I've been thinking of writing an autobiography or memoir but it just never comes together for me but I figured if I write one story at a time and post it on my blog maybe once a month, I can do that. Maybe one day I'll pull all the stories together and put them in a book but for now I'll just share some stories with you about my childhood. Some of the stories will be happy, some sad and some horrific because that was my childhood. But they will all be real, things that actually happened. If it seems like something that people enjoy reading maybe I'll keep it going. These stories will not be in any kind of order, I'll just write them as they come to me.
Babysitting in the 80's
My younger brother and I were both latchkey kids when we were young. If you don't know that term it means, I had a key to the house on a lanyard around my neck and I let myself and my brother into our house after school. I made us a snack, did the dishes and watched my brother. I was 10 years old and my brother was 8 when I started doing this. So I had a lot of experience taking care of a kid by the time I was 14 years old. The next door neighbor asked if I could watch her two kids at night mostly on the weekends because she was going to night school to become a realtor. My mom was fine with it and I just spent the night on her couch in case the kids woke up during the night. I made $2 an hour.
When I was 15 years old the lady across the street asked if I would clean her house and take care of her two year old on the weekends. Again I did this for $2 an hour. Any extra money I made went to buying my own clothes and extra food since my mom was spending her money on drugs.
When I was 17 I dropped out of high school because I was being bullied. (I got my GED when I was 23). But I started babysitting 4 different kids at that time. One girl was overnight during the week. Two others were during the day weekdays while their parents were at work and another little girl was on the weekends during the day while her mom was at work. All were $2 an hour. But I was babysitting pretty much all the time and just slept on the couches in their houses while the kids slept.
One of the kid's fathers was a single guy and he asked me out. But he was 55 and I was 17. The little girls mother was 21 years old and she up and left after having the kid. He was a nice guy and I did go out with him a few times. But he ended up moving to Montana and we broke it off after he got mad that I wouldn't move with him there.
Back then I was living in a little trailer that my mom owned and she let me live there for free. I just had to pay the $135 space rent and the propane for the stove which was $40 a month. I bought my own food and did all this on the money I made babysitting. Things sure were a lot cheaper back then. My mom and her boyfriend lived in another trailer in the same trailer park.
It's been said that we wouldn't be who we are without the experiences we have. While that's true, I think some people really have gone through two lifetimes of shit. You really are amazing to have become a wife, mom, grandmother,
ReplyDeleteAww Thank you, Ami. I appreciate that.
DeleteYou certainly had to grow up fast - and became independent early.
ReplyDeleteYeah I did, it was difficult at the best of times but I did it.
DeleteThere always seems to be a demand for childcare workers, doesn't there! Glad it helped you with your independence.
ReplyDeleteIt was easy for me because I only had myself to look after.
DeleteYou really rose to the challenges life threw at you. It's admirable.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteI can't believe that a 55 y.o. man would think it appropriate to have a baby with a 21 y.o. and then to ask a 17 y.o. out. You were too young to properly assess the situation of course, but he was a predator, and you dodged a huge bullet when you broke off with him. The fact that you had to pay your mom for a place to live is so sad.
ReplyDeleteHe was a nice guy for the most part and only got pushy when I refused to move to Montana with him. I probably did dodge a bullet with him. My mom let me live free in her trailer but I had to pay the trailer park the space rent.
DeleteIt’s crazy to think about, but yes, you used to be able to live on a few bucks an hour. Did you like babysitting? The family I regularly sat for had 4 terrible kids and they only paid me 75 cents/hour in the late 70’s/early 80’s.
ReplyDeleteThe 55 year old sounds like a real nut job.
I did like babysitting. I thought for sure I was going to have a whole mess of kids. I like babies, I don't like being pregnant though. lol I can't imagine dating a 17 or 18 year old at my age.
DeleteLife is difficult and for you even more so ~ Be proud of yourself ~ write the memoir ~
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year ~ ^_^
Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
clm ~ A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
Thank you. I might one day.
DeleteYou have had a challenging life. I agree with Ami's comment, but I would never have thought to say it.
ReplyDeleteMy youngest and I are estranged. Raising him taught me a lot, though, as a teacher and a mother. I keep hanging on to that notion.
I hope 2025 is good to you! Thanks for your comments on my blog, it means a lot.
Thank you. I appreciate that.
DeleteMary so sorry you were bullied and had to drop out.
ReplyDeleteThank you. School was just bad at times.
DeleteI remember babysitting for $1-2 an hour, but never overnight. And I hit my limit when they had 4 kids and still only wanted to pay just $1. That's when I decided I was through babysitting. Loved reading your story! :D
ReplyDeleteOh yeah that's crazy.
DeleteThanks for the peek into your history. It's quite a story.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteOy, I could never be a babysitter, I generally cannot stand babies and kids LOL
ReplyDeleteI couldn't do it now, I don't have the patience.
DeleteTough life but you lived it
ReplyDeleteI did.
DeleteYou didn't have a great childhood, did you? Glad you were able to support yourself babysitting. You were definitely in demand. (That 55 yo guy sounds creepy. Glad that didn't turn into something worse.)
ReplyDeleteNo, my little brother and I had a pretty bad childhood. But we got through it. He was a nice guy but got mad when I wouldn't move with him. I think I got out just in time.
DeleteThat was quite the story. You came through all this just fine and good for you. Happy New Year 2025 from all of us at Brian's Home!
ReplyDeleteThank you. Happy New Year to you too.
DeleteYou certainly had a very difficult life. I understand as mine wasn't good either. It is amazing that we can go through so much crap & still be as well as we are. Be proud. You have overcome so much.
ReplyDeleteThank you. It is as you said amazing that some of us can be ok as adults after everything we went through.
DeleteThank you for sharing this Mary ...
ReplyDeleteSending my good wishes for this new year :)
All the best Jan
Thank you. Happy New Year to you as well.
DeleteIt's hard to imagine having to live on so little now, isn't it? I can't remember how much I got paid for babysitting in the 80's, but I know it wasn't nearly as much as they charge today. I wasn't trying to survive off what I made though like you had to. That would have been rough even then. I hope you have a Happy New Year, Mary!
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine having to survive on so little now but prices were so much better back then too.
DeleteI was latch key too! I remember when I started babysitting I made $1/hour. By the time I had kids, I was paying between $7 and $15/hour!
ReplyDeleteDay care costs these days are crazy.
Deletedefinitely write your memoir!! I write things in notebooks all the time and when I die I guess my kids or grandkids can read the stuff.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking about it.
DeleteYou've done a fantastic job to get to where you are today. What a great story, Mary and I wish you the best in 2025.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much.
DeleteHappy New Year, Mary. I do think you should write your memoir. That's a lot of kids to keep. Did they pay you $2 an hour at night even while you were asleep on the couch?
ReplyDeleteYes, they paid me that amount when ever I was there. Thank you. I appreciate it. Happy New Year to you as well.
DeleteThat's a handy way to earn money, although I am sad to hear you had to start working so young. And bullying is the worst, I got bullied as well, although mostly in middle school and not as much in high school anymore luckily.
ReplyDeleteI did a bit of babysitting when I was a teenager, although it was more like kid sitting as they weren't very young. And it was an easy way to earn some extra money especially as I mostly just read on their couch until the parents got back and only had to spend a bit of time with the kids and making sure they got to bed okay.
Back when I was younger I didn't mind babysitting all the time. I look back now and wonder how I had the energy. lol Sorry to hear you were also bullied.
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