This is a fresh topic for me.
Ok.. I've been having sex with my ex for 5 years. He has always come to my house to "visit" his daughter (he just wanted sex). He has been telling all these other girls and friends of his that he hates me, etc, etc.. but he has gotten caught a few times from a few people by accidentally mentioning that we did something. (opps). So I wasn't in love with him, but he wouldn't let me go.

I finally pressed the issue about getting things done in court (my daughter was 3 1/2 yrs old), but before I signed the parenting plan he wanted (which shows that he didn't want her for a visit at all, just didn't want to pay child support and he wanted decision making rights), but instead I went restraining order. Long story short.. It's a 1 1/2 later.. He keeps messing with me still and some chick that now lives with him that he met from MySpace (supposedly, I think she's from his porn site). Since this chick has vested interest in my now 5 yr old daughter, Now he wants to have my daughter at his home.. And it's only been since October and I told him to stop touching me or trying to have sex with me. Since I feel gross after him and I do anything.. Now.. even though he has been having visit's at his home and away from me.. I was on alot of his "visit's" and trust me they were not all about the child, that's for sure.And if he wasn't on visit's, he accidentally drove by my home and wham bam thank you maam.. Yes he even told me how much he hates this other chick and that he wants to live with me and get married.. blah blah blah.. Just players hun.. My daughter even thought and still thinks him and I are going to get married. lol

So all in all he is a dog to all the women in his life.. Don't trust him. IF he wants to see his child he needs to have his child come to his home period.
Have you asked the mother?
First of all.. don't deal with the ex at all, unless you are married to the guy. Stay out of that part till after a full year of good dating,living together and getting engaged.And just play with the child. If the mother isn't jealous or upset that your trying to take her place with her child, then talk to the mother and find out what her rules are with the child. Try to keep those same rules to keep peace with you and the mother.. and to not stir too many issues with the child's mind.

First of all.. It depends greatly on the area. Every state and different areas have different incomes.

Is she CPR and FIRST AID certified? She should be for watching these children this long.

It also depends on if she can afford to keep a job with lower income coming in, or if she needs to find another one that she might qualify for.

Babysitter.. This sounds like a NANNY position to me, not just a babysitter. Nannies watch kids all day, Babysitters watch kids on date night, grocery store run, doctor's appt, etc.

In my area Nannies are going for $20+ an hour. Babysitters at 17 with no certifications are getting about $8 an hour and with certifications they get around $15 an hour. BUT I live in a higher class higher income bracket area.

If she's willing to stay watching the children for that price, that's up to her and her bosses. But she shouldn't let them screw her over either. Maybe they are all in agreement with the pricing.

With the money market right now, it's tough for just about everyone. So that should also be a little consideration.

Yeah.. she's done the laughing thing as well.. which she has done since. And so far it's worked. It's been 1 yr since I started, and she hasn't done it in over 3 months.
It is funny.. and that's what works.. Is that they embarass us in stores doing this right? Well guess what.. it actually embarrasses them as well. That's why they laugh about it.
And it's very hillarious to watch yourself act like them, but hey.. whatever works right? :)

This would help as well.. But my 4th child has done that. She just started visitations with her father when she started to do the scratching her face when she gets mad. Same situation her father lets her do anything she wants, including not eating and basic necessaries of life. Anyway.. I did the ignoring.. that made it worse.. Did the "please don't, etc" that didn't work. Did the corner and that didn't work.. BUT what really truely worked long term..Quiet a few times did I pretend to act just like her, in front of others.. She would run into another room and got madder, BUT she stopped after about 5 times of this happening.
She got so embarrased she finally stopped. It took a few months, but consistancy helped.

Glad to hear that others care. I am in college full time for a teachers degree as well as homeschooling my kiddos. And boy do I ever know about the pushing through school. My oldest was in public school for 2 1/2 years. They did nothing for her, literally. I have her grades.. the first semester, B's and A's.. After that.. F's mostly.. but they wanted her to stay with kids her age, and not educate her. gggggg I brought her from grade 3 level (i took her out at grade 5 1/2) to a 11th grade level in reading comprehension in less than 2 years. BUT it's because I've allowed her to choose what she wants to read (montessori type). And it's helped dramatically. She used to hate reading.. now I have to ground her from books to get chores done.. and she is very dyslexic with a TBI (traumatic brain injury from a car accident).

As far as what I'm learning about school systems.. lol There are some teachers who care, and some who don't.. just as there are better schools than others (due to different principles and team work). I have found out that due to public funding of public schools the better their CSAPS come out as, the more funding they get. So with that being said.. The teachers are re-teaching from the previous year, during the first semester of school.. THEN they teach the kids how to pass the CSAPS with higher standards.. even though they still have to use state standardcs (they do that) but they are just teaching them how to give the school more money.. And on top of that.. it's even worse now days with all the budget cuts. Public school isn't free anymore and is getting more and more expensive (unless your on free lunch programs, etc and at that they still try to push on bills to you, varies I'm sure by school districts or schools).

Don't get me wrong.. there are many awesome public schools.. I found a montessori public charter school recently. Found out they are now able to do this in public schools.. Same teacher for 3 years (building a relationship with one is important to character building alongside with stability, etc)..

Ok.. I could go on.. but I won't. :)

I'm the same way. Nothing like that is acceptable to me.