» Babysitters

Women's work...
I've always heard these stories about how babysitting is great because you can just put the kids to bed and raid their parents' fridge, watch their TV, shag your boyfriend in the shower, make 5 bucks an hour etc etc. That is a world as alien to me as Gallifrey!
When I was in my early teens, my mum's friends would come round to our house and I would be ordered to babysit their kids while they sat around drinking coffee and talking about house prices. I didn't even get asked nicely or thanked, let alone paid or rewarded, and I'd be in deep shit if I didn't babysit.
These brats would run around my family's house stealing random things and throwing tantrums if I told them stealing was wrong. There was one boy who, on top of stealing anything that wasn't nailed down, used to hit, bite and sexually molest me all the time (he got suspended from school two or three times by the age of 6 for molesting other kids!). This was more than just rough playing - he used to really hurt and upset me. Of course, I couldn't tell him off (mum would say, "it's rude to tell off a guest" and let him get away with stuff I would never have got away with) and if I tried to block his punches he would have one of his big tantrums because I'd spoiled his fun, and I'd get in trouble for making him cry. My dad saw this kid for the stupid brat he was and offered help and sympathy, but my mum always insisted that it was my job to babysit, not his, because "it's women's work and you're becoming a woman now."
The kid's family was slightly messed up at the time, since then they have sorted a lot of their issues out and his behaviour has improved dramatically, but even if you know someone is only young or is from a broken home or has a learning disability or whatever, and "can't help it," it still fucking hurts when they hurt you. Sorry for lack of funnies but just had to rant!
(Tue 2nd Nov 2010, 18:13, More)