Thursday, October 14, 2010

Writers Workshop: Stall Her!

Growing up my sister and I babysat all the time.  I don't want to toot my own horn but we would get booked months in advance.  We were the kind of sitters that played with the kids and made sure the house was clean when the parents came home.  Most kids didn't cry when their parents left and if they did, they didn't do it for long.  Our business grew by word of mouth and we never had any complaints from parents or kids. 

I did have complaints sometimes.  There was one family who just wasn't right.  The first time I babysat for them, they told their 11 year-old that I was not there for her, just the rest of the kids, basically license to be a brat.  Then their home decor was early dead African animal.  I am not kidding.  There were mounted animal heads everywhere from Africa and pics of the Dad with his kills.  (Sidebar: I don't have a problem with hunting if the hunter is choosy with his kills AND eats the animal as well.  Killing for killing sake is not a sport in my opinion.)  The first time I ever babysat for them they started freaking out about the baby ducks in the barn (it was a horse farm) that were bleeding and kept throwing the ducks at me.  I went home, my new pink Gap collared shirt covered in duck blood (this was the 80's). (Note: the ducks were fine, the ends of their feathers were scratching them.  Normal when the flying feathers are growing in...I think they knew that).

I always tried to come up with excuses as to why I could not sit for this family.  Unfortunately, if the Mom got my Mom on the phone, my Mom would usually accept the engagement without asking me (oh, YES you did, Mom!). 

One time, the last time, I was there babysitting during the day and we walked down to the barn.  The 11 year-old went into an empty stall and said, 'Oh, no!' and pointed at the corner where she was on the ground. I along with the younger girls went to look what she was worried about.  The 11 year old ran out of the stall door, slammed the door shut and locked us in, laughing, then ran away.  The girls got scared and started to cry a little bit.  I gave them hugs and told them it was ok and we'd figure a way out.  Luckily, there was a small window not far off the ground.  I turned a bucket over and was able to lower the older of the two girls out of the window and to the ground.  She ran around and opened the stall door.  As we were walking back up to the house and I was telling the girls how helpful they were, the Mom came in the driveway.  I did not see the oldest girl but told the Mom what happened.  She wasn't even that apologetic.  She kind of laughed it off. 

The next time she called (cannot even believe she called), I declined her offer and told my Mother I was never going back there and if she accepted a job then SHE could go and get locked in a stall.

10 comments:

MommyLisa said...

What a total Brat!

Anonymous said...

Wow.. wasn't she a brat!! I would have sent my mom back there the first time if she had accepted for me! :S

Elle said...

This seems like something right out of the movie Carrie. If only you had telekinetic powers to teach that girl a lesson. :-)

L.R. M-J said...

Ha ha ha. Good one. I too was booked for months in advance...but I loved all..ok, most...of my families. To this day my 'kids' are still in touch w/me (remember my family in FL? One is a Nurse & her brother is about to graduate college--oh yes--I said college!) The most impressionable? The twin infants & their 3yr old brother I babysat 24x7 for 6 days during a family emergency for one of the parents. It all went well, but one day when a tarot card reader in NYC & another one somewhere else told me I was going to have twins? Yea, there's a reason we're still childless (on the human front)!! ;)

Annie (Lady M) x said...

Horrible child. She sounds like the kid out of Carrie. Good on you for refusing to go back.. she's freaky!

CrazyLittleB_tch said...

Wow! That has to be the most original of all the babysitting posts. I've had some misadventures, but never have my misadventures ended covered in duck blood.
You're so much nicer of a teenager than I was. I would have told my mom to shove it. (I was terrible, not duck blood terrible, or locking the babysitter in the barn terrible, but terrible nonetheless)
Good for you for taking everything with such grace!

Andrew said...

It's too bad girls always get babysitting jobs dumped on them....
It's almost like society is trying to...train you for something.

And why are boys forced to mow the lawn???

Unknown said...

I used to babysit a ton, too! I loved it and don't remember a ton of drama (at least not like you've described!), but this one family seemed to hate using their AC. and when you live in New Orleans, AC is a must. so i sweated like a pig when I was over there. Finally one day, I just turned on some air. I'm sure they weren't happy, but I was dying!

Beth Dunn said...

I would have been really scared but that is a funny story
xoxo
SC

Michelle said...

I also was booked way in advance for babysitting. In addition to getting a great babysitter the kids also go protection on the school bus. Our school district was small so all the grades in each bus route, rode the same bus. Nobody messed with the kids who had babysitters on the bus.