Babysitting worries?

[AmericanRose]

A family in my parish has asked me to baby sit for them. I agreed, and they invited me over to their house for supper to meet the children and dogs, and get to see the house. By the time I went home, I had some qualms about the whole deal.
*they had brought up my potentially staying overnight sometime to help with the kids since the dad is away at work a lot
*one of the ways they used to discipline their more difficult child was a drop of hot sauce on the back of his tongue, and I’m not sure how I feel about that.
*they have offered to take me to a Latin mass they attend some weekends about 45 minutes away, since I am interested in it. I will reinterate that this family has been in my parish for only a year, and I do not know much about them.
*they were very eager to find a person from church to babysit, perhaps too much so.
*they seem to trust me with all four kids, even the one year old, and told me I was very mature for my age.
*they also told me that the Holy Spirit had compelled them to talk to my family member and i when we had run into them at the local supermarket.
*they also seem slightly pushy, like there may be an underlying reason to their motives.

I want to see the best in them, but family members of mine have placed doubts in my mind as well. Any advice?

 

[pianistclare]

When in doubt, don’t do it. Trust your gut.

 

[Xanthippe_Voorhees]

Don’t do it. Your gut is telling you to run. It would be wise to do so.

Their parenting choice to discipline with hot sauce is concerning–very much so. Encouraging its use by a stranger boarders on abusive behavior.

My guess- they parent in a way that adults would be wise to disapprove of and are hoping that a young person will be nieve enough to manipulate and will not know any better.

 

[AmericanRose]

They never encouraged me do do so, and they have stopped using it. They make the kids go into time out.

 

[Xanthippe_Voorhees]

They never encouraged me do do so, and they have stopped using it. They make the kids go into time out.

I must have misread.

Which makes it even more strange.

What parent discloses to a stranger that they administered a punishment that courts would deem abusive? It is a terrible idea and I’m not going to sit here and condemn it without knowing the circumstances, but if a parent told me that, I’d be listening for other concerning things and in general, fear for their children.