So today, someone who knows that I’ve started pet/home sitting asked if I’d sit for her aged parent - I’m actually already on a sit for the dates otherwise I’d consider it because this friend desperately needs a break.
Parent is house trained, well behaved (most of the time!), needs feeding twice a day, enjoys a game of Scrabble, doesn’t need walking, takes her meds without fuss, sleeps in her own bed, can be left for 6-8 hours during the day (friend works so parent is used to this).
to be serious for a moment, we’ve thought of a way of finding a parent-sitter - but it got me thinking…
I’ve recently seen a sit ad like this, but the very elderly parent lived in an annexe. It would contravene T&Cs if a third party was present in the property during the sit, im not sp sure about an annexe? The sit was filled, anyway.
I also recently saw 2 sit dates were advertised where it stated: ‘please be aware you wont be alone in the house during the sit’, it then went on to state a 15 year old boy would be staying home, ‘an avid gamer’! This is a safeguarding issue, so I reported to Member Services. The ad was subsequently amended to remove info about the boy. I wonder if the HO still intends to leave him, and just mention during the chat? One of her sits was filled, the other is still on the site. Member Services responded that she probably didnt understood the rules of the site. I think the bigger concern is that she didnt understand the rules of parenting!
For example many Scandinavians let infants sleep outside, also in winter. Other cultures react horrified, believe that there is a risk of death by exposure. And abduction!
@Happypets We have accepted a sit where there is an independent parent living in a separate annex on the adjacent land but completely self contained and away from the house we will be staying in .
THS offers unique homestay experiences and the opportunity to experience a different lifestyle . I have lived in a rural community where popping in to see neighbours is a part of daily life and in my view an enriching experience.
Whilst I wouldn’t take on any sit where there were any caring responsibilities for an aged parent or neighbour( which would be against the T&Cs as it should be a paid job )
I personally have no issue with popping by to check on a neighbour if it is part of the culture of that community that I have volunteered to live in and provided that I am not expected to spend hours there. I am happy with that .
However I am also happy to walk a couple of dogs for 1-2 hours a day whatever the weather , pick up their poo and give them a bath if muddy . So checking in on a fellow human for a few minutes or even sharing a cup of tea with them seems like a reasonable request to me .
I can completely understand why others would not be happy with that and wouldn’t apply for such listings.
My Norwegian godmother saw it as essential that her sons napped outside in the freezing cold, as her mother had too and my Godmother grew up to be a strapping healthy lady (loving too).
I totally agree these things are culturally determined, @pietkuip, but in the UK it would flag up a safeguarding concern, to leave a 15 year old in the care of strangers.
It would also be a bit of a dodgy situation for any sitters; what if the young person alleged abuse, or didnt come home one night?
Regarding the sit which involved checking on the elderly parent in the annexe, we would actually quite enjoy doing that, but i’m not sure that responsibilities regarding a dependent relative should comprise part of the THS remit. As has been said, that’s more of a personal favour than a sitter responsibility IMHO.
In other countries, it is completely normal when a younger child is left in the care of a 15-year-old babysitter. At that age, people are reasonably competent at taking care of themselves. What I would wonder was why the 15-year-old could not take care of the pet.
@DianeS I have had a similar request from a friend to stay overnight at their home with their teenage daughter ( not a THS sit or safe-guarding issue , we are friends of the family for many years and I was happy to help out )
The request was “just wondering if you are free to stay here on xx with xx . She feeds herself and doesn’t need walking “.
That happens here too, of course, but presumably you’d know the babysitter?
I can see the OP posted in a jovial sense, but these sits actually do appear on THS listings from time to time. We’re housesitters / petsitters, not babysitters.
Cannot for the life of me understand why people have made it anything but funny.