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Babysitting

April 22nd, 2015 at 12:51 am

I have a BFF that has 3 kids under 5 years old (she's crazy, lol). We just found out that her oldest, my niece, who will be 5 in July, has Autism. Luckily, she is on the very high spectrum end of it. Her biggest problems are interacting with other kids, loud noises, and anxiety. As a result, she is only going to school (day care/preschool) for a couple of hours every morning. My BFF had a babysitter that was taking her to school in the mornings and picking her up, then staying with her the rest of the day until she (or her hubby) got home from work. But the babysitter can't do the job anymore, so my BFF has asked me to step on and help out.

I am completely honored.

I've known my BFF for 25 years and we've both known her hubby for about 22 years (they were HS sweeties). When my niece was 2 weeks old, I started babysitting her every week. So while it doesn't surprise me that they trust me to look after my niece, it makes me feel very special to know they feel I can handle the job, especially with my having MS (Multiple Sclerosis).

I won't be babysitting full time, that would be too much, but I'll be helping out. After a looooong day of negotiations, I agreed to accept a small payment from them every week, especially since it is a 45 minute drive to their house each way.

I'll add some of this money every week to my savings, and the rest will go towards gas money.

The extra money is nice, but there are so many other better parts. I get to spend time with my niece, who I've always had a soft spot in my heart for. I love her brothers to the moon and back, but there is just something about my niece that makes me melt. I also get to help her, by teaching her things like how to read and also to help her with some of her problems, like how to handle her anxiety (I started having panic attacks when I was 6). And I feel like I have a purpose again. After not working for 7 years, I've lost the sense of having a purpose, and this has given that feeling back to me. Not to get sappy, but this feels like a blessing for both me and my BFF, in so many ways. Smile

Old Balance: $158.86
Babysitting: $20.00
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New Balance: $178.86
(Cash $52)
(Savings Acct $126.86)