parental responsibility

[teatowel]

I live on a lake. There are lots of retired folks here. My neighbors are either working couples with children or grandparents. Every summer...because I am either a stay at home mom or work my schedule around my kids...we spend oodles of time out doors and in the lake. I always get stuck watching all the kids on the cove. Now days the grandparents watch the kids most of the summer...free daycare...and the grandparents send them over to our house. I am permanent life guard to these folks. Geez. Their parents don't want the responsibility. Their grandparents don't want to watch them and I certainly don't want them here all the time.
Every so often I blow up and send everyone home and tell their guardians that I really don't babysit other people's kids, I want time alone with my kids, my kids can entertain themselves and have their own friends, etc. and then I get to be the bad guy on the block.

A bunch of them get together all the time, sit on their butts, smoke their cigs, drink their beer, while I watch their kids. They are working parents and have explained to me many times that they need time for themselves...modern stupid pyscho babble. While they are doing for themselves, someone else, namely me, is watching their kids for them. LOL They never invite me to sit.

Several nights I asked hubby to go swimming with me...we've been getting along well (for us). As soon as we get out...the kids start coming over and we end up life guarding. Last week when it happened again I blew up at everyone. Now they are back to treating me like a leper. Its ok with me, but hubby gets upset when I don't get along with the neighbors.

AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH,
just me,
supreme b***h,
teatowel

[Islandgirl]

Hi Tea! Wow that sounds like me!! I am constantly being taken advantage of in our neighbourhood as well. I am the sort of person that has a hard time saying "NO" and it ends up getting to the point where I freak out as well. You may have to explain to them that you don't need the extra responsibility (I need to take my own advice). What if something happened to one of the kids while in the lake! It sounds like these people are lazy and are taking advantage of your kindness.

Take care & good luck
Lisa

[Wenonae]

teatowel said:

I live on a lake. There are lots of retired folks here. My neighbors are either working couples with children or grandparents. Every summer...because I am either a stay at home mom or work my schedule around my kids...we spend oodles of time out doors and in the lake. I always get stuck watching all the kids on the cove. Now days the grandparents watch the kids most of the summer...free daycare...and the grandparents send them over to our house. I am permanent life guard to these folks. Geez. Their parents don't want the responsibility. Their grandparents don't want to watch them and I certainly don't want them here all the time.
Every so often I blow up and send everyone home and tell their guardians that I really don't babysit other people's kids, I want time alone with my kids, my kids can entertain themselves and have their own friends, etc. and then I get to be the bad guy on the block.

A bunch of them get together all the time, sit on their butts, smoke their cigs, drink their beer, while I watch their kids. They are working parents and have explained to me many times that they need time for themselves...modern stupid pyscho babble. While they are doing for themselves, someone else, namely me, is watching their kids for them. LOL They never invite me to sit.

Several nights I asked hubby to go swimming with me...we've been getting along well (for us). As soon as we get out...the kids start coming over and we end up life guarding. Last week when it happened again I blew up at everyone. Now they are back to treating me like a leper. Its ok with me, but hubby gets upset when I don't get along with the neighbors.

AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH,
just me,
supreme b***h,
teatowel

Offer to accept money and allow only certain days for other kids to mingle. ;D

If people want a break, they should be willing to pay for it, and if not, that's their tough luck. You didn't birth those other kids, so u owe them nothing.

[gigi]

Wen,
That's a great suggestion! Tea should be paid much more than lip service for her time. When it comes to the bottom line people usually think twice. Makes one wonder how valuable these kids are to their guardians anyway. Stick to your guns, tea.

[teatowel]

all good suggestions. thanks. but i think i scared some of them off for a while . next time it comes up, i will attempt to be more firm...yeah right.

tea

[fawnmarie]

My husband is such a troll, that such things never come up!



Of course - he's the one that's usually around the house, anyway.

F