My sister (a vent...and it's LONG)

aegrimm

I watch my niece (she's 6 months old) for my sister for about 2 hours every afternoon. My sister works until 7:00 PM and my BIL doesn't get home until 6:00PM. (The daycare closes at 6:00, if he hits traffic, it's all over.) She goes to the same dayare as my DS and DD so it makes sense for me to just pick her up rather than my BIL kill himself trying to get to daycare to get her.

So, for 2 hours everyday I have my 3 year old, my 3 month old and my 6 month old niece. I don't complain. My niece is actually a very fussy baby and it would be much easier for me to only deal with two kids every afternoon, but I never tell her that I can't pick her up.

My sister and BIL are broke, so I don't ask for any money. All I asked was for my sister to help me out by watching my DD one day a week to help me save on daycare. ($36 a day adds up!)

(My sister works part time, so she's off on Fridays. And, during the week she only works from 3:00-7:00 M-Th...so I only have my niece 4 days a week, not 5.)

She initially agreed. It equals out to each of us watching the other's kid for about 8 hours a week. However, she's already started bailing on me. She says that she can't take her because she has things to do that she has to schedule for her day off. I understand that, so I ask if she's rather watch DD on a day other than Friday. (Even if she watches her until 2 or 3 and then takes her to daycare with my niece it'll save me money because my daycare charges hourly for anytime less than 4 hours.)

She seems to be getting more and more "wishy-washy" and this is only my 4th week back at work after maternity leave. I know I could always tell her that I'm not picking up my niece, but that doesn't seem fair to my niece or to my BIL (who, by the way, agrees with me that my sister is out of line).

Any ideas? When I talk to her I get, "I'm busy, Amanda!"

Yet, when I have all three kids I take them everywhere. The grocery store, Target, the mall, the library. After 8 hours at work. In heels. And I don't complain! (To her, lol, you ladies are a different story!)

I just don't know how to make her understand how unfair it is without her throwing a hissy fit. Ugh.

octwed07

I'm sorry that sucks. Maybe confront her and tell her flat out that you help watch her baby and would like that she do the same for you. I'm afraid that the longer this happens, the more resentful you'll be and this will become ugly. 

aegrimm

Thanks. You're probably right.

I just keep hoping that karma will come back to bite her. (Because karma is dependable like that, you know lol)

I'm so passive aggressive, lol. I've actually considered going tanning immediately after work before I pick the kids up. It won't affect my daycare costs at all, but hers will increase because my niece is there less than hour hours so she's charged hourly. That's terrible, I know. I'm just not a fan of confrontation.