Ok so I have always been somewhat of a pushover wish most of the time is ok with me to an extent. I provide in home child care for 4 families Monday-Friday, but every once in a while I will do a one particular family a favor and watch her son on weekends as she is a chef and sometimes does catering work on the weekends. It seems though they always forget to pay me for the weekends or try to just ignore it (that's what I speculate). This past Sunday I watch the little boy and when the dad dropped him off in the morning he ask to borrow $25. He told me he was on his way to work and had forgotten his wallet. Ok no big deal. So mom comes and picks up her son pays me for the last time I watch her son plus for that Sunday with still owing $10. She said she pay me on Monday...never did. I suspect she did not know that her husband had ask to borrow money cause nothing was mention. He dropped of son on Wednesday he didn't pay me. I gave him the benefit of the doubt and said he will probably pay me on Friday when I receive my weekly payment for child care services. He hand me my payment for the week and when he left I counted the money and he failed to pay me the $25 again. My question is should I contact him or his wife. I'm hesitant to contact him out of respect for his wife but then I don't want to created tension or a fight if his wife didn't know anything about the $25. What should I do?! I've always been told I'm a push over, but I try I see it of trying to be generous, but I surely don't like being taken advantage of. Thanks!
Need some advice!
- Thread starter lulu68
- Start date
AYLE09
Cathlete
It's really easy to get caught up in a situation where you feel "bad" about sticking up for youself for fear of causing tension. The reality is that you are providing them with a service and deserve to be paid appropriately for it. Do you keep any kind of record book, etc for hours worked verses payment received? If not, maybe you should consider this. It would be very hard for either of them to deny or dispute if everything is in black and white. Just a thought. Who knows, maybe they aren't trying to rip you off and are legitimately just scatter brained (major benefit of the doubt there 
) Either way, I would nip the situation before it gets any more out of hand. I hate seeing anyone being taken advantage of.
Good luck!
) Either way, I would nip the situation before it gets any more out of hand. I hate seeing anyone being taken advantage of. Good luck!
CeciFifi
Cathlete
Gosh, I do not like it when stuff like this happens. It may very well be an honest mistake and the dad either forgot or figured his wife paid you. First off, however, I do not think he should be borrowing money from you. Judge Judy says "no good deed goes unpunished".
If it was me - I would let the person who pays me regularly know that I am still short $25. It's not for you to manage possible issues in their relationship. I would likely say casually that $25 is still outstanding and can be tacked onto the following week if that is easiest. That opens the door for the conversation and keeps it matter of fact. I would be embarrassed if my husband borrowed money from the sitter and (on top of that) didn't pay it back - even if it's just an honest mistake. The sooner it's dealt with - the easier it will be. Good luck. It's your money. You deserve it back - even if it's $1, it's yours.
If it was me - I would let the person who pays me regularly know that I am still short $25. It's not for you to manage possible issues in their relationship. I would likely say casually that $25 is still outstanding and can be tacked onto the following week if that is easiest. That opens the door for the conversation and keeps it matter of fact. I would be embarrassed if my husband borrowed money from the sitter and (on top of that) didn't pay it back - even if it's just an honest mistake. The sooner it's dealt with - the easier it will be. Good luck. It's your money. You deserve it back - even if it's $1, it's yours.
RapidBreath
Cathlete
sorry that is happening to you
Ask him when you can expect to be reimbursed for the 25$ you lent him. That way you aren't attacking him but are being assertive.
You probably should stop giving your service away. You have two choices, you can just tell them that you won't be offering additional free babysitting on the weekends or you can just tell them you are no longer available.
I totally feel your pain. I used to do a lot of babysitting when I was living in LA to make ends meet. I was often not paid on time, they would take a mile every time I gave an inch. Eventually, after having given them notice for over 3 months, I accepted a real paying job in the film industry, and they decided to threaten to kill me. Hey, thats just the domestic service industry. Some people will always recognize you as 'beneath them' because you do 'women's work'. Its a load of BS, but thats a fact of it. The only way to teach them that you have value is to charge. They clearly don't understand anything else.
Ask him when you can expect to be reimbursed for the 25$ you lent him. That way you aren't attacking him but are being assertive.
You probably should stop giving your service away. You have two choices, you can just tell them that you won't be offering additional free babysitting on the weekends or you can just tell them you are no longer available.
I totally feel your pain. I used to do a lot of babysitting when I was living in LA to make ends meet. I was often not paid on time, they would take a mile every time I gave an inch. Eventually, after having given them notice for over 3 months, I accepted a real paying job in the film industry, and they decided to threaten to kill me. Hey, thats just the domestic service industry. Some people will always recognize you as 'beneath them' because you do 'women's work'. Its a load of BS, but thats a fact of it. The only way to teach them that you have value is to charge. They clearly don't understand anything else.