We got an email from a very frustrated listener, who we'll call "Emma", who got in touch with a problem she is having:
"Aaaaaaaggghhhhh, I'm a stay at home mother with 3 kids.....it's bloody hard work but I don't mind minding my own kids, but other people 'working' are always asking me to mind their kids ......of course not paid, so I'm here totally broke drowning in kids while they 'work' or whatever, even though anyone I know with kids says they go to work for a break !!!!! I'm too polite to refuse and I'm a sitting duck cos I've no money so I'm always at home with my toddler. I'm shaking with rage here, have some etiquette about this people or at least cop on"
It seems "Emma" is not alone, and our listeners had a lot of sympathy for her:
“So relieved to hear I’m not the only go-to childminder/picker-upper from crèche/bring my kids to school stay at home mam, Emma! I’m also too polite to say no, but would sometimes have up to seven children to mind with five minutes’ notice. Don’t mind taking people out of a hovel every so often, but I think these people think that their children are no bother and you might as well as have seven as have three. Us stay at home mams mostly took a big hit with salaries to be with OUR children, and I know people have last minute emergencies all the time, but no need to take the mick. Ok, rant over. Thanks for highlighting, Emma!"
"Stop selling yourself short, I’m a stay at home mum with 3 children too and have been minding other people’s kids on and off for a few years. I would never do it free of charge because you’d be expected to feed them as well as your own. I never charge friends the going rate but I expected them to pay me if they wanted their children looked after for long periods of time. Anything else is just taking the piss."
"My sister in law did the same, sent her daughter up to me while she slept after night duty, never asked. If it was anyone else, she would have asked or made arrangements. I think it is just incredibly disrespectful. My brother’s wife does the same to me and my wife. My wife works days and I work nights. My nephew just gets dropped off and she doesn’t even say how long he’s going to have to stay for. We are saving for a house and my brother makes a lot more money than both of us, and he reminds us about this fact all the time."
"Next time Emma is asked to babysit say 'No bother, €30 an hour!'”
Have a listen to what a caller, Anna, had to say.
