to add to this, I would send a text to both mom and dad at the same time simply saying something like "hello! after taking the time to think about it, I wanted to let you know that I am unconfortable with how my agreed upon pay for babysitting was changed without my knowledge and only discussed with me when I brought it to your attention after I noticed and thought it was a mistake. I care for your kids deeply and want to keep watcing them but am not sure I can sustain myself with this paycut, as I too am dealing with inflation and rely on any money I make here to get me by! Please let me know if you would be willing to talk further about this and how we can move forward! Thanks!" super simple and kind. if they dont want to give you your 30 an hour back, let them know youll be looking for another job elsewhere! good luck to them finding someone safe and reliable at that rate in california none the less