Stay At Home Mums are NOT free babysitters.

There’s something this mum needs to get off her chest. And it has to do with her “free” time.

It’s okay if it happens once or twice.

Sure, I’m free. Happy to help.

But over a short period of time that once or twice grows into four, five times, then a weekly, or twice weekly thing.

It’s not on.

I am here to tell you folks. Stay At Home Mums are NOT your babysitters.

Ask a Stay At Home Mum if this has happened to her and – after first mentally checking you aren’t one of the perpetrators – I don’t doubt they will nod and tell you horror stories. And it is not just the one-off favour, not the you-look-after-mine-this-week-then-I’ll-look-after-yours.

It’s the constant repeated thoughtlessness that some parents show you when they really think you have nothing better to do.

One friend tells me of the time a neighbour who had just taken a job that didn’t allow her to pick up her daughter from school decided to take advantage of what she saw as her “free-time friends.” Instead of organising after-school care, booking a Nanny or an after-school activity she decided to rely on a series of local stay at home Mums. Nothing pre-organised, just a daily frantic texting of “Can-you-pick-up-Elsie” each day.

Sure, it probably cost her nothing financially but the stress she must have gone through finding these free child minders and the debit on her relationships with the women used for the service was noticeable.

I’ve been there.

I’ve been the recipient of a dumped child just because I happen to work from home.

The assumption being that because I have chosen to care for MY child at home I am happy to care for YOURS too. The assumption that I will just be here until you decide to return.

Not a thought is given as to whether my time might be valuable doing something else other than cleaning up your child’s mess. Not a thought given to the fact that perhaps I was hoping to have some time alone with my own kid. Or even – gosh - imagine that I could have something else to do.

How many times have I heard the I’ll-just-be-20-minutes excuse which easily turns into an hour, then two.

I am not trying to re-ignite the so-called "Mummy Wars" but it often seems that women who work outside the home assume that their time is more valuable than those who don’t. "Any chance you could pick up my dry-cleaning while you drop the kids at school?" asked one.

"Don’t suppose you can walk my dog when you take yours out?" asked another.

"I can’t take Miranda to ballet on Tuesdays don’t suppose she could come with you when you take your daughter?"

What is it with people asking for favours?

Perhaps part of it is those of us asked don’t know how to say no. So many of us are used to just saying yes, to pleasing people to trying to help, that when we finally get fed up or busy those around us don’t notice.

Lets face it, we are all happy to help out a neighbour or friends in need but when it is never returned, never appreciated or never acknowledged it becomes a problem.

Let’s emblazon it across the neighbourhood and make sure we appreciate those who do help us out – repeat after me: Stay At Home Mums ARE NOT babysitters.

What do you think? Can those mum-favours add up?