Reddit Dad – When In Doubt, Fire The Babysitter

tumblr_n3voieSHl01sp270no1_500I’m a paranoid mom, I admit it. If I even had a fleeting thought that I needed to fire my babysitter – I would do it. Blame it on the superstitious Greek in me. I’m big on intuition.

There was a post on Reddit today about a father agonizing over firing the babysitter of his four-month-old. The babysitter is 19-years-old  and “a nice kid,” but he’s already been fired once for being late. The father admits that he probably jumped the gun on that, so he offered him his job back. Since then though, he’s had some small problems that are making him regret his decision.

For one thing, he’s not putting the cloth diapers on right – but who can blame him for that? I wouldn’t know how to do that either and I’m a forty-year-old with two kids. The other “small” problem was forgetting to keep his phone charged. I would flip my lid over that one. But here’s where we get to the incident that has the father second-guessing his decision to hire him back:

This past week my wife came home to find the apartment reeking of sulphur. The gas stove was on with no flame. He “hadn’t noticed” and was completely oblivious. I know for a fact I only used one burner that morning for coffee (different burner) and very clearly remember turning it off. So that means he not only managed to turn the gas on somehow but was totally unaware of the stink of rotten eggs filling the house.

The kid made a mistake – but this is a bad one. Regardless of the small list of things the father is uncomfortable with, I think if you are at the point where you’re making a list – it’s probably time to find another babysitter. Also, gas.

I’ll return to the intuition point to say, sometimes it doesn’t make sense. How many times have you met someone that you just didn’t like for some reason you couldn’t put your finger on? I’m of the belief that there’s always a reason. It’s taken me a long time, but I finally comfortably trust my intuition – it’s rarely wrong. So I think if you are talking about something as important as the safety of your four-month-old, you have to listen to the voice inside your head that is making you question something.

I’m sure he’s a good kid, but if I was struggling with a decision like this at all – he’d have to go.

(photo: Tumblr)

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