A few months ago, the Smiths—one of the families I regularly babysit for—invited me on a trip to a luxury resort. The catch? They needed someone to watch their six kids during the vacation. I told them upfront that I couldn’t afford something so extravagant, but Mrs. Smith reassured me: “Don’t worry, everything’s on us.”
So, I agreed.
While the Smiths were lounging by the pool, sipping cocktails, and indulging in daily spa sessions, I was working non-stop—chasing toddlers, calming meltdowns, and managing meal times and nap schedules like a full-time nanny.
Then came the final day. We flew home, and the very next morning, Mrs. Smith called me into the living room.
Mrs. Smith: “Jane, when will you be paying us back the $1000?”
Me: “Sorry—what $1000?”
Mrs. Smith: “For your plane tickets, of course! We spent a lot getting you there. It’s only fair you cover that part.”
Me: “But you said the whole trip was covered…”
Mrs. Smith: “I don’t recall saying that. You have one week to pay us back.”
I was stunned—and furious. But I didn’t lash out. I went home, took a deep breath, and started crafting the perfect response.
That night, I sent Mrs. Smith a calm, professional message:
“Since we’re now treating this as a business transaction, I’d be happy to reimburse you the $1000. But first, I’ll be invoicing you for my babysitting services during the trip.”
I sat down and calculated everything: 12-hour workdays, 7 straight days, managing six kids. At my standard rate of $20/hour, the total came to $1,680.
Feeling fair, I sent the invoice.
The next morning, my phone lit up. Mrs. Smith was livid.
“How DARE you charge us after we gave you such a luxurious experience? This is outrageous!”
I replied, still calm:
“You framed this as a business deal, so I’m charging accordingly. But if you’d prefer to go back to our original agreement—that the trip was a friendly gesture and I was helping out—then I’m happy to call it even.”
She went silent. For the rest of the day.
I started to worry—I didn’t want this to turn into a full-blown fallout. But the next day, something unexpected happened.
Mr. Smith called.
He asked to meet for coffee. When we sat down, he looked completely worn down—and genuinely apologetic.
Mr. Smith: “Jane… we owe you an apology. We crossed a line. You were incredibly generous with your time, and we took you for granted. You were right to stand up for yourself.”