Should Sitters Answer the Door?
At the beginning of this month, there was an article in a West Coast daily titled, “Is pizza delivery OK for sitters?” Is this another one of those health food articles? we thought. Nope. Instead, the article focuses on whether or not it’s really safe/appropriate to order food while you have a babysitter…
Most parents said that no, they don’t like having food delivered to the home when there’s a babysitter. Here were some comments:
“I try hard to have a delivery order come before we leave, even with my college sitters. I usually have a frozen pizza or chicken nuggets in the freezer for such occasions.”
“I feel as responsible for my sitter as I do my own kids and try to limit outside forces. On occasion, the pizza has not arrived within the stated delivery time frame and we have had to leave. I always have the sitter call me to tell me when the pizza has arrived and to ensure the doors have been locked. We only do this if it is our seasoned sitter and not a newbie!”
“We don’t do delivery unless the sitter is an adult. We just pick up frozen pizza and go out with a peaceful mind. To be quite honest, if the sitter is 16 with a 4-year-old, I would do mac and cheese in the microwave or sandwiches. A 16-year-old hasn’t had enough kitchen experience, and a 4-year-old is unpredictable.”
“I would hesitate to have a pizza delivered to my house while she was there sitting. I would not assume that the sitter would be comfortable answering the door for delivery with no other adults around, and her parents may not approve of it, either. I would not like having her answering the door to a stranger while watching my young child. Wouldn’t it be just as easy to have the pizza delivered prior to you leaving or have alternate plans for food available?”
“It is a sign of the times that we have to be so careful about everything. Just give the kid frozen pizza! Of course, then you have to worry about the babysitter burning the house down.”
“We would have it delivered ahead of time, and then they can warm it up.”
“I order from the same place and pay online, so I feel comfortable having it delivered while a babysitter is at our home.”
So, what do you think? Sitters, are you comfortable with deliveries when you’re babysitting? Parents, does it make you nervous?
June 24th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
I think this particular article assumes that the babysitter has little experience and is still in high school.
As a high school student who babysat for multiple families (sometimes at one time), having pizza ordered was not a big deal. We would have Chinese delivered or other things. Now, as I am 28 and work as a professional nanny and babysitter, I don’t just order food in, I take them out! Or we order a pizza and go to the park for a picnic and play time!
I think if you live in a big city and there is a lot of crime, then it’s a different issue, but if you live in a typical American city, then you have nothing to worry about!
The ordering online thing is nice, but I prefer to do the ordering so I know there will be something I like to eat, too…
June 24th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
I think that ordering out is not a big deal. I understand that in this day and age parents are more worried about their kids and safety, but if the babysitter is an adult and is a regular, it shouldn’t be a problem. If it is a new sitter, or it’s a bad neighborhood then don’t because it could be dangerous. I think that getting pizza or chinese is a great treat for the kids. If the parents are worried about a delivery maybe they can order and ask the sitter to pick it up on the way to their house, therefore avoiding the delivery and time issues.
June 24th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
I’m an experienced nanny/babysitter and I totally understand that answering the door can bring danger. However, I think if we are responsible enough to be left to care for children, then we are responsible enough to answer the door. It’s the parents’ responsibility to provide food for the child and they should do whatever they feel comfortable with. I will always respect the parents’ wishes and out of respect will ask what works for them!
June 24th, 2008 at 7:43 pm
Personally, I don’t like answering the door to an unknown person at my own house, much less when I have children to take care of! I think it’s better to be safe than sorry! I would much rather do a frozen pizza, which I have done lots of times, without “burning the house down”!
June 25th, 2008 at 6:15 am
The ONLY right answer here, is to cover this with the parents. The parents, your employers, are the ones who decide wether they want the door answered or not. Everyone is giving their OWN opinions about this matter and no one has a place to decide what goes on in another persons home. These are not OUR children we are watching nor is it OUR home. We need to realize that we are hired help and again that the parents are the employer. We need to do a good and thorough job by asking all the questions and covering EVERYTHING that is ok, not ok and what is expected BEFORE we take on a job.
June 25th, 2008 at 8:13 am
I’m a babysitter! as I live in a town where I know all the pizza boys in the area so for me it’s no big deal. but being in another town unless the order is prepaid already I actually wouldn’t like to, but I’d make the child not visible. I had an experience when I was watching I didn’t know that pizza was being delivered to the house. so I had the kids go into the other room so I could answer the door to make it seem like I lived there and waiting for pizza to come
June 25th, 2008 at 11:33 am
I agree with thte first comment. It seems like this article was for 16 year old babysitters doing the job as a weekend thing. Being near 22, and doing this full-time for almost 3 years I’ve found that parents treat it differently.
June 25th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
I babysit for a family of 3 every Saturday. The mom always gives me money and tells me to order pizza for the children when they get hungry, then the parents leave. When the door bell rings, I look out the window to make sure that it is the pizza guy. I tell the children to go wash their hands for dinner so that they do not run and open the door without looking first!
I feel that if you are a responsible babysitter, then you will check who is at the door before opening it. If you are sure who it is, then it is safe to do so. Then again, you can never be 100% sure if the delivery boy is safe, even if he is cute.
June 25th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Ok, I have been in the situation as both a young babysitter (13 years old) and as an adult sitter (I am now 21), and it has never been a big deal either way. When I was younger, parents always ordered pizza, and I always answered the door and paid. Pizza delivery people wear destinctive uniforms, and I would always know which to look for. Now, I often find myself having to answer the door to sign for deliverys, which I also find no big deal. However, I tell parents I would rather cook dinner then have it delivered. its fun, and its healthier.
June 25th, 2008 at 10:18 pm
I am 17 years old and I babysat for 3 different families when I was still 16. All three families ordered pizza before they left for date nights and it arrived shortly after they left. One couple left money for me to give to the delivery guy for a tip, and I was perfectly fine with that. I think that by the time I was 16 years old, I could handle being responsible enough to receive a delivered pizza. It isn’t as big of a deal as I think some parents seem to make it. Maybe I am just saying this because I have experienced this on many occasions, but I’m not the type to just open the door without looking, especially while caring for another person’s children. I think ordering pizza is just convenient for the parents and it gives the kids something to look forward to while they have a babysitter (because some are not too happy about having a babysitter).
June 26th, 2008 at 10:32 am
I have babysat before when people have come to the door and it is scary to open the door to someone you don’t know so I usually don’t do it. I just play it on the safe side frozen pizza!!! But we play outside all the time when people go by and it doesnt’ seem to bother anybody.
June 28th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
Having pizza delivered while babysitting recently made me realize a big problem. It was a family I had been babysitting for pretty regularly for a few months. In giving the pizza place the address, I realized I didn’t know it offhand. I had to look on a catalog for the house number. And then, it turned out there was confusion on the spelling of the street name (the name on the online mapping was spelled differently from the street sign).
This was just a pain in the butt for a pizza delivery but it made me realize that I would have a problem if I ever needed to call 911 and have emergency services come to the house.
I find that with cell phones, parents are more casual about leaving emergency instructions (pediatricians, preferred hospital, etc.) but babysitters should have a list of some information that they keep with them on the job. This would probably be better served in a different entry, but since I started it, here’s the minimal information I keep on hand:
LAST NAMES (it’s not always the same throughout the family)
PHYSICAL ADDRESS (including nearest landmarks or cross streets. having the zip code might help too.)
HOUSE PHONE NUMBER (you probably have a cell but should know the land line number just in case)
LOCATION of the house phone (often it’s a cordless that can’t be found - the parent might know how to find their phone - but would you be able to in an emergency?)
PARENTS CELL PHONE NUMBERS
ALLERGIES, MEDICATIONS AND ANY CONDITIONS
I have other information - but find these to be the bare essentials.
June 29th, 2008 at 11:36 pm
What 16yr old burns down the house??? I think it goes by the age and how comfortable the sitter is about doing that and how comfortable the parents feel. I’m 26yrs old and if a parent didn’t trust me to open the door for the delivery guy who am expecting then what am I doing at their house?? Frozen pizza is the worse thing on this planet. When ever I see frozen pizza I raid the cupboards for something else.
June 30th, 2008 at 4:29 pm
Most parents that I have babysat for, usually leave after the kids have eaten or come home before. But my first job when I was 13 (I took over from my friend who babysat from age 11-13) I would babysit 7pm-11pm every friday and some saturdays and the 7 year old had never eaten beforehand. They always had me order dominos and I was fine with that. The only time I had a problem is that one time i had not known that they no longer provided delivery service and they called to see when i would pick it up, but they asked for my address?! So I was not able of course to drive then and pick it up. The family had only ice cream, bacon, jelly, bread, and condiments in their fridge and freezer. the cabinet only had junkfood, not even cans or microwave stuff. so I made pb&js, but she didn’t like them but ate a little because she was hungry and had some chips and such. good they came back a little before 10 and when they called that they were coming home i asked them to bring something for her to eat. So I suggest to any parents that to always make sure there is plenty of ideas to make something simple to eat. because kids can be picky and unpredictable and like things one day ad not the next. also in case the babysiter is younger or occupied to much by the kid that it is quick and simple and in case it burns there are others to replace it. because while the younger sitters are cheap there are other things you need to look out for them. also provide enough for the babysitter to eat if it goes over dinner time, because I have gone to houses where they only have food for the kids so i later started to bring food for myself to warm up. at least tell them to get something before hand.
July 1st, 2008 at 2:20 pm
Wow it goes to show by reading these responses from 21-28 year olds that some people no matter how old do not have very much sense. It has nothing to do with not trusting the babysitter, but ANY person, delivery man or not at the door. You chickies wouldn’t be there if we didn’t trust YOU, hello!!!! It’s outside forces that we don’t trust. As a nurse I’ve seen way more crazy things than the 20 year olds that are watching our kids!!!!! They think a safe neighborhood, or a delivery man they’ve seen before make them safe…….how naive are you? Obviously most of you do not have children of your own, because then I bet the responses would be much different. It’s just a heads up for all you parents when hiring a babysitter that no matter how much you did your homework on the sitter, or how much you trust them, or how long you’ve known them, they will never always take the same precautions as we do with our kids, because they do not care for them the way we do!!!!! And ultimately it’s a job, and a paycheck for them!!!! To all the sitters, go watch the movie Eye for an Eye with Sally Field, then come repost!!!! And trust me that stuff does happen in real life. I rarely answer my own door, but these sitters think its ok for them to!!!! And silly girls, any one can burn down a house….even a 16 y/o with next to no life experience yet. And if a sitter is that picky that she can’t eat frozen pizza, then she needs to come prepared with her own food. It’s scary as a perent when I see most of the sitters saying answering the door isn’s a big deal because they are responsible……that is the most irresponsible thing I have ever heard!!!!! How responsible are you when you open the door, and the nice looking guy carrying the pizza box pushes his way in? Then what are you going to do? Now you have put MY children in harms way!!! You little girls need to get a clue, bad things happen everyday, and everywhere……WAKEUP!!!!
July 2nd, 2008 at 4:21 pm
I disagree with Simply12nv!! Babysitting is much more than just a job for most of us. It is what we love doing. We want to protect your children as much as you do. Don’t throw around accusations–get a clue!!!!
July 2nd, 2008 at 11:04 pm
I think what Simply12nv ment was that when it’s your own children there is a stronger bond than there is if you’re the one watching the children. It is their flesh and blood, its a completely different feeling than when your the “outside” party coming in to watch their children.
Being an experience nanny/sitter myself, I know my capabilities and what I am comfortable with. I currently sit/nanny for a family of 6 children and am treated by the children and parents as one of the family. I am completely comfortable opening the door for a delivery, as well as the parents are comfortable with me doing so. I know that danger lurks around every corner and I would lay my life on the line for the children I watch. There are times that I am with “my kids” for several days while the parents are out of town and I take on the role as “mom & dad” while they are away. I am constantly worried about whose house they are at, are the doors and windows locked at night, etc. It’s not just about saying your responsible and assuming that nothing will happen, it’s about being responsible and making sure that you do everything in your power to ensure that those children are safe and happy at all times.
As far as answering the door (since that is what this blog is about), I feel that it is all up to the parent and the sitter. I know parents trust their sitters, but there comes a time when you just have to leave it at that. Trust your sitter and just know that they are going to do whatever they can to protect your children. I do understand the feeling that parents get when a delivery person comes to the door or anyone for that matter while they are out. Its one that I can relate to on a different matter. When I was 16 and got my drivers license I could not understand why my parents would still not let me drive alone. When I was 18 I could not understand why my parents would not let me drive out of the city alone. But now I do. And I owe that to my job, babysitting. I realized that it’s not me my parents didnt trust, it was every other crazy driver on the road. They knew I was going to be responsible and safe, but they had no way of knowing whether or not someone else was going to be as responsible and safe as I was. Finally they just trusted me, had a little faith, and let me go.
I feel its the same with opening the door while sitting. Of course the parents are always going to worry, thats what parents do, its apart of being a parent; shoot even I, as just the sitter, worry when Im not there with them. But at some point you just have to accept the worry, and accept that anything can happen, to anyone anywhere. You trust your sitter and thats why they are there. So now just have a little faith in them. When your kids are old enough to drive your going to end up having a little faith in all those other crazy drivers on the road, so have a little faith in your sitter to do whats best for you kids.
Like I said, anything can happen to anyone anywhere. And that includes parents. Whose to say that the very delivery guy you fear will push over your sitter and put your children in harms way wont do the same to you?
July 5th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
I agree with Sharivanness; many parents have become more casual about leaving contact information with a babysitter before they leave the house. The more information a family leaves me with, the more comfortable I am. I like to know that it will be easy to contact the parents if I need to, and just as easy for the parents to contact me. The list of information you posted is an excellent guide.
July 5th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
I’m sorry Jen1986, at 21, and with no children, you don’t know very much about life, or the love a mother has for their child. You can’t comprehend that until you have one of your own. Its silly to think as a “babysitter” you can love a child as much as a mother loves her own, “get a clue!” Money can buy almost anything….but definately not common sense!!!!! And I bet very few babysitters would come watch our kids for free….so don’t say its so much more than a job to YOU. When you go out there and do it for free then you have the right to say its not a job, you would never do it without the money trust me. No babysitter will ever have the ability to protect my kids a s much as I do. I think about things that a 21 y/o can’t begin to comprehend!!!! A little girl without kids who thinks she can think/love like a mother does is a dangerous one to hire in your home.
July 8th, 2008 at 9:32 am
i use to babysit for families that knew my parents well just in my neighborhood back in mequon wi some sitting experiences at a 12 yr olds experience can be extremely hair raising when i babysat for kids families back in mequon wi the parents were good they would stock the freezer with frozen pizza for the kids all the time especially night time sitting in our neighborhood back in mequon wi so if someone came to the door i would never answer it unless the parents told me they were expecting a package from the ups or food delivery since once you answer that door it may not be the person you expect at the door it could be a serial killer a sex molestor, a prostitute or an escaped exconvict from the local prison near your house.
when the door bell rings when i babysit for young children i look trough the peep hole and ask if the person has identification to slide under the door to me as a precaution since no matter if you live in a good or bad neighborhood common sense is the best weapon you have when having kids in your care since your a role model to kids that you babysit for and you don’t want them to learn bad habbits that could harm or be particularly dangerous for them.
i took on a new family once in mequon wi when i rang the doorbell the wife answered the door and said we are just finnishing dinner here one thing i have to admit i frowned upon when i saw this kids dad guzzle a 12 pkg of miller lite beer in front of his young children i thought yikes what did i get my self into here but kept the straight face in front of the younger kids that looked like they were from the adam’s family back in mequon wi that i babysat for that evening. a 8 yr old girl named stephanie would sit next to me on the stair steps i said what’s wrong with teddy your brother he’s acting a bit unususual here she told me saying teddy has downes syndrome and he hates his foster dad due to his drinking stupor he comes home every night drunk and beats up teddi for his drinking problem she told me. i am surprised an 8 yr old girl knew about the father’s bad alcoholic problem.
before they left for the bowling alley the father said help yourself to the refrigerator for snacks and drinks for you and the children even as a 12 yr old babysitter when i opened up the refrigerator there i saw just beer to drink that was a definate no no there so i loked through the cupboards and found whiskey stashed in there a double yikes it was a good thing i was a good cook when i was younger where i could cook things proffessional for the kids that i babysat for. the end
July 8th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
As an experienced babysitter, I would prefer to not have to answer the door, especially to a stranger, pizza delivery or not. But when babysitting and hearing that doorbell ring, my main concern is that so many children run straight to the door and open it. All the children I babysit are currently under age 6 and it always surprises me that so many of them are allowed to open their front doors to complete strangers without their parents directly behind them.
Also, it is not that parents do not trust their babysitters, but they are concerned for our safety as they would any other family member. It is not that I do not trust a 4 year old to answer the door, but I am concerned for her safety.
Pizza delivery is one thing, but I have also had to answer the door for housekeepers, the cable company, birthday party staff, co-workers, neighbors, relatives, and other unexpected guests. I think it’s important for a parent to let your babysitter know who will be coming over and at what time they are expected.
July 8th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Stop with the hostility.
Everyone’s opinions and experiences are going to be different. Thats why there is a discussion blog on here.
Some sitters are going to be different than other sitters, and some parents are going to be different than parents. Some people will live in cities, some will live in suburbs. Some will live in apartment buildings with sketchy neighbors, and some will live on streets with registered sex offenders. Some will live in new four bedroom homes in a gated community or on a caul-de-sac.
Some sitters might feel like they feel how a mother feels about her own children. Who are you to say that this sitter doesn’t feel that way? Maybe there is a slim chance to feel the ACTUAL maternal bond, but good for her that she feels like she feels that way for them, even if it isn’t the same as if they were her own children. Why do you need to argue? She is not your sitter. And who has anything to prove here?
That family is lucky to have a sitter who cares so much about their family, regardless of if she ACTUALLY feels as much for those kids as a mother or father would. You don’t need to make such a hurtful comment, or take anything away from her. Thats why babysitters become sitters, because they love children, and want to help them grow, and protect them, and teach them things, and love them.
The discussion here is “Do sitters feel comfortable answering the door.” We already read that parent’s obviously don’t feel comfortable. If they don’t then they won’t order delivery, and neither will the sitter. Of course there is danger in opening the door to the world, and yes it depends on so many circumstances. How mature and careful is the sitter, how familiar are they with the family/area. If they were babysitting in THEIR home, and ordered a pizza, would the parents be comfortable? If they’re not than they should say so and the sitter won’t order food. It’s as simple as that. This doesn’t have to get into the bare bones of how much a sitter loves the children and how much the parents do.
Jealousy and selfishness isn’t going to make it work between a mother and a sitter. It’s really important to work as a team, and respect each other. The sitter will obviously respect the mother’s wishes, but no mother should ever tell the sitter that her love for the child does not compare to the mother’s love. Do you think babysitters don’t know that?
July 8th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
All I have to say is that I know that I don’t love the kids that I sit for as much as their parents do. I have, though, taken babysitting jobs for no pay when a family needs someone and can’t pay. So don’t say that I wouldn’t. I even offer my favorite kids a discount rate of $7 an hour in an area where $15 is common. I don’t think it’s fair to assume that your kids are just a paycheck to someone, because sometimes they’re not. There are kids that I sit for that I genuinely love, and I would do anything for.
That being said, I think that the door answering issue is a matter of comfort and confidence. If you, as a sitter, are confident in your ability to answer the door, and the parents have no objections, then go for it. If parents ask you to take a delivery and you’re not comfortable, tell them so. They won’t think any less of you for wanting to protect yourself and their kids. I think this is a very personal issue that, until now, I never even realized was an issue at all. All in all, I think peopl need to dicuss their comfort zones with the families they sit for, and make sure everyone is on a level playing feild.
July 9th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
I think it largely depends on the neighborhood, the sitter, and the kids, but it’s ludicrous to me that so many people would not want their sitter to answer the door. If kids are especially rowdy or a family is large, I can see that the sitter would be very occupied with the kids and wouldn’t have a moment, but usually, this is not a problem. I’ve been baby-sitting for about 12 years and have had many families who will do dinner in various ways - some will feed the kids and expect me to fend for myself, others will have dinner ready or on the stove as I arrive, others will order a pizza and have it on its way, and others will show me what’s in the fridge and let me and the children decide what to make - or will make this decision with us before they leave. I don’t feel that this has particularly changed over the years as I have gotten older. It may be that more parents had dinner ready when i was a teen and more let me and the children fend for ourselves now - that’s my personal favorite way because we can then eat whatever appeals to us that is around the house.
It is so odd to me that someone here feels 16-year-olds cannot handle cooking. 16-year-olds who are capable of baby-sitting ought to also be able to follow directions, so leaving them a recipe and ingredients should mean they can get dinner ready. A simple dinner with instructions on the box or that’s microwavable may be simpler, but someone of this age should be able to handle more. If I was hiring a baby-sitter who was 11-14 years-old, however, I would need to know the sitter better to trust them with more than something very simple. When my mom was 10, in 1965, she had a summer baby-sitting job for two children that involved biking across town, taking care of the children all day, making dinner for the kids and their parents, and biking home, but I wouldn’t have been able to do all that at 10, nor would I expect 10-year-olds of today to be able to do that. However, a teenager who is mature enough to baby-sit should also know basic safety rules and basic cooking and should be able to prepare a simple meal for the family or answer the door for a delivery person. Whereas it is certainly possible that a murderer or kidnapper will come to the door, it is also possible when the parents are home, too. People should know their neighbors better and be willing to answer doors.
July 10th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
I am a babysitter too, 28 and soon will have my own kids, but I totally agree with Simply12nv. It is not about trust or responsibilities, it is about safety, so yes, it is best to all to have the pizza delivered while the parents are still home, or simply prepare something inside the house. As for using the stove/oven, yes it is about responsibility , but also responsible parents should have the dinner ready for their kids, right? How can you go out and have fun and your kids have no food inside ? Or only junk food ?
The families I babysit for always have their kids ready for bed time or play time, and they always had dinner before or just when I get there, so they are RESPONSIBLE parents too.
July 23rd, 2008 at 3:23 am
it’d be nice to leave out the condescending tone and negativity…
there’s a lot of context to each poster that we don’t know…
everyone take a deep breath
July 23rd, 2008 at 9:13 am
@ Simply12nv July 1st, 2008 at 2:20 pm ’s comment
Wow it goes to show by reading YOUR post that you lack sense “chickie”. You are the naive one. Some of the 21-28 yr old here OD have kids. & those that dont feel very close to the kids & families, they dont view it as just a job.
You gave your opinion just as they have given theirs.
If its a younger helper(under 15) then dont open the door. But I think for 16 & older they have sense to know how to open the door, receive the meal, 7 pay the deliveryperson.
You barely answer your door? Goodness, do you keep your kids in a bubble too?
You wakeup!
July 23rd, 2008 at 9:15 am
@Megan10 July 2nd, 2008 at 11:04 pm ’s comment
EXACTLY!
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Quote:…Like I said, anything can happen to anyone anywhere. And that includes parents. Whose to say that the very delivery guy you fear will push over your sitter and put your children in harms way wont do the same to you?
July 23rd, 2008 at 9:18 am
@Simply12nv July 5th, 2008 at 4:06 pm ’s comment
Pls stop. You’re continually calling us naive, inexperienced, and now dangerous. How do you know for fact a helper cant protect the children better than you? What if the helper know tae kwon do or jijitsu or has a blackbelt?
It’s obvious you dont trust helpers–or outsiders as you call us–so why even post her? You’re just here beating us up. That isnt nice.
July 24th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
I agree with earlier posts that note the article seems to be talking about very young sitters. Truly, if you have an adult sitter who is responsible enough to watch your children on a regular basis, answering the door should not be a problem. However for younger sitters who come over for the occasional Friday night out, I think it only makes sense that they should not have to answer the door at all.
As someone who has watched my own siblings for many years, it is interesting to see the parent-sitter dynamic and how it varies between people–from the over-protective mother who doesn’t believe anyone can care for her children like she does to the casual babysitter for whom it really is “just a job”. I find it fair to say I doubt many people who use this site to find babysitting jobs are looking for “just a job”. It’s much easier and less demanding to get a job at the local fast food place than to care for someone’s children. I hope people keep that in mind before posting any more divisive comments.
August 6th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
1 2 N V, HA! You probably live with your parents still!!!!
September 24th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
Actually at 28 I have 3 beautiful children, am college educated, own my own home, and can say I have an admireable profession as an RN. OH, and I have an ounce of courage, and don’t have to post anonymously bc I believe in what I say, and am proud of myself…..sorry you feel ashamed. The point of this is to discuss and express opinions. No one has to agree with my opinion….ask me if I care!!! I won’t loose sleep over it, but if it makes one parent and/or babysitter more cautious then fantastic!!!!