I quit my job.

A few months ago I was really excited about having found a new nanny job and the amount of money I'd earn in the nine months I was going to be with them. However, that excitement wore off as the reality of the job set in and I was really, really unhappy.

Let me back up a bit.

I think I once said on here that I adored the new family, but that was a lie that I was trying to con myself into believing. For lack of a better explanation, I just did not click with them. At all. And I have never had that problem before-- and in 11 years of babysitting, I've taken care of a lot of kids for a lot of different families.

The biggest issue with this family was that the dad worked from home. This alone wouldn't be a huge issue, but the fact that he's a micromanaging control freak was. Every cry the kid made (he's not even 1 yet, obviously he's going to cry), he'd come running out of his office to ask what was wrong. He was always questioning me, making snide little remarks (he is an incredibly condescending man), and it really felt like he didn't trust me at all. I rarely saw his wife because she'd leave before I got there in the morning and I'd leave before she got home that night, but when I did see her, she acted much the same way. They're in their late 40s and have kids from previous marriages, so it isn't like they're the typical nervous first time parents, they just straight up acted like they didn't trust me.

Another issue was the pay. When they interviewed me, they agreed to paying me a certain amount. During this interview, the dad also mentioned something about taxes. The family I was with prior to them had me fill out a form last April that was basically like a nanny-credit from the government, and the new dad made it sound like this was the same thing. After getting hired, the asked me if they could pay a dollar less. I really didn't think it was that big of a deal, I was still making good money, and I only had one kid to take care of, so I agreed. Had I known that he was actually making me pay taxes out of EVERY paycheck, I would have fought it. Who the hell makes their babysitter pay taxes?

We also have the issue of them apparently thinking they hired a nanny & housekeeper all in one. Listen, I'm a very clean person. Any mess that is made while I am taking care of the kids, I clean up. If I notice the kitchen floor has a few too many crumbs on it, I'll vacuum the entire kitchen. If the dishwasher needs emptied, I do it. I'm even willing to do the kids' laundry. I take the initiative and have no problem doing so. What I do have a problem with is being asked to wash YOUR laundry, the parent. And dusting your house. And vacuuming the entire 5500 sq ft of your house every single day that I am there, when I never agreed to do those chores in the first place. I also have a problem with getting dirty looks and the third degree when I'm taking the time to study for my classes while the child is sleeping because you think I should be doing something more productive, like scrubbing your underwear. Did I mention they actually do have a cleaning lady?

Basically, I was incredibly unhappy. I felt like they were totally abusing the situation and misrepresented what they wanted. I'll admit, I'm pretty burnt out on taking care of other people's kids, so I may have been more annoyed than I normally would be, but it just was not working. At all. And I didn't even mention how he, Mr. Holier than thou, chastised me for straying from my Catholic faith because I did a Bible study at a non-denominational Christian church this fall. Spending 27 hours a week there for a few months made me realize I was not going to be able to do it until July. Especially when, after the first of the year, I was going to be doing 36 hours a week and they won't let me take the kid out of the home.

So I did what I had to do and quit. I gave them a month to find someone else and my last day is January 13. I am so relieved and the stress and unhappiness flooded out of my body as soon as I told them. Sure, I felt bad, but it had to be done.

Besides, I already found another family to work for who I have babysat occasionally and know what I'm getting myself into. All's well that ends well, right? But this experience has tempted me to write an article, "How not to piss off your child caretaker."

In case you're wondering, the family has no clue I write a blog (or anything else about me, for that matter).