Does anyone else hate this as much as I do?

Question

I babysit every Saturday for a little 1 1/2 year old girl. I am almost 17 and I can drive. Now I can actually get things done while I'm babysitting her instead of waiting until she leaves or when my mom can take me.

I'll take the baby to the store where I work if I need to pick up something. I had to take my sister to get a pair of sandals and I brought the baby. I've even taken the baby to the bank and out to lunch with my friends and I.

I take amazing care of this baby. I've watched her since she was 1 week old. I love her like my sister. Because I constantly will talk to her, give her kisses, or even just carry her people think she is my daughter.

I always get stares from older women mostly like I am a piece of garbage or that I am a s**t.

This even happened when I went to the store where I work. There is an older woman who works days mostly, when I talked to her at work she was nice and funny. But I went through her line with the baby in my arms buying milk and these gerber cereal puffs for baby. I went down the baby aisle to get to the milk and the baby was reaching for them so I grabbed them for her. Then in the aisle she cried until I opened them so I just opened it and let her eat them. I handed them to the lady and she wouldn't even look at me or ask me how I was doing.

Does anyone else hate this? How do you deal with it? Do you say anything?

Answer 1

Don't worry about those people. They're wrong to be assuming right off the bat that she is your child. If you want you can say to them "I'm so lucky I get to babysit her." But your very lucky to have a relationship with her like that, you know the responsibilities for when your older and have children of your own.  

Answer 2

just know that you're above that and if they want to judge without knowing,

then that shows a lot about their character.

you're bigger than that.

and good job for taking care of her im sure that when the time is right you will make an amazing mom.

Answer 3

Haha. That happened with me and my sister...and I was only 11!

I think it's stupid, but rather than hating them..I laugh at them..I think it's kind of funny how people think they know what's going on, but it makes them look like idiots. =]]

Answer 4

i agree with you....but don't let them get to you...they don't know....just go on with what you doing with out ppl carring....yess is annoyng when ppl give you look....i when tru it with myy baby cousin ppl gave me looks cuase they tough i was a mom but heyy w/e dont worry bout it

Answer 5

yes i hate it people shouldn't judge people especially when they dont know whats going on.

Answer 6

yeah Im 19 and my little brother is 3 and people look at me like I stole their wallet! I just ignore them and consider them idiots, I usually just smile and ask my little brother how he's doing to make then feel like idiots.

Answer 7

yes i ignore it & ask them if they have a staring problem lol

Answer 8

I can tell you are a really good baby-sitter.  Don't worry about other people's looks and bad moods.  These days, most teenage mothers do turn out to be pieces of sh*t and grandparents get forced back into 'parenthood' against their will.  Based on the detail of your question, you sound like a pretty smart girl.  But you'll never understand how horrible this cycle is until you’re an adult mother taking responsibility for your own family.  And no doubt you will take great care of your own children.  

All these other people are reacting to a situation that really does negatively affect hundreds of children, tax payers, and grandparents every day.  

It's not you their mad at.  But while you’re taking care of this baby, you look a lot like the poster child for something that sickens many people on a daily basis.      

Answer 9

well everyone thinks its your kid and that you got knocked up!...haha you should get a ring and act marryed.

Answer 10

that's terrible, seriously people need to understand how to accept other people ugghhh it's really annoying!!

Answer 11

Yeah, I can't stand people who judge like that. If it were me, if they were just staring, I wouldn't say anything, but if they actually say something, I'd be like "This isn't my kid, I'm babysitting him/her. Even if this were my baby that's none of your business. What's it to you anyway?"  

Answer 12

yeah i know how you feel. i babysit my nephew and he looks JUST like me so people think he's mine. my orthodontist asked me if he was my son and when i go to like the store with my mom i'll hold the car seat because she has bad arms and the kids in my neighborhood would just stare! it gets annoying but i just let it go because the never actually said anything. just ignore it and keep reminding her that you are courtney not mommy

Answer 13

When I was 12 my little sister was born.  I used to get all the dirty looks every where I went alone with her when I was about 17.  People are just waiting to judge you.  There is no way to really deal with this but just love that baby up and don't stress!! Give her another kiss when they snear your way!

Answer 14

Yes! I have a 3 year old niece, and an 18 month old nephew. Every where we go people think they're mine. I just usually ignore the looks. They don't know the truth, so they have no right to judge me. If they actually ask (or imply) that they're my kids, I just politely correct them. Most of them apologize when they find out.

My niece went through the 'everybody is mama' stage too. It was very embarassing! But kind of funny :)

Answer 15

It happens to me sometime but i just ignore it, Im 19 and i have a 1.5yrold daughter. But i like to tell the people staring at me that im her mummy! they'll be looking and i can tell they are wondering and i'll say really loudly sweet come back to mamma, which get them in a huff.

That little one seems gorguz so dont let other ppl make you feel uncomfortable coz your taking care of her, they props wish they has such a cutiepie for there own!  

Answer 16

People are always going to gawk and stare because they're going to just assume what they want to assume.

My junior year of high school I had the Baby Think It Over in a car seat with a blanket over it's face and all these people looked at me funny, I'm like, "I'm 16!!" I hadn't even had s*x then, but of course people are going to assume what they want...

It's not a fair world like that...

Answer 17

I live it. How do you think THAT feels?

I have a 13 months old daughter and I'm fifteen, and get stares from people all the time. My parents refuse to watch my daughter (unless it's for school) unless I pay them, which I don't blame them for.

You just don't say anything. You just keep walking because you can't really change anything, can you? Sitting there screaming and yelling at some one isn't going to help.  

Answer 18

yeah i hate that. im 12 and i used to baby-sit for my month old cousin and take him for walks in the stroller. people always stared at me like i was a freak