Mom ‘Uncomfortable’ With Babysitter Being ‘Distracted’ By Homework While The Baby Is Sleeping
Homework is a distraction to this mom, but apparently chores aren't.
New Africa | Shutterstock Recently, a babysitter shared on Reddit that the child’s mom told her not to do her homework while the baby is asleep. The mom actually told her that homework is too distracting, even though the 8-year-old is sleeping. Somehow, however, the chores she asked her to do instead are not.
It's pretty typical for teen babysitters to do homework while the child they are watching is napping or sleeping. It sounds like this mom is looking for a nanny and housekeeper with a teenage sitter price tag.
A mom told her babysitter she doesn't want her 'distracted' with homework while the baby is sleeping.
LightField Studios | Shutterstock
The babysitter explained that she started babysitting for a family with an 8-month-old baby. She has done it twice so far, both times from 6 to 9 p.m. After the last time, she said, the mom texted her, saying she wasn’t comfortable with the teen being 'distracted' with homework while the baby was asleep.
The babysitter explained that she has always done her homework during downtime for every family she has worked for. “I don’t even know what to say back to her,” she wrote. What's really befuddling, however, is that the mom has given her chores to do instead.
The mom needs to either pay the babysitter more or curb her expectations.
The sitter explained that while the baby is sleeping, the mom expects her to clean all the bottles and baby dishes, as well as fold the baby's laundry. While light housekeeping isn't unheard of, especially if a sitter is feeding the kids or they make use of a play area, going beyond that requires a bump in pay.
According to the teen, she makes $20 an hour for her babysitting services, and this mom is asking her to perform more nanny-like duties. As one commenter noted, "Yeah this is so NOT about the homework. She wants you to do her chores instead. And if you are doing that, you need to be paid more."
According to Care.com, the national average hourly rate for a babysitter is $19.49. Of course, they pointed out that many different factors can alter that rate. Location, experience, number of kids, and job expectations all factor into the going rate. This babysitter isn't getting paid to do all the extra work this mom is asking her to do, and it's obvious that her homework isn't distracting her from caring for the child. As many of the commenters noted, it's probably best to stop sitting for this particular family.
The babysitter should probably not take another job with this family.
Artem Oleshko | Shutterstock
Teen sitters doing homework while the kids sleep or nap used to be the dream for most parents. The stereotypical trope of having a boyfriend or friend over has apparently long been forgotten, however. Instead, teens are often expected to be overworked and underpaid, which is a common sentiment in the working world today.
This teen is still taking care of the baby; it’s just that when the baby is asleep, she does her homework. It’s not a big deal. In fact, it shows maturity and an overall sense of responsibility. The mom is undoubtedly trying to assert control from afar. Between nanny cams and housework duties, she doesn't really want a babysitter; she wants a nanny. She doesn't want to pay nanny prices, however.
The babysitter has worked for other families who were fine with her doing homework. It's probably best that she sticks with working for those parents. As one commenter simply put it, "Stop working for them. Tell her that you don’t feel comfortable with her expectations of you, and end it. It’s not worth it."
Matt Machado is a writer studying journalism at the University of Central Florida. He covers relationships, psychology, celebrities, pop culture, and human interest topics.
