{"id":80798,"date":"2024-09-14T11:17:34","date_gmt":"2024-09-14T04:17:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/?p=80798"},"modified":"2024-09-14T11:17:34","modified_gmt":"2024-09-14T04:17:34","slug":"im-a-wife-not-a-nanny-i-refuse-to-babysit-my-husbands-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/im-a-wife-not-a-nanny-i-refuse-to-babysit-my-husbands-children\/","title":{"rendered":"I\u2019m a Wife, Not a Nanny \u2014 I Refuse to Babysit My Husband\u2019s Children"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class='\"e599d42b92530cddc130' d678c9ac111a6390ff29>\n<p>\u00a0Our reader&rsquo;s story sheds light on a unique situation where she decided to charge her husband&rsquo;s ex-wife for babysitting their kids. This unexpected move raises important questions about the role of payments and boundaries within blended families.\n</p><div class='\"da6593441928737fb4a6\"' data-test-id='\"article-content\"'>\n<div class='\"fe475c3f28885ceec1f1\"' tabindex='\"-1\"'>\n<div data-test-id='\"article-image-1\"'><picture class='\"b10992b7e7307cb7c32f\"'><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' id='\"image28022400\"' class='\"e33ce0f82f0e7404cc63\"' title='\"\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/wl-brightside.cf.tsp.li%5C/resize%5C/728x%5C/jpg%5C/475%5C/695%5C/26f451526886dd416cbbac383b.jpg%5C%22" alt='\"\"' width='\"728\"' height='\"546\"'>\n<div class='\"bf0a2e8fd2dd44f1e1c9\"'>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n\n<section class='\"d17df1a8ad4a418bd28a' be4f2b8f955c4fc8bea6 data-id='\"28022400\"'>\n<div class='\"e98cf7c6464e2e984a41\"'>\n<div class='\"aed62af27ad9dd3e8c03' ed99307b75b012ec4c7a e2efe1fd378420e9f526>\n<div class='\"d2e9be9853b74c32d4d7\"' data-test-id='\"new-comment-editor\"'>\n<div class='\"d10f0e848414f3f0b260\"'>\n<form class='\"bc5d2f670964baf0d1df\"' data-test-id='\"comment-editor-form\"'>\n<div class='\"ce9be2020e1a2a183cb6\"' data-test-id='\"actions-block\"'>\u00a9\u00a0freepik \/ Freepik,\u00a0\u00a9\u00a0freepik \/ Freepik\n<div data-test-id='\"actions-block\"'>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div class='\"fe475c3f28885ceec1f1\"' tabindex='\"-1\"'>\n<div data-test-id='\"article-image-2\"'><picture class='\"b10992b7e7307cb7c32f\"'><source srcset='\"https:\/\/wl-brightside.cf.tsp.li\/resize\/728x\/webp\/ad4\/942\/0e44f25c08ad9cafe6990c18a9.jpg.webp' type='\"image\/webp\"'></source><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' id='\"image28022401\"' class='\"e33ce0f82f0e7404cc63\"' title='\"\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/wl-brightside.cf.tsp.li%5C/resize%5C/728x%5C/jpg%5C/ad4%5C/942%5C/0e44f25c08ad9cafe6990c18a9.jpg%5C%22" alt='\"\"' width='\"728\"' height='\"921\"'>\n<div class='\"bf0a2e8fd2dd44f1e1c9\"'>\n<div>\n\n\n\n<div class='\"e599d42b92530cddc130' d678c9ac111a6390ff29>\n<p>Amanda, a successful executive, rarely spends time with her children, leaving Sarah to fill in without offering help or even a \u201cThank You\u201d. Though Sarah works from home, she never agreed to be a full-time babysitter.\n</p><p>The final straw came after a long, stressful workday, where she hadn\u2019t even eaten because she was busy with the kids. It was 9 p.m., and as she sat down to dinner, Sarah realized just how much she\u2019d been taken advantage of. She hadn\u2019t married Jake to be a free babysitter for his ex-wife.\n\n</p><div class='\"fe475c3f28885ceec1f1\"' tabindex='\"-1\"'>\n<div data-test-id='\"article-image-5\"'><picture class='\"b10992b7e7307cb7c32f\"'><source srcset='\"https:\/\/wl-brightside.cf.tsp.li\/resize\/728x\/webp\/7e2\/355\/29e35853de9da037a05891906c.jpg.webp' type='\"image\/webp\"'></source><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' id='\"image28022402\"' class='\"e33ce0f82f0e7404cc63\"' title='\"\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/wl-brightside.cf.tsp.li%5C/resize%5C/728x%5C/jpg%5C/7e2%5C/355%5C/29e35853de9da037a05891906c.jpg%5C%22" alt='\"\"' width='\"728\"' height='\"597\"'>\n<div class='\"bf0a2e8fd2dd44f1e1c9\"'>\n<div>\n\n\n\n<div class='\"e599d42b92530cddc130' d678c9ac111a6390ff29>\n<p>A few days later, Amanda called Sarah, and to her surprise, agreed without argument. She even apologized and asked for Sarah\u2019s PayPal to start paying her, offering to hire a sitter if things got overwhelming.\n</p><p>Sarah had expected a fight, but both Jake and Amanda acted like adults. Now, she\u2019s $25 an hour richer and has the freedom to say &ldquo;no&rdquo; when she wants. Not the outcome she expected, but she wasn\u2019t complaining!\n\n</p><div class='\"e599d42b92530cddc130' d678c9ac111a6390ff29>\n<h2>Should you pay a family member to babysit?\n\n<div class='\"fe475c3f28885ceec1f1\"' tabindex='\"-1\"'>\n<div data-test-id='\"article-image-8\"'><picture class='\"b10992b7e7307cb7c32f\"'><source srcset='\"https:\/\/wl-brightside.cf.tsp.li\/resize\/728x\/webp\/34e\/bcd\/0be2d358ed8d2c102fe632d231.jpg.webp' type='\"image\/webp\"'></source><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' id='\"image28022403\"' class='\"e33ce0f82f0e7404cc63\"' title='\"\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/wl-brightside.cf.tsp.li%5C/resize%5C/728x%5C/jpg%5C/34e%5C/bcd%5C/0be2d358ed8d2c102fe632d231.jpg%5C%22" alt='\"\"' width='\"728\"' height='\"862\"'>\n<div data-test-id='\"article-image-8\"'>\n<div class='\"bf0a2e8fd2dd44f1e1c9\"'>\n<div>\n<div>\u00a9\u00a0freepik \/ Freepik\n<div>\n<div class='\"d4cd5e4d1c37eb7b6e0b' d6e6c99797533fcec215 data-test-id='\"article-image-8\"'>\n<div class='\"a6462aa5ffcd6c76e41f' b7455aa58c4067faa6bf title='\"Share' on facebook data-test-id='\"share-button-facebook\"'>\n\n\n\n\n\n<div class='\"e599d42b92530cddc130' d678c9ac111a6390ff29>\n<p>Navigating the world of family babysitting often raises the\u00a0question\u00a0of whether payment should be offered. Etiquette expert Lizzie Post, co-president of the Emily Post Institute and co-author of\u00a0Emily Post&rsquo;s Etiquette, The Centennial Edition, provides guidance on this topic.\n</p><p>Post acknowledges that while free babysitting can be a significant help for young families, it\u2019s important to recognize that not everyone can afford to do it. She personally finds babysitting her nieces and nephews enjoyable and doesn\u2019t charge for it, but she prefers taking them out for fun rather than staying at home with them.\n</p><p>&ldquo;It depends on what works for you and your family,&rdquo; she says.\u00a0<strong>She doesn\u2019t talk about when babysitting becomes a full-time job, but it happens from time to time. When it becomes a job, it\u2019s normal to ask for money for it.\n\n<div class='\"e599d42b92530cddc130' d678c9ac111a6390ff29>\n<p>DO:\u00a0If\u00a0you can afford\u00a0it, consider offering\u00a0compensation\u00a0or\u00a0reimbursement comparable to\u00a0what you\u2019d pay any other sitter. According to\u00a0Post, the\u00a0pleasure of\u00a0babysitting shouldn\u2019t necessarily lead to\u00a0a\u00a0discount. \u201cOffer what you feel comfortable paying and allow family members to\u00a0express any concerns,\u201d she suggests. Negotiation is\u00a0perfectly acceptable.\n</p><p>If\u00a0a\u00a0competitive hourly rate is\u00a0beyond your means, think of\u00a0alternatives such as\u00a0a\u00a0$50 gift certificate or\u00a0covering meals during the babysitting time. If\u00a0neither option works, be\u00a0honest about your financial situation and express your need for help. Always show appreciation by\u00a0making the babysitting experience as\u00a0easy as\u00a0possible. Provide your kids with food, snacks, diapers, toys, and planned activities to\u00a0support the babysitter.\n</p><p><strong>DON\u2019T:\u00a0Feel obligated to reimburse family members for extra costs they incur, such as meals or outings. \u201cIt\u2019s on them,\u201d Post advises. To avoid misunderstandings, discuss any additional expenses ahead of time or offer cash in advance if needed.\n\n\n\n<div class='\"fe475c3f28885ceec1f1\"' tabindex='\"-1\"'>\n<div data-test-id='\"article-image-1\"'><picture class='\"b10992b7e7307cb7c32f\"'><source srcset='\"https:\/\/wl-brightside.cf.tsp.li\/resize\/728x\/webp\/475\/695\/26f451526886dd416cbbac383b.jpg.webp' type='\"image\/webp\"'></source>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u00a0Our reader&rsquo;s story sheds light on a unique situation where she decided to charge her husband&rsquo;s ex-wife for babysitting their kids. This unexpected move raises important questions about the role of payments and boundaries within blended families. \u00a9\u00a0freepik \/ Freepik,\u00a0\u00a9\u00a0freepik \/ Freepik Amanda, a successful executive, rarely spends time with her children, leaving Sarah to &hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":80799,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[642],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-80798","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-moral-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80798","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=80798"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80798\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":80800,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80798\/revisions\/80800"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/80799"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=80798"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=80798"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=80798"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}</p></picture></div></div></strong></p></div></strong></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></picture></div></div></h2></div></div></div></div></picture></div></div></div></div></div></picture></div></div></div></div></form></div></div></div></div></section></div></div></div></picture></div></div></div></div>