Yes, I am an adult...

[flybye023]

...and yes, I am single and yes, I live at home with my parents.

No, I cannot watch your kids all day
No, I can't help the Smiths move
No, I can't sit with the sister who just had surgery and is bored and wants someone to visit from 10 'til noon.
No, I can't take old Sister Jones to the doctor's at 2.

Why? BECAUSE I WORK!! and yes, I'm being a grumpy bear right now.

Seriously, people at church keep asking me all these "favors" and it's driving me nuts. My dad says not to take it personally because "they have to ask everyone, they can't just assume" but, really, when the start the conversation with:

"Sooo, what do you do with yourself all day?" before asking me to help

(or if once I've told them I work)
"What, all day?" (really, what makes them assume I work part-time?)

or just that look of surprised disappointment that I can't help them when they pretty much assumed I could, it starts getting a little insulting--like they think that I just sit around my parents' house all day and watch TV or something.

Anyway, thanks for letting vent.

[JoitheArtist]

...and yes, I am single and yes, I live at home with my parents.

No, I cannot watch your kids all day
No, I can't help the Smiths move
No, I can't sit with the sister who just had surgery and is bored and wants someone to visit from 10 'til noon.
No, I can't take old Sister Jones to the doctor's at 2.

Why? BECAUSE I WORK!! and yes, I'm being a grumpy bear right now.

I totally and completely hear you! I get a lot of the same thing (though I don't live with my parents). People just assume that because you're single, you're free for babysitting at all times, that you are GOOD at babysitting (I'm terrible at it), and that because you are single, you have tons of free time for volunteering at various things.

I serve on the Altar Guild at my church, and I can only help out one day a week, because of work. Everyone else on the Guild is retired, so of course they put in more time than I do! It took me forever to earn their respect, just because I couldn't be there all the time.

So I completely understand your frustration!!

[flybye023]

My sister is also living at home and she kept getting asked to babysit by various families. The thing that was so irritating to her about that is that they would call her instead of the teenagers because they figured that since my sister had a job, they wouldn't need to pay her.

[Melxb]

Welcome to my world! I am a single, professional woman who lives with her parents. We are all adult and while I don't pay rent I do pay some bills that equal to a smallish rent. This means, of course, that I have all the time in the world to babysit, housesit, run errands for others, do a million and one things because I have so much time on my hands.

My parents, bless them, have NEVER done this to me. It's usually my aunts/uncle and/or cousins. My SISTER doesn't do this to me. She recognizes that I am a person separate from living with my parents and has NEVER tried guilt-tripping me into babysitting (I'd do it anyways! I love being with my niece & nephew!).

Like I said....welcome to my world.

[BookstoreEscapee]

Wow, I only had one cousin who called me to babysit on a regular basis, and he pays damn well!

Now his older kid is babysitting, herself (she'll be 13 in a few weeks)...how did that happen?

[Sliceanddice]

My sister is also living at home and she kept getting asked to babysit by various families. The thing that was so irritating to her about that is that they would call her instead of the teenagers because they figured that since my sister had a job, they wouldn't need to pay her.

if i was her i would so say ok my rates x/hr everytime and never waver and when there was whining saying that im sorry but my time is very important and isnt available for free. after a few phone calls like this the word would get around

[Soulstealer]

I just say I don't like kids. Which is true so long as said child isn't related to me. You're not family? I'm afraid I have no incentive to help without cash, half upfront at unreasonable rates.

[flybye023]

if i was her i would so say ok my rates x/hr everytime and never waver and when there was whining saying that im sorry but my time is very important and isnt available for free. after a few phone calls like this the word would get around

Yeah, she thought about it but then just decided she didn't need the money or the hassle so just flat-out started saying no. It didn't take long for the requests to stop