tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3391148493629545748.post6542224358225392198..comments2023-05-12T00:37:25.277-10:00Comments on Adventures in Paradise: This is not a playdate, this is free babysittingDaffodil Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16717449858483592519noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3391148493629545748.post-6942963133301427552016-08-02T13:02:45.677-10:002016-08-02T13:02:45.677-10:00yeah, my daughter has a friend who is only availab...yeah, my daughter has a friend who is only available to play when her older sister has a swim meet and since those last for hours, the play dates are long and sometimes over night and ALWAYS at our house....all but 1 a LONG time ago. My girl began to get tired of having them at our house all the time and then began to notice3 the pattern....and began to resent it. Her friend is never available for a day camp or anything really unless her sister has a meet. When the mom asks if I can have her girl for a playdate, them there is always the promise of having mine over on such and such day-never hear anything and those dates go by...I have contacted her about those tentative dates, but they have had family plans every time-EVERYTIME. I didn't do much abut it at first because my girl was having a good time, but when she noticed the pattern and it began to bother her, we talked about it and put up some boundaries and began saying no....and the expected outcome occurred, they don't see each other outside of their scheduled activity anymore.<br /><br />The latest is this summer she wanted me to watch her girl 2 days a week while she was working and then take them to the activity so she wouldn't have to pay any one-her words exactly-I declined, 11 weeks of tying our time up 2 days a week? no thanks...the one time my girl was at their house was January and it is now August....pretty sure I made the right choice....it did end up being a nice door to talking about the basis and of friendship and what does friendship look like.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3391148493629545748.post-65016861539608393872015-07-22T20:36:41.416-10:002015-07-22T20:36:41.416-10:00I feel your pain. Except, my issue was only with o...I feel your pain. Except, my issue was only with one mom. Her DD and mine are close friends, the same age. She also has a teen DD that's 3+ years older than my DD and not very nice. She didn't instantly start using me as a sitter. After we invited the friend a few times for a sleepover, she started texting the day of with "I don't think I'm letting *** come unless (the teen) can, just isn't fair because she doesn't have a friend to stay with".<br /><br /> My mistake, saying yes once. After that it was both her kids most of the summer and I was their free sitter. Note, these kids are at their dads at least 1/4 of the year. The mom doesn't work, so what she was doing with ALL that free time, beyond me. When the kids weren't at their dads, my phone was ringing. I finally put my foot down and told her the teen couldn't come anymore because all the 3 of them did was argue. The teen isn't a friend of my dds, yet I was allowing her at what was supposed to be fun nights. I felt bad for my DD. It hit me, the other mom isn't thinking of my dds feelings or what's "fair" to her at all. What if I told her DD "unless all my kids can come every time, then your friend can't". Seriously? We've since stopped inviting the friend as often because the mom seems to have constant issues that she expects others to "fix" before allowing her kid to come play. The joys of parenthood!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com