Timmy, we can't play together anymore. It's not you - it's your Mom. She didn't follow proper channels.
Moderator Renee: So those of you with kids and no relatives in the immediate area know how difficult finding a good sitter can be. Once you find someone you like, you then have to deal with their availability. What do you do when you have a friend who needs a sitter? Do you share yours openly and hope you don’t both book for the same event, at the same time? Do you share with limitations? This Blogfight addresses the subject of sharing a sitter, and what if anything constitutes “sitter-stealing”.
Parker writes: I’m sure I’m going to sound crazy here, but I really don’t know how to feel in my situation. In a nutshell, I use this girl as my babysitter on occasion. She’s my only sitter and I have no relatives in town. I also have a friend who recently had a baby and had an appt she needed to go to. I gave her my sitter’s name and number and she used this girl as well. Once. Flash forward to last weekend when my friend and I wanted to go out with our husbands, all together. My friend called MY SITTER and booked her first, leaving me in a lurch to find someone else. I had to start from square one and find someone new. I’m not really mad about it (or else we wouldn’t seriously be hashing this out on Blogfight) but I did feel a pang of, well, WTF?! I just wished she would have asked me if I was going to use her. This weekend aside, I have to say that I wish she’d do me that courtesy of checking with me first anytime she plans to call this girl. I found her first, after all and had been using her services for years. I didn’t really think my friend was going to use my sitter as her main sitter too – especially if we’re doing something together. What do your readers think?
Gloria writes: Ok this is fun, Blogfight. Here goes: So I’m the sitter thief?? Seriously?? Sorry Parker but you’re wrong on this one. I think of this girl as a business and if she wants to take my money, I’ll gladly pay her. I totally appreciate you giving me her name and number, but you didn’t specify you’d have to be contacted every time I needed her. I am making arrangements to find other people to babysit, and we’re totally cool on the friendship thing, but like you I’m curious to see if other people think this way. You don’t own this girl, and I didn’t know you had proprietary rights to her. Forever.
Moderator Renee: Vote now! “Sitter-stealer”, or “kind-of-creepy-possessive-sitter-clutcher”. Who’s right? Polls close 30 days from posting.
Tags: Sitter Stealing
September 23, 2008 at 7:45 pm |
Here from ICLW and you know what? Since I haven’t experienced it, I can’t talk. But I can see where it might be thought of as stealing. I guess.
September 23, 2008 at 10:54 pm |
Hi Becky. I realize that many of you are here from ICLW and might be dealing with IF issues. Having experienced extensive IF issues myself, I am sensititve to, well, sensitivity and am trying to keep that in mind, while at the same time being part of a blog that is not at all fertility-related. If, by your comment you were alluding to that, I hear you and I get it. If not, rock on, but to anyone else who might read entries like this and wince at Moms fighting Moms about Mom things that seem so trivial, again, I just want to say that I’m sorry you had to wince.
September 24, 2008 at 1:36 am |
Funny post, thanks for the chuckle. Visiting from ILCW.
September 24, 2008 at 2:06 am |
Here from ICLW.
As a former sitter of two families that seemed to always want to go out on Saturday night (sometimes to the same place, but not together). When I got passed around to the friend, I seemed to have one mom mad, when the original mom who referred me had all ready booked me.
September 24, 2008 at 5:29 pm |
We made it on!! How cool are we?! Actually it sounds like we hate each other, but let it be known we’re all good. Sitter situation worked out. G has found another sitter of whom I’m actually jealous. She can drive herself home and that’s a great thing. So look out Glo, I might find J’s number and “steal” back and then you’ll know the pain first hand, lol. I’m still interested in this issue and if other people have gone through the same (trivial as it is) thing with their friends. We’ll be checking back – thanks Blogfight! You served as a good vent.
September 25, 2008 at 12:46 am |
Here from ICLV. Glad the sitter situation worked out.
September 25, 2008 at 7:37 pm |
I think in this situation she should have asked. If they weren’t going out together, maybe not, but in this case she knew her friend would need a sitter as well.
(ICLW)
September 26, 2008 at 3:01 am |
I’ve learned with kids to always have a Plan B, Plan C and sometimes Plan D. I’m glad the situation worked out for Parker and Gloria but what if neither has been relying on a single sitter (Plan A)?
ICLW