. And they were lying. He said he knows they were because the little girl was an attention seeker an saw a show on it an that's why she said it. Bitch he pissed in a diaper I had to change. No way. No kids ever again.
Lykke 4 years ago
Some of them may sound weird, but there may be a valid reason. Eg. my son usually gets a bowl with oatmeal and youghurt before going to bed if he didn"t eat so much for dinner because he is still hungry. Sometimes he wants more and I say that we can take more with us in the bedroom, but usually he just falls asleep and doesn"t eat it. Typically he just says he wants more because he doesn"t want to go to bed, so I take it with us so he can have more if he really is hungry. He is 3 yo. Sometimes you just have to go with what works, even though it may seem silly. Usually it's just a phase anyway which is over before you know it. But some of the posts sound really disturbing, like putting the kids in a carseat for 5 hours or make no fysical contact with a newborn
BlackPearltheSeaWing/NightWing 4 years ago
I'm at the age where I can babysit now, but reading stories like these makes me want to not ever babysit.
Viviane 4 years ago (edited)
Most parents and kids are fine. At worst, there's the odd kid who cries when their parents leave. I distracted them by doing silly things. For one kid, I did somersaults on the floor. For another, I grabbed a toy turtle and made it crawl reeeeeeelly slowly on the floor while shouting like a racehorse announcer: "And Speedy is going at least a quarter of an inch per hour and he's heading soooo close to the finishing line! He'll reach it in only five hours!!!!!"
Load More Replies... Thomas Biorogue 4 years ago
A friend of mine was babysitting and the mom came home and one of the kids was playing with her, the babysitter, and she just playfully, teasingly goes, "oh you silly goose." And the mom lost her s**t. Like was so shocked. "How dare you call my children names!" And then fired her. Like, what?
Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
Why parenting, like driving, should come with education, written exams, and practicals....
Supernatural 4 years ago
Could be some of these kids are on the spectrum? Hence the need for routine?
Stephanie Cunningham 4 years ago
My first babysitting job (I was about 12) often consisted of me going shopping with the mom and kids. Mom would shop on her own while I wandered around with the kids...and the youngest had a leash. To be fair, he was the kind of kid who really NEEDED a leash.
Viviane 4 years ago
That's fine, as long as it was attached to a harness. Tied to a collar would defeat the safety purpose.
Load More Replies... Mad Mar 4 years ago
I had many diff family's I'd sit for but the last time I ever did was for a friend of my brothers when him an the adults were going out. Like 7-8 kids. An one in diapers. So we get settled. Ordered a pizza for them like told. They all were insane. When the parents came back I went out to the car to wait for my brother an one of the lady's called him back an when he got to the car he said one of the little girls said I tried to look at the baby's penis. I changed him once. I didn't try to look. Ugh so I hated being told by a snotty brat I was a pedo so I just asked him if he got my $. And they were lying. He said he knows they were because the little girl was an attention seeker an saw a show on it an that's why she said it. Bitch he pissed in a diaper I had to change. No way. No kids ever again.
Lykke 4 years ago
Some of them may sound weird, but there may be a valid reason. Eg. my son usually gets a bowl with oatmeal and youghurt before going to bed if he didn"t eat so much for dinner because he is still hungry. Sometimes he wants more and I say that we can take more with us in the bedroom, but usually he just falls asleep and doesn"t eat it. Typically he just says he wants more because he doesn"t want to go to bed, so I take it with us so he can have more if he really is hungry. He is 3 yo. Sometimes you just have to go with what works, even though it may seem silly. Usually it's just a phase anyway which is over before you know it. But some of the posts sound really disturbing, like putting the kids in a carseat for 5 hours or make no fysical contact with a newborn
BlackPearltheSeaWing/NightWing 4 years ago
I'm at the age where I can babysit now, but reading stories like these makes me want to not ever babysit.
Viviane 4 years ago (edited)
Most parents and kids are fine. At worst, there's the odd kid who cries when their parents leave. I distracted them by doing silly things. For one kid, I did somersaults on the floor. For another, I grabbed a toy turtle and made it crawl reeeeeeelly slowly on the floor while shouting like a racehorse announcer: "And Speedy is going at least a quarter of an inch per hour and he's heading soooo close to the finishing line! He'll reach it in only five hours!!!!!"
Load More Replies... Thomas Biorogue 4 years ago
A friend of mine was babysitting and the mom came home and one of the kids was playing with her, the babysitter, and she just playfully, teasingly goes, "oh you silly goose." And the mom lost her s**t. Like was so shocked. "How dare you call my children names!" And then fired her. Like, what?
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