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I did childcare for another one-year-old when my firstborn was one. The mother was single, active duty Air Force. She was "going to pay me" as soon as (whatever) happened. I was caring for her daughter just as I cared for my son. Hot meals, a written account of how the day went. I was there when she took her first steps. That day her mother picked her up, said "Oh that's nice" when I tried to tell her her daughter had started walking, and left--to take the child to another babysitter so she could go out on a date. I remember crying over that. It was too sad.

But she seemed not to want to PAY me. Finally she didn't come one day when I expected her. I worried. I found out through a third party that she had found another sitter. I imagine it is sure cheaper to bounce from sitter to sitter promising payment and never delivering. I do know for a fact that she couldn't get better care anywhere else for the $300/month I was asking.

So I took care of this active, busy, sometimes cranky baby for five weeks with no pay. I still wouldn't have hurt a hair on her head. (Her mother, on the other hand...!)