My sister and her husband are almost finished building their new house. It is lovely and she and her family moved in just before Christmas. The build went well with only a few set backs (normally weather related), but the one area that has been a mild drama is the kitchen.
While I don't know all the details, I know the kitchen was supposed to be completed well before Christmas, but the contractor who was installing it came up with a million reasons as to why he couldn't turn up from one day to the next, so when they moved in they had only half the kitchen completed. Anyway, a commitment was made to complete the job before the end of Jan and I happened to be there last week when the contractor was doing the last section. And that is where our story begins.
It was about 2pm when I arrived and I sat in the lounge, talking to my sister as the contractor worked in the kitchen. Then a car came down the driveway, in it was the contractors wife, and two children. I remember thinking, that is a bit odd to have your family visit you at work, but figured that perhaps he had asked my sister that morning if it was okay.
Anyway, they all got out and came in, and then, with no explanation, the kids were placed in the lounge, and the wife went to help her husband. The kids had some food, but nothing to entertain them (they were 5 and 8), so my sister dragged out some toys for them. During all this, there was no word from the husband or wife contractors about whether my sister minded having the kids in her house, or how long they would be there, or why they needed to come to a work site. Again, I assumed this had all been prearranged with my sister.
Time passed, and my sister found things for the kids to do (her own kids were not at home at that point). Then I had to leave - still a little bemused at my sister looking after the contractors kids, but figured it had all been agreed on by both parties before I arrived.
When I rang the next day to see what happened, I found out that the kids turning up had been a complete surprise to my sister, and to make it worse, they stayed there till about 7pm. In that time, the mother also left to get her eye lashes tinted, and without asking it it was okay, left my sister looking after her kids. At about 6pm my sister needed to feed her kids, and was put in the awkward position of having the two kids there - obviously hungry. So she fed them too.
I am so horrifed by how unprofessional that couple were. Okay, so obviously he gets his wife to help him with his work at times, and it was school holidays so perhaps child care was not available BUT to just turn up with your kids at a job and not ask the owner how they felt about it first is in my mind disgracefully unprofessional.
Add to that that they did not even bring anything for the kids to do and therefore left the house owner to entertain and feed them is ridiculous, and then to top it off, to leave the kids while you go on a personal errand is, well, I am lost for words. I guess the wife assumed her husband would watch the kids while she was out, but the reality is he was working, and so the babysitting was by default left to my sister.
My sister is such a lovely person that she did not address this with them at the time, and maybe that is why they felt they could take such liberties? I don't know, I just think it is the height of rudeness to behave that way but I hope she does talk to them. At the very least, I am sure she will not be using his services again or recommending him to anyone. Personally I would find out the going rate for a nanny and then charge him for looking after the kids for 5 hours.
While I don't know all the details, I know the kitchen was supposed to be completed well before Christmas, but the contractor who was installing it came up with a million reasons as to why he couldn't turn up from one day to the next, so when they moved in they had only half the kitchen completed. Anyway, a commitment was made to complete the job before the end of Jan and I happened to be there last week when the contractor was doing the last section. And that is where our story begins.
It was about 2pm when I arrived and I sat in the lounge, talking to my sister as the contractor worked in the kitchen. Then a car came down the driveway, in it was the contractors wife, and two children. I remember thinking, that is a bit odd to have your family visit you at work, but figured that perhaps he had asked my sister that morning if it was okay.
Anyway, they all got out and came in, and then, with no explanation, the kids were placed in the lounge, and the wife went to help her husband. The kids had some food, but nothing to entertain them (they were 5 and 8), so my sister dragged out some toys for them. During all this, there was no word from the husband or wife contractors about whether my sister minded having the kids in her house, or how long they would be there, or why they needed to come to a work site. Again, I assumed this had all been prearranged with my sister.
Time passed, and my sister found things for the kids to do (her own kids were not at home at that point). Then I had to leave - still a little bemused at my sister looking after the contractors kids, but figured it had all been agreed on by both parties before I arrived.
When I rang the next day to see what happened, I found out that the kids turning up had been a complete surprise to my sister, and to make it worse, they stayed there till about 7pm. In that time, the mother also left to get her eye lashes tinted, and without asking it it was okay, left my sister looking after her kids. At about 6pm my sister needed to feed her kids, and was put in the awkward position of having the two kids there - obviously hungry. So she fed them too.
I am so horrifed by how unprofessional that couple were. Okay, so obviously he gets his wife to help him with his work at times, and it was school holidays so perhaps child care was not available BUT to just turn up with your kids at a job and not ask the owner how they felt about it first is in my mind disgracefully unprofessional.
Add to that that they did not even bring anything for the kids to do and therefore left the house owner to entertain and feed them is ridiculous, and then to top it off, to leave the kids while you go on a personal errand is, well, I am lost for words. I guess the wife assumed her husband would watch the kids while she was out, but the reality is he was working, and so the babysitting was by default left to my sister.
My sister is such a lovely person that she did not address this with them at the time, and maybe that is why they felt they could take such liberties? I don't know, I just think it is the height of rudeness to behave that way but I hope she does talk to them. At the very least, I am sure she will not be using his services again or recommending him to anyone. Personally I would find out the going rate for a nanny and then charge him for looking after the kids for 5 hours.