When 16-year-old Kirstin Rausch broke her curfew, she knew there would be consequences.
But she didn't expect an ad with her picture in the Southlake Texas Journal, offering her free service as a baby sitter to make amends.
Rausch's parents are requiring her to complete 30 hours of free baby-sitting for breaking a cardinal family rule.
"I was embarrassed," she said, after seeing the ad. "I had no idea they had done that."
Rausch, a member of the National Honor Society at Carroll Senior High School, doesn't break many rules. But a few weeks ago, she had a group of friends over late at night, after her family went to sleep. When she got caught, she knew she was in big trouble.
The ad, made to sound as if Rausch had written it herself, states that "my pain is your gain" and implores parents needing a sitter to call to reserve a spot.
Wendy Rausch, Kirstin's stepmother, said the ad was Plan B after a request to different organizations for a 30-hour community service project went unfilled.
"We wanted her to make it up with community service," Wendy Rausch said. "My husband got the idea from a situation he encountered at work that people like free labor."
To prevent a dangerous situation for Kirstin, the Rausches are screening requests from callers. By last weekend, she had already completed nearly half of the 30 hours.
Kirstin Rausch said she hasn't minded the baby-sitting duties, particularly since she has lucked into dealing with kids aged 6 to 10 rather than babies and toddlers.
Joanne Reding, a neighbor of the Rausch family, said having a baby sitter allowed her to attend a weekend meeting that she probably would have had to miss. Her 15-year-old son, who normally watches his 11-year-old brother, was away over the weekend.
"I think this is a great idea," Reding said. "What she did was very serious, and I admire her parents for calling her on it."
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