I babysit for my neighbor. I say "babysit" because don't report it on my taxes and it is only part time.
Mostly I started watching the girl for something to do and she was a very easy baby except that she would not sleep in a pack n play. Last summer when the mom lost her job, I agreed to lower my rates to a pitifully low hourly rate, and because it is just "babysitting" I only get paid for the hours she is here. I only watche her occasionally during the school year while I had another job.
This summer I started keeping her again for the same pitifully low rate. Well, she is 2 now and not near as easy to handle. Oh, the mom is an LVN and has started her own home health care business.
But what really gets me is all the all the times that the mom is posting on Facebook about her workouts, getting a tattoo, going shopping, while I am stuck at home with her kid. Because of where we live, I would use up more money in gass to take the kid somewhere than I make babysitting her. I loose money every time I take the kids to McDs for lunch.

If that mom have all that free time while paying me next to nothing to take care of her kid, she is not paying me enough. If this amout is so hard on her, she should be rushing over here to pick up her kid as soon as she is finished working.

Thankfully, I have another job starting soon and I am telling her today that I can only take the kid for one more week.

Whew! Rant over.
I know it is really my fault for not insisting on a more formal arrangement and letting her take advantage of me.

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