Affirm the value of the friendship, share why you're saying no and ask if there's another way to help.

ADVICE: How do you turn down a friend's ask to babysit without risking the friendship?

Don't agree to babysit your friend's child because you fear it will hurt your friendship if you don't. That is opening yourself up to undue stress as you take on a favor that is beyond your comfort zone.

Start off with the positive, then politely decline your friend's request, and then give your reasons, whether it's that you have a prior commitment or don't feel qualified to babysit.

The key is brainstorming solutions for your friend. Whether it's using a service that has been recommended, considering other friends you have in common, or offering to contact someone who can pass along his or her baby sitter's information.

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You also want to validate your friendship. Express that you care about your friend. Perhaps if there's a chore that needs to be done, that was the reason your friend needed a baby sitter, you could do that chore.

- Dr. Jan Yager, author of "When Friendship Hurts: How to Deal with Friends Who Betray, Abandon, or Wound You"

Our goal with friends is to leave them feeling loved and supported, even if we can't support them in a particular requested favour.

The best way to say "no" to a friend includes affirming the value of the friendship, sharing why you're saying no and asking if there's another way to help.

If watching your friend's child comes at an inconvenient time, explain your boundaries and priorities, but propose an alternative. You could say, "I wish I could say yes, but I've been trying to take my work-at-home job more seriously by devoting every afternoon to it. I'd be willing to watch her this weekend, though?"

Or, if it's too stressful, explain that you're willing to be there in an emergency, but don't think you can be counted as a frequent option.

Help the friend understand that you're not saying no to him or her, but to the task. You want your friend to feel that he or she can ask you again in the future.

- Shasta Nelson, CEO of girlfriendscircle.com