Quote:
Originally Posted by hvert
Thank you - I don't understand why this kind of stuff keeps happening to me. I feel horrible, like if she is asking someone she barely knows to watch her kids, she must really be at the edge - but I can't take her off it.
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Me too!! It's because I'm soft-hearted and a codependent caretaker. I'm scared to say no, and get into many situations that are next to impossible to extricate myself from.
My therapist told me "you can still be nice, even when saying no. Saying no isn't mean in and of itself."
Don't give excuses, that opens room for arguments. Just say "I won't be able to accommodate that request" or just plain "no." There's not much they can answer back without them being the mean ones.
Oh and she may be pretty desperate to leave her kids with a stranger, but it isn't your place to fix her situation, that's on her.
Good luck!