HectorJr's advice column

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Q: so i babysit this six year old 3 times a week.
he lies to me all the time about what he can and can't do.
one day he told me something he could do and his mother got mad at me.
i can tell she really doesn't like me now, but she has no one else to babysit for her.
her and her husband both smoke a lot.
when i come home from her house i REEK of ciggarette smoke.
it's disgusting.
i have to scrub myself in the shower to make the smell go away.
but it's still stuck in my jacket, so i smell it everyday.
one day i had my boyfriend pick me up and he was gagging on the smell.
the mother and her husband are both getting new jobs and i'm also afraid i'm going to have later hours, which just can't happen.
it's already effecting my grades because i'm always so tired after.
i just don't know what to do.
i'm one of those people that feel guilty about everything too.
i need a lot of help, please.

Don't sacrifice your grades for a job, especially one like this. I don't know your economic status, but if you can afford to go to school without having this job, then do it. I would advise you to keep the job only if it was necessary to pay things so you could go to school. Study, study, study! And there is no reason for you to feel guilty about anything. Before your job comes you. If nobody else can baby sit for the family then that is their own problem and responsibility, not yours. You get paid after all your work, but the money won't keep your grades up.

Talk to the family about it and let them know that you won't be able to babysit as much or even anymore because you need to focus on school. Honestly, no job or employer is going to tell you not to quit because of school. If they give you a hard time about it, then even more reason to leave; they should realize the situation at hand and not risk your grades. It doesn't seem like an enjoyable environment to be in anyway, with all the smoking in the house. I wouldn't suggest going out right away to find a job, unless you really do need one for money issues. If you can, get back on track with your homework and grades, and then look out for another job. There are still plenty of jobs for your age available, that will offer a cleaner, safer environment, probably won't put you into super late night shifts, and if your lucky has good pay! But remember, your education comes first, so deal with your jobs later and get back to work now. Hope that helped and good luck.

Rating: 5

rhis really helps a lot,
thank you so much! :]

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I really like giving advice, so thats why I have a column here. I've been inactive for a long time, but I'm back and will do my best to catch up. Advicenators is a great site and it is what we make it. Having my own advice column helped me learn a lot of new things, even about myself, while giving me the chance to help others along the way. Thanks.