And Who Am I Babysitting?
By Morley Hunt
@Morleyhunt (21741)
Canada
March 13, 2016 5:21am CST
This morning I read a comment on @LovingMyBabies post that inspired this discussion.
She had a child dropped off, who was left for several hours after a five minute acquaintance.
Almost thirty years ago, I placed an advertisement in the newspaper, that I was available to babysit.
I received one call. The woman asked me a couple of questions, including my address, comments that she knew my husband and could I start tomorrow morning.
The next morning, at the appointed time a man (boy) knocked on my door and handed me his son, with the words, this is Randy and I'll be back at noon.
That was it, that was all.
A quick perusal of the diaper bag revealed a bottle and a diaper.
I had no idea of this child's age (he was in an infant car seat, so I was guessing 6-8 months old), routine (when did he need the bottle), and as any mother can tell you, does he sleep on his stomach or back.
I did not know the parents names, other than Tina for mom. No contact number was left.
To put it mildly, I was horrified. Who hands their baby to a stranger? And leaves for five hours.
At noon, daddy returned to pick up his son. I drove to their house in the afternoon, to ask mom (who didn't drive) for answers to his care needs.
I babysat this child for several months. Invariably, I would bath him as soon as he arrived, and would dress him in onesies and sleepers my daughter had outgrown. (He always arrived in a pee soaked diaper and sleeper, and I was lucky if he had a spare diaper in the bag.)
Again, I ask, Who hands their baby to a stranger and leaves for 5 hours?
25 people like this
26 responses
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
13 Mar 16
She was fortunate it was me she had looking after her baby. This could have had disasterous results. In an extreme emergency, I had a back door way of reaching her, but she was not aware of that so could not use that as an excuse for not leaving vital contact information with me.
3 people like this

@MGjhaud (23228)
• Philippines
13 Mar 16
@Morleyhunt oh..
what theyre doing now to the kid isnt very promising
what theyre doing now to the kid isnt very promising@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
13 Mar 16
My husband was acquainted with her husband in passing. My husband also knew her parents. His comments were, they are not the brightest bulbs on the street.

@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
13 Mar 16
He wasn't abandoned, just left in a very irresponsible manner.

@DianneN (254949)
• United States
14 Mar 16
@Morleyhunt I hear ya. You must be a baby magnet!
1 person likes this
@DianneN (254949)
• United States
14 Mar 16
@Morleyhunt That's a special gift! Lol!!!!!
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
14 Mar 16
@DianneN I am. I am also the most boring grandma, aunt, great-aunt.....
I put all the babies to sleep.

1 person likes this

@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
13 Mar 16
I was always very hesitant about leaving my children with sitters. I know of one occasion where we needed a sitter, right now, and we still needed to talk to her before we would consider leaving our babies with her. Our children were 3 years and 18 months at that time. They were both verbal and could make their needs known. We made sure she had contact numbers coming out of her ears before we left, and we called at least twice in the three hours we were gone. She probably thought we were paranoid.
1 person likes this
@Lucky15 (37391)
• Philippines
13 Mar 16
@Morleyhunt with the things happening, i can not blame you on making sure that the kids were ok.
My brother always calls me too when he will leave his kids.to me. Knowing.they are in not.baby anymore.
1 person likes this
@Jeanniemaries (8237)
• United States
13 Mar 16
That is quite a shocking story. It almost turns my stomach thinking of what that child has in store.
2 people like this
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
13 Mar 16
The child has since grown up. I'm not sure what eventually happened to that young family. I know they had several more children, but moved from the area.

@Marcyaz (35316)
• United States
13 Mar 16
@Morleyhunt
It certainly would have been unsettling to me also, good he is an adorable boy.
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
13 Mar 16
I found the situation a little unsettling. He was an adorable little boy.
2 people like this
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
14 Mar 16
@TheHorse even a stranger caring can make a difference in the lives of these neglected children.
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
16 Mar 16
in this day and age you'd expect a baby sitter to be vetted by the FBI and other agencis before even being considered - I doubt if Mary Poppins would pass the tests nowadays
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
16 Mar 16
More proof that there should be a parenting component taught at school.....to everyone.
1 person likes this
@silvermist (19701)
• India
13 Mar 16
@Morleyhunt I am surprised.How could they sort of abandon their kid to strangers.I thought kids have to be fed,bathed and should have fresh diapers on them before they are dropped at the baby sitter's.
1 person likes this

@silvermist (19701)
• India
14 Mar 16
@Morleyhunt They are lucky that they left the baby with you. Are they aware how lucky they were.
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
14 Mar 16
@silvermist no, I'm sure they aren't. I could have called FACS ( Family and Children's Services) and there would have been massive intervention.
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
13 Mar 16
I agree with you, but this was the hand I was dealt. I made it work. He was in good hands when I had him.
1 person likes this


@LadyDuck (502190)
• Italy
14 Mar 16
@Morleyhunt I am sure you hate to leave your children, some parents look like they do not care at all, the important is not to have to take care of them.
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
14 Mar 16
Whenever I had to leave my children with a sitter I had all the bases covered. Contacts, care...in fact I hate to leave my children.
1 person likes this

@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
15 Mar 16
It made me grateful that I had a bag of cast offs that had been my daughters.
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
14 Mar 16
oh my :( poor lil fella! i can only imagine... i dunno how anybody could do such, but't does occur e'en these days. he was fortunate to've been'n yer care, 't least fer that short period'f time. prolly the only time he was well cared fer.
1 person likes this

@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
14 Mar 16
@Morleyhunt i've no doubt'f that, hon. jest always makes ya wonder though how he turned out, don't it? i'd a similar 'xperience many eons 'go - knew the folks, sat'n their young'uns 't their house. what a filthy place :( i started cleanin' the moment they left, bathin' the young'uns, doin' laundry, etc. made a game outta it. i still wonder if'n such 'twas 'nough.
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
14 Mar 16
When he was at my house, he was clean, dry diaper, well fed and cuddled and read to.
1 person likes this

@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
14 Mar 16
I found it very strange. The first day looking fathom I was flying blind. I learned that he slept on his back (trial and error) and he arrived around 7 AM, I offered him his bottle around 10. He finished it.
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
14 Mar 16
It's a good thing I value children and love to care for them. Their baby was in safe hands.
1 person likes this
@Gabugs (1895)
• United States
15 Mar 16
@Morleyhunt Indeed yes, but I dread to think what if it was otherwise.
1 person likes this
@Letranknight2015 (52665)
• Philippines
14 Mar 16
I guess they didn't experience their child being kidnapped or something. or maybe the guy just trusted you for your job. i hope next time he will give details like his number just in case.
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
14 Mar 16
It isn't an issue any more. This little boy would now be about 28-29 years old.
@Tampa_girl7 (54714)
• United States
14 Mar 16
The poor little thing was blessed for the amount of time that he spent with you.
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
14 Mar 16
I only looked after him for a couple of months. Then I went to work, but could take my toddler with me.
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
14 Mar 16
Good questions I've never heard of that before. But obviously it sounds like young parents that weren't trained that well by their own parents, or never babysat or anything like many of us have.
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
14 Mar 16
They were clueless. Eventually I believe they had four children. They did love their children, but caring for a baby seemed to challenge their capability. The children have all grown up and seem to be relatively normal, under the circumstances.
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
14 Mar 16
I ended up working in the same general location as the father. The girls parents also worked with my husband, so we followed their progress. Mom became a stay at home mom, dad went on disability and we will assume the children were reasonably provided for. They are all grown up now. The youngest is probably around 23 years old.
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
14 Mar 16
I am happy you did what you could to make that child happy for the time you had him. What an awful life he must lived with teenagers as parents. I hope they grew up fast - the parents, not the baby.
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
14 Mar 16
when the father went on disability, social services were there, so i think the care of the children did improve to some degree.
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@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
14 Mar 16
I had a sister in law who didn't seem to know how to care for her babies either. Poor mites. They had a rough start.
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