Babysitting
The child throws a tantrum
Calmly wait with the kid and let him/her deal with their emotions safely.
You are walking a dog and it poops but you don't want to pick it up
If you agreed to walk dogs you should be comfortable with cleaning up after them!
You find a worm in the ground and think it is very gross
Its just a worm, you're ok
The client asked you to organize books in a very specific and confusing way that you don't totally understand
The event goes horribly and is very awkward and boring
Its not your fault, do what you can to make the situation better
Client comes home 2 hours late
The pet throws up all over the client's vintage expensive rug.
Alert the client and do what you can to clean in up sanitarily.
The job is taking much longer than expected
If you are able to stay longer do that (and get payed for the extra time!!) or explain to your client that you have to leave now but will come back and finish the job another time.
The client is super chatty and you don't want to talk with them
Politely end the conversation and continue working
Family drama breaks out at the party and a fight happens
Don't get involved, leave and alert us if it was a safety hazard for you.
You arrive and client immediately asks you if you can babysit 2 kids instead of 1
Decide if you are/ aren't comfortable and tell them how in the future you'd like to be asked well in advance
The pet is extremely shy and always hides when you are around
Don't force them to interact with you and be patient, depending on the severity of the shyness alert the client.
The client asks you to pick up something that is wayyy to heavy for you
Explain the problem to them and apologize
The client's house is super dusty and you cant stop sneezing from allergies!
Explain to them that you are sensitive to dust and determine if you'd be able to keep working or not
Client unexpectedly asks you to act like a clown for the kids
Politely decline if this is something you arent comfortable with
Politely ask them what is going on, or if they would like to stay for the entire time you are supposed to be babysitting. Set your boundaries
Oh no! the dog escaped the house and you can't find him!
Alert the owners, calmly try and find the escaped dog. If you can't find him then spread the word to the neighborhood and do what you can until the dog is found.
Client asks you to use a weed wacker but you've never used one before
Explain to them your experience and politely decline. Offer another solution for example say you can do it with your hands
don't!!! Keep doing your job and don't be nosy
The event goes on way longer than expected
Make sure they know when you have to leave and prioritize your schedule with their needs
The child is extremely violent and continues to punch you the entire time you babysit them
Do what you can to stop the kid and alert the parents at the childs behavior. Maybe/ probably stop babysitting the kid
The cat you are pet sitting scratches you aggressively
Clean the wound and make sure you're ok (if it is a really deep cut then go to the doctor!) Alert the client if it seems like it could be an ongoing problem. Stop working with the client if you don't feel comfortable
You are using a some gardening tool and seriously injure your foot.
Stop what you are doing and immediately alert your client and go home. Address appropriate safety measures (aka go to the doctor etc...)
You thought you were going to be organizing for a client but they actually are asking you to clean up some gross things
Do what you're comfortable doing, set boundaries for them!
You've finished everything the client asked you to do and don't know what to do now