Recently I was put in an awkward situation where a contractor brought his children to work and I ended up babysitting. For starters, you do not know this person. It happened out of this area. But by the end of the story, you will probably know someone like him. Do not think I did this out of the goodness of my heart.

I watched two adorable children for purely selfish reasons while their father fixed plumbing. I had to get the septic to work and he was there. I could have called his office. I could probably get him fired. He was worried. He mentioned that he had never had this happen before. I just wanted to get the job done. I had so many different people working this job that I was ready to “YouTube” pipe-relining and just do it myself. (Just watch a reline video and you will gladly let professionals do their job.)

My lessons through this process have been ongoing. Sometimes people are just bad at their jobs. We’ve all been there. We’ve all seen things just spiral out of control. We’ve all had to pick up someone else’s mess and even do their work. It isn’t fair or just, but it does happen. There are also times that people just need a helping hand. That was this fellow’s situation.

Not to drag you all down with the story, but this man was struggling while raising his children alone. He didn’t ask for help and I only stepped in because it looked a tad bit dangerous from my perspective. I had to put off my own work and I felt taken advantage of.

The kids were great though. They make Christmas cards for everyone they have ever met. They mailed them to Santa by means of a “magic’ cardboard box. They supplied the details. I handed out paper and markers.

They finally left, but the job was still unfinished. I was so frustrated and defeated. That was a Saturday. On a Sunday, I received a note thanking me for my kindness and apologizing for being unprofessional. He said he worries all the time about his children feeling safe. He could hear them while he worked and knew they were okay. That enabled him to plan what needed to be done. He told his boss, returned without the children, and sent pictures of a finished job.

I’m not sure why it worked out the way it did, but my lesson learned was to ask more questions and listen for answers. It is easy to clap a label on someone rather than trying to give people a chance. Oh, and yes, I did ask for my babysitting hours to be deducted from the final fee. (I’m a very expensive babysitter.) I was joking, sort of.

Diane Chase is the author of the Adirondack Family TimeTM guidebook series, Adirondack Family TimeTM Tri-Lakes and High Peaks (Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Tupper Lake, and the High Peaks) with over 300 activities including easy hikes, snowshoe/ski trails and seasonal activities. For more family-friendly activities go to www.AdirondackFamilyTime.com.