People are so insanely selfish
I’m really good friends with a couple I’ve known for quite a while. They’ve asked me to babysit a handful of times, and this is the third time this has happened: I show up, and at least one of the kids is sick. Never got so much as a courtesy text to let me know any of the times. And every time, I’ve gotten whatever illness the kids have. We had planned for me to babysit yesterday, and when I show up, kid number 2 has a cold. The whole night, he’s coughing right in my face and asking for cuddles because he doesn’t feel well. When the parents get home they ask how he was feeling and how he held up, so they knew he was sick. Surprise surprise, I started feeling sick a few hours ago and it’s been getting worse since. I had plans with my family tomorrow for Mother’s Day and now I’m not going to be able to participate, and a concert I’ve been looking forward to for ages on Tuesday that I probably won’t be able to go to. I have an extremely busy week at work and appointments with clients for my side job I’ll now have to reschedule. I’m livid. I get it - parents need a break sometimes. And I’m happy to facilitate that, but not when it puts my health at risk. At least give me the option to decide for myself if I want to take the risk. The kids are young, 5, 3, and 1, so hygiene/covering coughs and sneezes is almost nonexistent; and their house is disgusting, both of which makes spreading almost a guarantee. It’s hard not to feel like I’ve been taken advantage of. Each of the three times the babysitting was planned in advance, so it’s not like they’re intentionally just dumping me with sick kids when illness strikes. Still, it shows little to no regard for my safety, time, and health doing this THREE times. And yes, I know, “fool me once…..”, but I’m a people pleaser and REALLY struggle saying no, and walking in to the kids excited to see me and the parents ready to go, well I just haven’t been able to put my foot down and say I didn’t feel comfortable. But I think I’m done being the bigger person. If it happens again, I’m turning around and walking out, long-standing plans be damned. If they get mad, so be it. -I’m- mad.