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making a bet with an eight year old

Mehm

Mehm

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Here's the deal. I babysit an eight year old for about three hours a day while his mom is at work. Over time, I noticed that he and his sister eat a ton of sugar many times a day. Thinking back on my childhood, I remembered my dad making a bet with me that I couldn't eat sugar for an entire month. After I won the bet, he paid me.

Recently, I made the same bet with the kid I babysit. The first time, he caved after four days. I then explained to him that he could try again for double or nothing. He tried and slipped, I let it go. Then I went out of town for two weeks and he immediately started eating sugar again. As a result, he paid me twenty dollars as outlined by our agreement.

Today, I get an angry message from his mom saying that it was irresponsible for me to make a bet with an eight year old and that she is very dissapointed that I took his money etc.

I think that he is completely capable of making such a simple wager. This is a kid that can read a book, beat a video game, do math, and knows every plane in the united states airforce, which he desperately wants to be a part of. If you ask me, he can make a simple bet (IE I wasn't fooling or otherwise taking advantage of his intellect). Furthermore, I think its important for him to recognize the serious nature of an agreement between two people.

Personally, I feel that the mom's outrage is a reflection of her own addiction to sugar (the amount of snacks and sweets around their house and her office is somewhat absurd). My bet with her son represents her inability to control her own life choices.

I would rather quit than give him back his $20. An agreement is just that if you ask me. What do ya'll think?

peace
 
I could see why the mother would be angry... It would be one thing if your DAD did the same thing to you, because when your dad makes a bet with you, it's between the relationship of father/child. But when you make a bet with someone else's kid in their mind your teaching their kid to gamble. Also $20 seems like a lot for an 8 year old... I really don' t think it's a matter of sugar but rather gambling.
All in all the kid lost fair and square, and i'd keep the $20 ;)
 
^^I forgot to say that the mom knew we had a "bet". Now that I collect and teach the kid a lesson, she flips!

Good call on the concerns over gambling though. I was raised by professional gamblers...I guess that ethical consideration didn't occur ;)
 
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Like pawsky said she's probably mad because she thinks your teaching her son to gamble. That's the only reason i can think of anyways...
 
I was thinking maybe she was annoyed that you were taking her parenting role when you tried to wean him off sugar, but if she knew about it I'd say she's just a twit and is pissed because taking an 8 yr old's money is essentially taking it from their parents.

It's a bit hardarse to keep the money, but I'd say now it's a case of teaching morals and to stand by an agreement you've made more than anything to do with the sugar.

Maybe you could exchange the money for him cleaning your car or something like that?
 
I would spend the $20 on buying him healthy food alternatives and teaching him the value of eating things that aren't laden in sugar.
 
He's gotten the money through birthday/christmas gifts and chores. Over the years, he has saved up 150, which he is very proud of. He definitely considers it to be his own money (and rightly so).

More than anything, I want him to learn the importance of taking responsibility for one's own actions.
 
yeah I would think she was more upset about you taking on the role of the parent (even tho she's not doing it). I wouldn't take the kids money. Wager something else, like he's not allowed to watch tv for aweek or something.
 
Uh, you wagered an 8 year old for CASH and you made him pay you ? What are you smoking? Of course the mom is going to be pissed and you should give that money back post haste. She is paying you to babysit him, not take advantage of him by telling a fucking KID not to eat candy or he loses his cash. It's one thing to make a bet with your FATHER (that most parents would probably just laugh about) is a hell of a lot different then with a kid. Your dad paid you because you learned some hard work and disciplin, not because you didn't eat the candy. And double or nothing ? Asshole.
 
Thinking back on my childhood, I remembered my dad making a bet with me that I couldn't eat sugar for an entire month. After I won the bet, he paid me.
Click to expand...

yep, that does sound like a professional gambler!

:D
 
thats kind of cheap considering many things contain sugar. or are they eating actual sugar? 8(

either way i say good on you for the effort.

But, what i would do is tell the so-called mother that you will return the cash if she promises to stop filling the house with sweets; that would ve admirable.
 
Here is my concern. If I give the money back, the kid will learn, yet again, that one doesn't have to take responsibility for one's own actions (which seems to be a theme in his family btw..)

Also, sometimes he does things in the house that could potentially break a valuable item (kick a ball accross the living room for example). When I tell him not to do that because it might break somthing, his response is always, "it doesn't matter, I have money and I'll just buy a new one."

In the end, I guess I'll give him back his money if his mom wants me too. Fuckin bull though, I'm just setting the kid up for failure.
 
Mehm said:
Personally, I feel that the mom's outrage is a reflection of her own addiction to sugar (the amount of snacks and sweets around their house and her office is somewhat absurd). My bet with her son represents her inability to control her own life choices.
Click to expand...
pls dress up like dr phil and tell her that.
and don't forget to tape it and put it on teh intarweb
 
I just spoke to his mom and everything went really well. She essentially agreed with what I had to say, but was a little alarmed by the size of the bet. We agreed that I shouldn't give the money back because of the lesson that would teach. However, I'm going to explain the concept of betting again to her son and give him an opportunity to earn his money back by cleaning my car etc.

thanks for the advice everyone:)
 
ROFL.

I can just imagine some eight year-old thinking to himself; "Hey, watch me straight flush this motherfucker..."

As someone who's had a terrible sweet tooth my whole life, I can sympathize.
 
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