Kids are brats

United States
March 30, 2017 1:35pm CST
I have to babysit these five kids for money, right? Well, they are terrors. I have think they are being neglected by their single parent father. Seriously, even their moms split from this dude. Now I have them for ten to thirteen hours a day. They have completely destroyed my house, too. Last week the four year old tried to down my four year old in the toilet! I am beyond fed up. I need better for me and my kids.
1 person likes this
6 responses
30 Mar 17
I feel sad for everyone involved. I'm sure it is not easy for the father to raise five children alone. The children are obviously not getting enough discipline if they misbehave that much. But they also could be reacting to their circumstances. Must be hard when their mom abandoned them. Not everyone is a good parent. I guess I wonder if the dad is showing them love. He may think there is nothing wrong with Mac and cheese for lunch every day, just like another parent may send a peanut butter sandwich with their kid every day. Sometimes money is tight and people can't buy the foods they would like to. It sounds like you do not have a good repoire with the kids though. If you are unable to control them and they act like that, you should think about letting the father find another babysitter and you finding another family to babysit for. They sound like they would be difficult to care for, but maybe if they have love coming from a sitter, that could have a good positive impact on them. Have you voiced your concerns about them killing your cat to the dad? That is pretty extreme? If I felt my own children were in the path of harm, i would definitely stop watching them. good luck.
3 people like this
@Courtlynn (67002)
• United States
30 Mar 17
Exactly, my uncles girlfriend screwed up her kids by taking them from house to house, and taking my uncle out of their lives and putting her new bf in it. When theyre my uncles kids. And now the kids are confused and misbehaving and tell stories to us about the mom and bf and vice versa. Its a mess. Kids go through too much. Maybe they just need someone to talk to.
1 person likes this
• United States
31 Mar 17
I think I will just let them go. I've been trying since August to show these kids that they don't have to destroy things, kill animals, or act out. Dad came to get them and told me the six year old has been kicked from school, again. The four year old is already on a week long "vacation" for biting his teacher for the sixth time this year, as well. I cannot keep them here if my kids are in danger, as well. I currently already have them both separated by keeping my down in the TV room, and the kids I watch in the playroom with me. I am texting dad tonight. I can up my second job more.
1 person likes this
@pumpkinjam (8451)
• United Kingdom
30 Mar 17
Do you have a reason to think they're being neglected? I mean, lots of single parents (mums and dads) can be lenient with their children to the point that they lack discipline. Also, their mom split from them but the dad got the kids. Unless you know the entire circumstances, it's unfair to assume that it was all him. Anyway, that's beside the point. If you have them for so long, can you not help to discipline them? I mean, if they were all at school or daycare, those places would be expected to enforce discipline. But if it's really causing that much of a problem for your own family, you should let this guy know and give him a chance to find someone else to care for the kids. I am a single parent of 2 well behaved kids and that's hard enough so really can't imagine how much harder it must be with 5 of them.
1 person likes this
@Courtlynn (67002)
• United States
30 Mar 17
I've got to agree with you. I've babysat 7 kids at once , and I'm only 24. And sometimes theyll act up other times they don't. And when theyre here, we have rules for them. Some the same as their parents have at home. But others are our own rules. You have to set rules and make them understand bad behavior.
1 person likes this
• United States
30 Mar 17
I have rules set up already. I have no furniture left, they killed one of my cats last week, and have attacked my kids before as well. The six year old just took a punch at me an hour ago, because I asked him to do some homework. He told me to "duck" off and his dad said he doesn't have to do homework. I texted dad, and his dad told me to let him be. That he doesn't need schooling anyway, because he is just going to be in prison anyway. Like, seriously, he is SIX! Mom of the older two worked with me for a year, before I had to be home full time. She was the one who begged me to take the kids for her ex. Said that she hopes I can undo what her ex did to the kids.
• United Kingdom
31 Mar 17
@EmrysCat That changes things greatly, then. Saying that, the mom still needs to take some responsibility for a) leaving the kids with him if he's that bad and b) for letting the kids get like that. It does seem like you have a nightmare on your hands, you've taken on more than a lot of people could and put up with a lot more. You need to decide, though, whether to keep it up. The dad's attitude isn't a good one. It seems you need to decide whether to keep trying with the kids, knowing that if you don't, then they don't really have anyone else. Or if it's too much for you. Perhaps dad needs help if he can't cope. Would it be safe for you to report him to social services? It might be the best thing to do to get help for the whole family and to take some pressure off you. I have a great deal of patience when it comes to children. A bit of wrecked furniture can be repaired or replaced but I would draw the line if they're killing pets.
@Morleyhunt (21602)
• Canada
31 Mar 17
I have babysat many children. They are told the house rules...you break the rules punishment is swift and consistent. Even the most undisciplined children have responded well. I take this tack from day one.
@paigea (35513)
• Canada
31 Mar 17
I couldn't keep watching them if they didn't listen to me.
@Courtlynn (67002)
• United States
30 Mar 17
Just because kids are bad, doesn't mean they're being neglected by parents. This is the reason kids get taken away when they shouldn't because people don't understand the difference between neglect and kids being kids and just not listening to grown ups.
1 person likes this
@Courtlynn (67002)
• United States
30 Mar 17
@EmrysCat theres nothing wrong with wearing the same clothes over and over as long as theyre getting cleaned. And the same food may be because its what they perfer to eat. Thats how my little cousins were. Only mac n cheese, applesauce and chicken nuggets. Nothing else.
1 person likes this
• United States
30 Mar 17
No, I mean, they wear the same clothes for almost full weeks on end. I keep asking dad to send me real food, but they have Mac and Cheese and pudding every single day in the bag. They also have koolaid packets for me to mix to make them food. I had to go and buy diapers and wipes, because dad freaked out that I changed the baby more than once a day. The schools have called before already. I am worried about them. It isn't just their behavior, though that is crazy as it is.
• United States
31 Mar 17
You need to call Child Protective Services immediately and file a report about the children's behavior. None of that is normal--a 4-year-old trying to kill another child by drowning them in the toilet, killing pets... that's sociopathic behavior right there, at the very least. Forget about the money. What sort of parent puts earning a few dollars above their own kids' health and welfare? They've destroyed your home. They killed your cat. One of the kids already attempted to murder your 4-year-old. You need to put your foot down and tell their father to find alternate care arrangements, and let CPS intervene. Those kids need intensive help that's far beyond any untrained babysitter's capabilities. The best thing you can do for them is let the professionals take over. I guarantee that neglect is the least of the problems in that household. Time to start protecting your kids from their abusers.