Wednesday, April 28, 2004
OH DEAR GOD.
I've become a.....(gasp, choke, gulp) "Dupable Adult."
Ok, kids, here's the drama:
I have had the same "main" babysitter for about two years now. I've lived in the same house for nearly ten years, and I've known this girl since she was my kiddo's age. I pay her pretty well - $5/hour, even when he's sleeping. (Not a bad rate in my opinion, since I used to make one or two bucks an hour when I was her age).
So, tonight, I had a massage client scheduled and some errands to run - as ever, called the sitter to come hang with the kiddo so I could work & run errands quickly. The sitter asked me when I'd be home: "About ten?" she said. I told her, probably, unless I decided to come home a little early, because I had a fairly busy day. "Oh, ok," she said - "Just call me when you're on your way."
Okay.....
While I'm out, I get a phone call from her....to ask me - again - when I'll be home. I tell her I'm not sure, and ask her why. She says it's because she & kiddo are having so much fun, that she doesn't want the evening to get cut short.....and asks me again what time I'll be home. I tell her I'll be home when I get there, and ask why she's so concerned about time (she lives next door, and can always crash on the couch if she gets tired). She says it's no big deal, and will see me later.
I'm feeling nervous.
I call back and ask to speak with kiddo - ask him if he's having a good time, etc.....he says yes, but he wants me to come home soon. I promise him I'll get home as early as I can.
I run errands, then decide to drive up my street the opposite way of how I normally go, and park in front of the neighbor's house instead of my own.
When I get to the door and unlock it, it's chained. I call the sitter's name through the door several times, but she doesn't reply.
I'm worried.
She comes rushing up from the basement, holding one of kiddo's shirts.
I ask her where she was, and she tells me she was downstairs, getting a shirt for kiddo that he said he wanted to wear tomorrow. (The shirt she's holding is the shirt he wore to school yesterday).
I ask her why he's not asleep yet, as it's 9:15p.m. She says that he IS asleep, she just went down to get it. (--Also--side note--kiddo is VERY particular. If he says he wants a shirt for tomorrow, he won't go to sleep until he has it in hand.)
She goes back downstairs. I put down my bags - I'm VERY suspicious at this point, look down into the basement, and then decide (women's intuition), to go to my front porch.
A TEENAGE BOY IS WALKING FROM MY DRIVEWAY TO THE SIDEWALK!!
I realize that the reason she had the door chained and was in the basement is that she had a boyfriend over, and let him out of the house through my basement door.
Things start clicking - the reason my backyard fence keeps being left open - even though I shut it every time. And, a few weeks ago, when I went downstairs in the morning to get clothes from the dryer, the basement door was OPEN.
I'm stunned. Horrified.
I go back into the house, as the sitter calls up to me and asks if I need anything from downstairs. I tell her no, but that she needs to come upstairs, because I need to talk to her.
When she comes up, it goes something like this:
V: Why did you have a boy over to my house?
S: What are you talking about?
V: You heard me - why did you invite a boy over to my house?
S: I don't know what you're talking about.
V: Oh, so you're telling me that you don't know the boy who just walked down my driveway and out to the sidewalk?
S: (silence)
V: Don't lie to me. I was a teenager not that long ago, babe. I've snuck boys into the house, snuck them out, gotten busted, and gotten grounded for it.....I can't believe you would violate my trust this way.
S: (quietly) I'm sorry.
V: You should be. I've told you many times that you may not do anything in my house that your mother would not approve of. I pay you to watch my son and take care of the dog while I'm out - not invite strange boys to my house and make out with your boyfriend!
S: Oh! You don't think we were.....
V: No, I would hope not. But that's completely beside the point. He should never have been here. And you know that if and when I tell your mother about this that you will likely never be able to babysit for me again.
S: Please don't tell her.
V: ....I don't think I can trust you again.
S: If you don't tell her, I promise - it will never happen again.
V: It will never happen again, period!
S: Ok, ok. Please think about this. Please don't tell her.
V: You need to get your things and go home. I am far too angry to speak to you right now.
S: (walking out the door) Please, just think about it.
V: You need to go home now.
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I am beside myself about this. I'm in the position of a) remembering how it felt to be in her position, b) knowing that if it were my child, i would want to know, and c) feeling hurt and angry for both myself and my kiddo. He's been telling me for months that he doesn't want her to babysit anymore, because she's "boring." And now I realize what was going on. She was in a rush to get him into bed and asleep so she could invite her boyfriend over.
Of course, I will have to tell her mother. She's 15 - how can I not??? And I hate being "that grown-up." AAAAAAAAAAAAAgggghhhhhh!! When did this happen??? When did I become grown up enough to bust teenagers making out in my house???
*sigh*
DivAgoggingly Yours,
Vi
