DEAR ABBY: I am a 14-year-old girl who regularly baby-sits on weekends. The child is wonderful, but his mother is the one I'm having trouble with.
Every time I baby-sit, I wait weeks to get paid. On some occasions, I have even had to call this woman and ask her to please pay me so I can buy birthday presents, etc. I feel pushy and greedy doing this, but how else do I go about it?
So, Abby, please ask your readers to consider their children's sitters. After all, you can put off the telephone bill for only so long before the phone company disconnects your telephone. -- SITTER IN WAITING
DEAR SITTER: It's customary to pay the sitter immediately after the sitter has sat.
No need to feel "pushy" or "greedy" -- be up-front with the woman and tell her you expect to be paid promptly following each sitting. The squeaky wheel gets the oil -- so speak up.