The annual review provided by the Big Brother that is WordPress suggested that we revisit old posts and write about those subjects again. This seemed a bit counter-productive to me but as I trawled through some really old posts I began to see possibilities.
I blogged a couple of years ago about the first paid job I ever had, aged thirteen, writing up the new year’s stock books for my father. (If you want to read about that, you can do so here). This was lucrative while it lasted but it didn’t provide me with regular income and at that age, when the lure of Aqua Manda scented products and shops such as Chelsea Girl beckoned, money was all important.
Babysitting became the next option. A friend of mine, Viv, seemed to have a monopoly in the village which I was keen to break into. A recently built housing estate spawned plenty of opportunity and I began to get the odd Saturday night slot. I can’t say that looking after other people’s children particularly appealed – I wasn’t that bothered about taking care of my own siblings – but Viv assured me it was easy money and that most people had coloured TV sets and a never ending supply of biscuits.
Once the children are in bed, having read them a story, got them drinks, admired their Lego model, reassured them there are no monsters and Mummy and Daddy will be back soon, the evening is pretty much your own but sitting by yourself in someone else’s house is the weirdest thing. You’re not familiar with the creaks the house makes; the heating system might rumble on like thunder, the washing machine, set on a timer, may well spring into action to take advantage of cheaper electricity. There are likely to be small rodents somewhere in a cage running round in a wheel. You are on edge for four hours just waiting for the parents to get back and free you from this potential peril.
One household I sat for locked the telephone in their bedroom. What kind of family have locks on their internal doors – and who in their right minds locks a telephone away from someone who is acting in loco parentis? Did they think I’d be spending the evening ringing friends in Australia? What would I have done if an emergency presented itself? I never sat for that particular family again. In fact, I wasn’t very successful as a babysitter – I let Viv maintain her monopoly – but I stuck it out until I was fifteen or so until I was able to obtain a proper job: my first foray into retail. But that’ll have to wait until part two.
*My Brilliant Career – a 1901 novel by Miles Franklin about a young Australian girl, Sybylla, and her secret desire to become a writer. It was made into a film in 1979 starring Judy Davis. I’ve always wanted to use that as a title – and now I have.
Love it! I was a very popular babysitter in my village and earned loads of money, but you describe the terrors of being in an unknown house very well. I used to scare myself to death watching the black and white horror movies that used to be on late on a Saturday night too! But I got my homework done, had choccy biscuits (and sometimes cakes) and saved the cash for LPs and denim jeans (my mother refused to buy me jeans). Cool post Jenny 🙂
Thanks Jude. Yes, in theory it was a good opportunity to complete homework but in reality, certainly for me, I was up and down every five minutes listening to the creepy sounds of the house. Homework was left till Sundays, when worn out through lack of sleep because my temporary employers would arrive home much later than anticipated, I would attempt mine while listening to Noel Edmonds or DLT on my plastic transistor radio. Happy Days…
I didn’t like babysitting either, and only did it three or four times. As you say, it’s strange being in someone else’s house like that. I also didn’t have much interest in small children, unlike some of my friends, and soon found other employment! Good post! 🙂
I never liked small children until I had one of my own and then I much preferred him when he was able to hold a decent conversation. Which he did quite early, in fact, because I talked at him non-stop and he didn’t have much choice!
I wonder if all baby-sitters would tell a similar tale ….. your tale certainly struck a chord with me and it has been many, many years since I last baby-sat!! I did not enjoy it at all and like you soon gave it up. I have vague memories of that film – and then became not at all surprised they are vague, given the year of production – Really? It seems like I saw it only 15 or so years ago …..
Haha, you can double that, Pauline! How time flies – it’s scary – almost as scary as babysitting. I remember the film vaguely too – but I know that Judy Davis was totally right for the role.
I forgot to say I love your little pink junk photo at the top of your blog – it is such an eye-catcher in a beautiful, tranquil setting.
Ah, thank you. I took this shot at Wisley Gardens in Surrey. They were hosting a sculpture exhibition for some local artists and this was one of the exhibits. Imagine buying it and having it float on your own pond …
I liked it when my grandchildren became old enough to look after me when I was supposed to be babysitting them
That’s nice. I bet you let them stay up late too. I remember Nanna, my grandmother allowing this. She lived close by when we were children so my family had an on-the-spot and very willing babysitter.
My babysitting career was brief but memorable: I was 14 or 15 and living in the rural western US. A man who worked for my father had a house well out in the country and he and his wife needed someone to watch their kids while they and another couple headed off to paint the town red. They got back about 1 a.m., The father and his friend, despite being well over the legal limit intoxication wise, then drove me home in a rather hair-raising manner – an 8-10 mile trip over dirt roads. When I described this to my mother the next day she went through the roof. She wasn’t real keen on her oldest being carted around at high speeds through the Colorado badlands by a couple of alcoholics in the middle of the night. I don’t know what my mom said to these folks, but I wasn’t invited back to babysit again. Probably just as well. I had enough trouble taking care of myself.
I loved this story – I can understand your mother being horrified – imagine something like that happening these days – you’d probably make a news bulletin.
I wanted to do a paper round like my pal Julie, but her dad was the newsagent after all. I went on her round with her looking for lads (main reason for wanting a round) but never got a round in my own right.
Was asked to babysit though by the lad who waited for the bus on the opposite side of the road to me. Not his baby😧 just to babysit together. My dad said no. So ended a non-happening relationship.
Hmm, paper rounds meant very early mornings. I wasn’t good at those in my youth. My friend Laura used to do the milk round at the weekend where she collected all the empties for the local milkman. She constantly smelled of sour milk but she saved enough money for the school ski trip. I thought babysitting a better option. On reflection, it probably wasn’t. 🙂
I have found memories of babysitting, Jenny. I never sat for infants and I only took care of one family because they paid top dollar. I earned money for my Jordache Jeans and other clothes my mother wouldn’t buy for me because they weren’t necessities.
“Did they think I’d be spending the evening ringing friends in Australia?” That’s hilarious! 🙂
Necessities? Of course jeans were/are necessities! My Mum didn’t think so either. Hmm, buying jeans…that’s a whole other story!
Yes it is! 🙂
One option might have been to release the small rodents as a humanitarian gesture. I’m sure the parents would have understood.
Oh I couldn’t possibly have done that, the family dog might’ve eaten them. How then to explain that away 😃
Darwinian selection😁
Oh, Jenny, this is a jewel of a post!
When I was 14, I babysat 5 boys (ages 2-6) for 8 hours each day, 5 days a week, for 10 weeks one summer. I cleaned up after breakfast, served and cleaned up after lunch, and had dinner cooking when the parents came home at 5:30. I walked the boys to swimming lessons and softball and the library, and they could only watch 30 min. of TV each day. I did this all for $5 a day.
It was like the Peace Corps–“The hardest job you’ll ever love”–and several years later a fortune teller told me I would have 5 sons. I was SO relieved and happy to have one daughter!
Good grief Marylin, that was some slave labour! I suppose nowadays you’d have to have some sort of qualification and a health and safety check to do all that stuff you did. The money was never great but it did add up enough to go on a mini shopping spree every now and then. A very mini one… 😄
Didn’t babysit as I didn’t know anyone with small children. First time I held a baby was my own. He seems to have survived. Am much more confident with the grandson. First job: with a friend in Exeter. We asked at every guest house in a row and finally secured a job. Over the next three or four summers we decorated, waited, cleaned, gardened, washed up and learned to cook breakfasts. Brilliant! And all for 3/6 per hour (about 17/18 pence). Loved it. Loved earning money. Loved spending it in Chelsea Girl! Happy days.
Sounds fun even though it was obviously hard work. Think of all those hidden skills you acquired. Probably stood you in good stead for a life time of teaching. 🙂
I eagerly await Part II and perhaps beyond. My first job was at a delicatessen .. I don’t think that worked out well for the proprietor for ‘m sure my consumption of food there was at least equal to his additional cost of my hourly wage … the food was surely good.
A deli sounds good. A couple of my old school friends secured jobs in the kitchen of a large local company, washing up and preparing the vegetables for the lunches. One of their “perks” was to have lunch on site. Having seen how the chef operated, they both elected to take in sandwiches 🙂
Argh.
Hmmm. Maybe I should give a second look at some of my older posts. Love yours. I did look forward to babysitting, but I rarely got the chance when I was a teen because we lived in the country.
I can’t imagine a parent that would not allow the babysitter access to a phone. Emergencies, their desire to see if everything’s OK, etc.
BUT, I do recall one of my babysitter’s taking the liberty of dialing a number that linked her to a celebrity. There was a fee for this and the first I was aware she had done this was when I got my phone bill. Needless to say, she was not invited back.
Oh dear – and I bet that was a premium rate number! No, I wouldn’t invite her back either. But to lock the only phone away …
Looking back over my old posts was quite therapeutic so I reckon the advice was good – it gave me a bit of inspiration when it was sorely needed – I might do it more regularly in the hope something may spark off a new train of thought 🙂
I was never a babysitter. I once wanted to be an au pair in Italy but fortunately I didn’t get a job as I probably wouldn’t have had a clue 🙂 Never having done it, I’ve never thought about the fear of being there in someone else’s house – you describe it very well – of course they were babysitting in ‘Halloween’, but it sounds like a great prompt for a story.
Oooh, an au pair in Italy – how exotic. Do you speak Italian? Who cares – it would’ve ben a great gig!
Yes, a good story prompt. There you are Andrea – think you’d do spooky very well. Be my guest … 🙂
I do speak Italian – though I’m a bit rusty now. I had my sights set on a nice summer in Rome – of course the Italians all leave Rome in the summer. I’m sure it wouldn’t have been as dreamy as I imagined 🙂
It’s a beautiful sounding language – so expressive. learned French and Spanish at school and my French isn’t bad – I’d love to be fluent, though. I tried Italian at adult classes when Son was small, but I failed miserably, I’m sorry to say.
Ah. You want to hear about being an au pair in Italy? …
Ha, I’m guessing you’re going to tell me it would have been nothing like my fantasy!
It was … interesting. If I ever write something up, I’ll try and remember to give you the link.
Amazingly I got a babysitting gig once. In fact it was on 7th July 1968 and, watching ‘The Seekers’ Farewell Concert I clean forgot about the child 🙂
And did the child survive? And did you get paid? No harm done then 🙂
I enjoyed children from when I was rather young. I would watch them at church, at parties and at the beach while parents were busy socializing. I was in Heaven, when I started to make money for doing what I loved. I became an elementary teacher, but my last 9 years of teaching ended in 2008, as a special needs integrated classrooms of preschoolers. (8 with challenges and 4 were ‘peers’ or modeled behaviors along with socializing the others, 12 in A.M. class and 12 in P.M. class.) I also ended up as a single mother babysitting for 9 summers and 7 years.
Anyway, this was dangerous, as you suggested but I did laugh out loud at your sense of humor! What were they thinking? Maybe teens would talk to other countries? (Like Australia!) Funny!
I liked the movie, but never read the book. Writing is a brilliant career and you have such a great way of putting things, Jenny! I encourage you to keep on going and complete a book or two… smiles
Some of my friends were naturals with children – I was never really bothered about them until I had my son, then I was fascinated. I’m sure that if any one told me back then that I’d end up working with children – and enjoying it – I would have thought they were bonkers.
That’s a really nice thing to say Robin, thanks – I am encouraged by your words but I think a book is a long way off 🙂
Oh Jenny, love this post and the memories it brings back. You have echoed exactly how I felt about babysitting. Once I sat for a rich family who lived in the back of beyond surrounded by a wood in this massive house and no curtains in any of the huge windows. You can just imagine how I enjoyed that. They wanted me to ‘live’ with them during the summer when I was 15 and take care of their 2 year old. The money would have been great but I turned it down. Love the telephone story, that is crazy!! I now have this vision of you talking endlessly to anyone and everyone in Australia, hours at a time…! Glad you got to use your title at long last…great post, really enjoyed it and I hope that you’re having a good week 🙂
That sounds really creepy – like The Munsters.
Imagine having to look after a two year old before you actually had to. My two year old was particularly trying ( in a good way, with hind-sight, but boy, was he hard work!). I would have turned it down too.
Makes you want to do something reckless like phoning random numbers just for the hell of it to spite them, doesn’t it – and perhaps I would have done had I gone back and managed to break into their bedroom 🙂 🙂
Part two coming up shortly …
Haha…can’t wait to read part two Jenny 🙂
I used to babysit too. Oh, the things those people would expect!!!! But I never had anyone lock the phone away from me. How strange! and kind of creepy.
It WAS creepy. Once I discovered I had no way of contacting the outside world it seemed an age before the parents arrived home. I’m so glad I never went back there – I often wonder how those children turned out though!
Probably in prison now.
Haha! Love it! 🙂