How would you respond?

[gramma]

I say tell her the truth as well.
I watched siblings that lived across the street. Very nice family, i liked them alot and we got along great. The problems started in the spring when I would have the kids out front riding cars and bikes on the sidewalk. Mom or dad came home from work early quite often and the kids were old enough at the time to know that they were home because cars were in the driveway. we would even see dad out mowing the lawn and he never even acknowledged the kids. That left me with 2 whining kids because they wanted to be home with mom or dad. The other problem came when I took a sick day. I went to the doctor and when I came home I was sitting outside on my front porch with a cup of tea. Mom came over and ripped a strip of me for causing her to miss a days work (she was an hourly employee so didnt get paid) and that I had the nerve to sit outside on my porch with a tea. I barely had the chance to tell her i had Strep Throat. They also used to allow the kids to come over tomy place on the weekend to say hi and I couldnt get them to go home without feeling bad.

As for doing it for a friend, its just not worth it to me to risk a treasured friendship. Having said that I've watched a friends daughter on occasion if she was stuck but that was just for a day here or there and I did it as a favour, not for payment.