The Baby-Sitters Club #5: Dawn and the Impossible Three
A new client calls the BSC. Mrs. Barrett is a recent divorcee that needs help with her three kids. Dawn gets the job and right away she discovers that this woman should apparently never have kids. Despite looking great, her house is a mess, the kids are a mess and she has no idea what’s going on. Dawn kind of bonds with her because it reminds her of her own house.
On her first day of sitting, she runs out without leaving a number or any other information. Dawn has to clean the kids, fix their hair and do a lot of other random crap, including cleaning the house. The more she sits there, the more she has to do. Buddy starts calling her at home, Suzi learns how to use the phone and starts calling too. She’s over there so much that the other girls ask her if everything is okay.
The kicker comes when she has to sit on a rainy day. The rain lets up and she lets Buddy play out side, while she gets the kids ready to go. When she looks outside, Buddy is gone. She can’t find Mrs. Barrett and has to call her mom and the police. It turns out that Mr. Barrett had the kids for the weekend and when she forgot (for the 700th time), he randomly shows up and takes Buddy. He wanted to teach his ex a lesson, but flipped out when he realized that the kids had a sitter.
Dawn tells her that she can’t sit there anymore, unless things change. Mrs. Barrett agrees to make some changes and work harder. She’ll even pay Dawn more for doing housework and other stuff around the house. All’s well that ends well. I guess.
The other plot is the relationship between Dawn and Kristy. Kristy is still being jealous and bitchy of Dawn’s friendship with Mary Anne, especially when she helps MA redo her bedroom. Dawn invites her to hang out and they talk about how hard it is to be the kids of a divorced couple and bond over other stuff. They also go out to the barn and play with the loft swing. Kristy comes up with the idea of an Alternate Officer and officially gives the job to Dawn.
*Shocker: Mary Anne can’t figure out how Dawn works there because the kids are completely out of control. If MA has a problem, then you know something is really wrong.
*In this book, Mallory can’t even multiple two numbers and has to check with Dawn. Doesn’t she become a member of the club in like three books?
*Mallory also reveals that Marnie, the baby, has a chocolate allergy. Dawn nearly gives her a brownie because Mrs. Barrett never told her.
*Mrs. Barrett leaves a number to reach her, but it’s the wrong number. I’m sorry, but that’s something I’d want to talk to her about.
*How the fuck did Mrs. Barrett get custody of those kids?? The house is always a mess, she can’t be bothered to brush her fucking kids’ hair and she’s constantly running off. Plus there’s a comment about how her ex lives in an apartment, but she has a house with four bedrooms and doesn’t even have a job.
*Dues are 50 cents per person. That is just insane. Of course I remember them having $30 in the treasury and dolling out money to everyone, so who knows?
To be fair, I think back in the 80s it was just about unheard of for the mother not to get custody, unless she was like, a crack addict, or maybe a lesbian. (I don't mean that those are in any way equal, but as far as custody cases go, a same sex parent in the 80s was probably as taboo as a drug addicted one).
ReplyDeleteAnd, as the mother kept the children, she would probably get the house as well.
I really wish we would have gotten more backstory on the Barretts.