Ever had babysitter quit on you?

We recently hired a babysitter to stay with the twins Thursdays and Fridays. This is our very 1st experience with a babysitter. Prior to this, only family has ever watched them. This is only her 2nd week and there have been two incidents. 1st one (last week)...her 2nd day on the job....C got a hold of a crayon and colored all over the hardwoods in his bedroom. She was completely embarrassed. Told me about it right away, but didn't want to attempt to clean it (she is only 17) for fear that she might ruin the hardwood floors. No biggie...C has done this on my watch and colored all of the walls. Incident #2 happened yesterday. My aunt came and picked them up for me. When she brought them to the office, I noticed that they weren't in the clothes that I had dressed them in that morning. So, I asked them why and they said they got them wet playing in the bathroom sink. My Aunt also commented when she went and picked them up that she was no sooner in the door and the babysitter was already out the door down the sidewalk ready to go! I just laughed it off. Well....when I got home, it looked like a toilet paper bomb had gone off in there bathroom. It appeared that she had 'tried' to clean it up, but I found plenty of evidence so I knew something more had happened than them just 'playing in the sink'. Apparently, they clogged the sink with toilet paper and pretty much flooded the bathroom! ^_^ I asked them where was the babysitter when you guys were playing in the sink and they said "she was playing golf on TV" (the Wii). I joked with DH last night and said by the way she took off out the door yesterday, the mess she had to clean up, etc... she probably won't be back. Well...she called in sick this morning. She never mentioned the incident yesterday to me..but I was not the one that picked them up either. This morning I brought it up to her and said "the twins told me about the bathroom incident and I know they can be a handful at times and hope that hasn't scared you off". She laughed and so oh no..we got it cleaned up, it was no big deal. I just hope that is the truth. She is the youth director's daughter at our church. So, if she quits because the kids are crazy and wild and too much of a handful, etc...that will be so embarrassing! Anyone else experienced anything similiar? Tell me your babysitting stories.

BTW- I do plan on having a short and sweet convo with her about needing to watch them at all times (if she comes back )...if they get quite and disappear then that usually spells trouble, etc....

 

Yes, when they were much younger and even more challenging IMO. We hired a sitter that was younger (college age) and she called in sick a couple times and then just never contacted us again. We learned our lesson and looked for someone older and more experienced. We found a great lady that was with us 18 months until we moved.

I would be very unhappy with a sitter if I found they were playing video games while they were supposed to be watching the kids.

 

The youngest sitter we've hired was 24 (and her nieces, who lived at home with her & her mom at the time, were twin girls a year older than mine), so we've been fortunate that we've always had people who knew what they're getting into, so to speak. We've had our share of wild, crazy incidents (heck, the stuff that happens on my watch is embarrassing so I can't blame the sitter when the same stuff happens to her!) but I've always felt confident in their ability to deal with the situation, clean up & let me know what's going on

I have to admit, based on what you've written here, I'm not sure I'd want her to come back. ardon: More for the fact that she wasn't willing to 'fess up about the mess than anything else. It would also bother me that she hadn't figure out a way to clean up (even if that meant she had to call her own mom to come & help her). I definitely don't think this sounds like an issue with your kids being too wild.

 

I've had four sitters quit on me, but not for my kids behavior, it was all for going back to school, finding a real job, that sort of thing. Thankfully most of them gave me a 2 week notice.

I'd not ask her to come back and try to find someone else. It sounds like she wasn't responsible enough for them. My favorite babysitter now? A 14 year old girl, so it's not age, it's just maturity of the sitter.

 

No one has ever quit on us, but we've only had one sitter (another mom so she knows!), and family watch them. When I was 17 though I quit on a family when the 4 year old said she didn't like me (because I was putting her to bed) and threatened to release their pitbull on me (he was locked in a pen in the backyard and the parents explicitly told me not to go back there because he is very protective of the children). Yeah, when the parents got home I said I don't think I'll be back again.

 

This is EXACTLY what I was thinking. You are paying her to supervise your children! It sounds like she is probably not mature enough to handle the responsibility. Just my 2 cents! (And I am not sure you were even looking for that kind of input :unknw: )

 

We had a sitter quit on us because my 3rd son Dawson was a handful. He was walking at 7 months so by the time he was 10 months he was a pro and climbing. He would climb on her coffee table and jump so she told us that it scared her too bad and asked us to find another sitter. She did that in the middle of a work day, so I had to leave work early and find another sitter that day.

I have a 17 yr old son who watches our duo at times ( he HAtes it and calls it birth control and I can promise that he would never take a job baby sitting twins No matter what the pay was LOL) but he has been around ours since day 1 and knows first hand that quiet is not good LOL!! If I were you, I would put the wii away on the days she will be there at least until she learns the ropes a little better. I think talking to her is a good idea, She may have truly thought that because they were quiet that they were entertaining themselves and being very good.

 

I have no advice or experiences with sitters. But had to say, my duo do those kinds of things on my watch several times a day....I'm just glad I'm not the only one!

 

yeah, no real quitters her for babysitters... but I would say that she is being paid to watch them...

the twins don't sound out of control... they do just like mine do when I'm around... of course when I'm around most of the time I'm trying to get something else done, so I'm not watching them 100% of the time. BUT if/when I pay someone to watch... I expect them to watch, and really there shouldn't be that many mishaps if they're actually watching and actively playing with them.

oh, and I always try to have a basket of laundry or something that needs to be folded for them to do... especially if this is a regular babysitter for me during the day, while I'm working. I figure if I'm working they need to be too!

good luck!

 

Wow! I would be upset too that she was playing the wii instead of watching them. That is probably why she didn't fess up to the mess...she knew she had messed up by not watching them. I wouldn't blame your kiddos. They were doing what any little ones would do when they know they are unsupervised. We have a sister team that watches ours. They are 16 and 14. It is great!

Good luck!

 

We had one work for us for 2 weeks
Young but not too young
Def immature
Left kids in house while she moved her car into garage
And let one kid sleep with milk
I was looking for someone else when she never showed up called or emailed week three
Never did hear from her ever again

 

I have to admit..at first when they told me about it and they said she was playing the wii, I was like WHAT?!? :aggressive: I was upset. BUT...after talking to the twins more, they say C asked to play it (which I completely believe because he asks to play it frequently), she turned it on and they were playing it with her. Knowing the attention span they have, they probably got bored really quick went off and she kept playing (which was a mistake on her part). I don't think she is the type that would just turn on the Wii to play herself. I don't know, I think canning her after one incident is a little harsh. Well, I guess techincally this is the 2nd, but I honestly didn't think anything of the first. AND...I think the reason she didn't say anything was because it was my Aunt who went and picked them up and it was probably awkward to have a complete stranger there and fess up to that.

I tend to agree with the following statements since similiar incidents HAVE happened on my watch! AND...I am an adult use to dealing with twins. This is her first experience with twins and as we all know..they can be difficult. :lol: They have a built in partner in crime. So, turning your back for just a second could potentially spell disaster. I think/hope she has learned something from this.

Thank you for reiterating that my kids are normal!

I agree with this. The wii will be put away and we will have a sit down talk with her...let her know that she needs to watch them at all times because something could happen in a split second...and further remind her if they disapper or get quiet then that usually spells trouble.

 

I had a sitter just stop showing up after only 2 weeks on the job...ONE DAY A WEEK. The twins were only about 13 months old. Ugh. I was peeved. If she couldn't handle it, just tell me! I had just started back to work so this was not very convenient.

 

I have had a babysitter quit on me (in a way). She tried to change my day out for a friend of mine, who I assume was going to pay more. She had just started working for me and there appeared to be few problems or issues. I only found out about this when my friend put 2 and 2 together and emailed me how sorry she was and didn't want to be a sitter stealer. I was surprised by the entire experience, but it taught me how important communication is between parents and sitters. I wonder if your sitter had any experience with twins before working for you.

I live and breathe the world of babysitting since starting www.sitterpals.com. It has helped me tremendously book babysitters my friends know and trust. I always have a backup if my regular sitter is booked!

Good luck!

Amanda Armstrong