S/O Vacations...

freeatlast2014

Anyone ever take a babysitter on vacay or go as one?

What's the etiquette: you pay their airfare, of course.

Do you also pay them for the time there? Can they share your room? (I'm thinking of taking my cousin if that matters...IF we go away). Do they get their own time to sunbathe and go out? Do you allow them to bring a friend? Is she on duty the entire time??

How does this work?? 

CaniacMom

I don't know.  Since it is a relative things may be a little different.

If you are paying for them to come help with LO I would not allow them to bring a friend.  I would give some type of break during the day for them to get away if possible. 

I have never done this so I do not know all of the propper etiquette.

MarSamWhitney

I went away with a family for a week when I was 17 to help. They paid for my airfare, and I had a room with the children, parents had their own room.  I don't recall having free time to do whatever, but I got to relax when the kids were doing an activity or something, or napping.   I want to say they then paid me 300 for my "duties".

freeatlast2014

MarSamWhitney:

I went away with a family for a week when I was 17 to help. They paid for my airfare, and I had a room with the children, parents had their own room.  I don't recall having free time to do whatever, but I got to relax when the kids were doing an activity or something, or napping.   I want to say they then paid me 300 for my "duties".

Hot d@mn! I should have gotten into this...

I really feel like the only way I'll go away is if we can swing to bring someone along to help. DH isn't much of help when he's cranky or tired and on vacay he'll be both cranky and tired taking care of LO with me!! 

ffejsGirl

We've never done this. We're more of the "leave the kids with the grandparents" type. Until the kids are older, say 4ish we probably won't do family vacations. 

I think the kind of deal Marsam had sounds like the right way to do it though. Babysitter stay in kids room, get paid a little extra and have free time while you're doing activities with the kids. 

SweetHurricane

It really depends if you want to have more of a friendly relationship with the sitter or a bossy relationship. It also depends on the length of the trip.

I would say no friends. They are distracting. I'd probably work it out so that LO slept in our room on certain days and the sitter's room on certain days. Unless it's a suite style hotel room, you have to go to bed at the same time as LO so that's kind of crappy. I'd want a break myself (and alone time with hubby) and I'd probably want the sitter to have a break. I would schedule some family activites where the sitter can go off and do her own thing, or she can join you (since she is family) and NOT be on duty.