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question about paying sitter...

groovygrlgroovygrl member
in Toddlers: 12 - 24 Months

so i'm curious, here was our situation last night.

sitter was due at 530. Showed up at 500 b/c the weather & traffic were going to be iffy & she didn't want to be late. 1st 30 minutes, just chatting w/ me while I finished up the kids' dinner (they were eating when she came) and I cleaned everything up. While I cleaned up she played w/ the kids a little but they were mostly chasing each other around.

We got ready while she was watching them & went to dinner, came home at 830. She then stayed & chatted with us for another 30 min (even sort of sticking aroudn when our neighbors across the street came over which was a little strange) and left at 9pm.

How many hours would you pay her for?

Also- in general, when you're gone for X 1/2 hrs, do you pay the 1/2 hr or just round up to another hour (not keeping any extra holiday stuff you might throw in there in mind, just in general).

Thanks! 

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Re: question about paying sitter...

  • Uiowachick01Uiowachick01
    We had our sitter yesterday too!  We round up to the nearest hour and tip $5 every time.  So she came at 11:30 and we came home at 7.  We paid her until 7:30.  
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  • Art TeacherArt Teacher

    I would pay her from 5:30 until 8:30. 

    I would pay the extra 1/2 hour -- that's what we do with DD's babysitter.  Sometimes even for the 1/4 hour because timing-wise she sometimes needs me drop off dd 15 minutes later. 

    As far as extra for the holidays -- we're going to get her a $50 gift card for Brio. 

    If it was someone who just watched her once in a while, I would either do a smaller gift card $10-$20 or maybe extra cash the last time she would babysit before the holiday.

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  • posvaneposvane

    I'd probably only pay her for what she was watching the kids for and then keep this situation in mind for furture events. I'd probably find a reason not to chat after you've come home. If she comes early due to weather or traffic then I'd leave it until she says something and be ready to give her a little extra.  

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  • PhillychickadeePhillychickadee

    Our sitters usually don't come too early, but sometimes stay and chat.  One in particular chats forever, when sometimes all I want to do is go to bed.

    I learned that I pull out the cash and pay her as soon as I get in the door, so that if she wants to stay and chat, she isn't getting extra for it.   I try not to make it rude by saying something like, "Oh, before I forget!" and handing it to her.

    I think my sitters are kind of expensive ($15/hour) so if it is 5.5 hours, I don't round up to 6.  

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  • groovygrlgroovygrl member

    Thanks...

    This is a once in awhile sitter, not a regular sitter, I should've clarified (2nd time we've had her) , just for a date night & it is one of the daycare teachers so we'll be giving a gift card to her for xmas at daycare anyway.

    I'm wondering though, tipping a babysitter who gets paid under the table in cash? That seems weird to me but maybe I'm just not up on babysitter etiquette.

    THe chatting was while she was very slowly getting her stuff together and whatnot...I don't know how to stop that but since the kids are asleep I'm definitely not paying for that time by any means. Giving the money 'before I forget' is a good idea although I had it physically in my hand the whole time so it wasn't like she was waiting for me to pull it out. 

    We ended up giving the equivalent of about 3 hrs 45 min or so (it was a nice easy number & we had the right bills) since she was early & the holidays, etc. But I guess I would think if she was here she might say- oh let me clean up or something along those lines if she expecting to get paid for that early half hour...? 

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  • ryry1977ryry1977 member
    I would of paid her 5:30-8:30.  I round up the hour for paying.
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  • katie_cjkatie_cj member

    I round it up.

    I would pay her for from 5pm, I think it's considerate that she left early in case of traffic. But I wouldn't pay her for the extra half an hour she hung around.

    Well, except in this case since I tend to round it up. I would pay her from 5pm to 830pm, except round it to 9pm.

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