Do/would you pay your siblings for babysitting?

susanmosley · February 2012

DH and I aren't in agreement.

MamatoJackson · February 2012

No, I wouldn't. I would pay their kids (our nieces/nephews) though. I also don't pay our in-laws, who watch the kids for me most often. I do, however, try to remember to buy them lunch occasionally or things like that. I also bring snacks for the kids and stuff so they're not having to feed them, too. Although MIL usually ignores my snacks and feeds them what she wants. (fine by me)

eaglesfan700 · February 2012

My siblings are all older, but I use my nieces regularly and we pay them. In fact, I overpay them because I trust them, they are responsible and they do overnights

Plus their parents paid me nicely when I baby sat their kids. So to answer your question, my siblings overpaid me to watch their kids back in the day

kcisthebombdotcom · February 2012

No. We'd swap though. I watch their kids, they watch mine.

EnglishMajor03 · February 2012

This is a hot topic for me, too. My younger sister is babysitting for H and I this weekend. I am unsure what to do???

susanmosley · February 2012

My sister is older. No kids - never will have any by choice. She babysat 2.5 hrs Monday and will tonight while we go to a Mavericks game. Besides buying dinner, I think we should pay her..DH is being stingy...

littlemomma10 · February 2012

No, but I only have one sister who occasionally watches my LO, and she would never accept payment. We do make sure to take her out to lunch/dinner as a thank you, though. My other siblings either wouldn't babysit, or I wouldn't trust alone with DS. I do plan to have my niece(16) start babysitting, and we will be paying her.

MamatoJackson · February 2012

Maybe a gift card for a manicure or something? $25 on a GC will be cheaper than paying a going-babysitting-rate and she will be less likely to refuse it.

eaglesfan700 · February 2012

susanmosley:
My sister is older. No kids - never will have any by choice. She babysat 2.5 hrs Monday and will tonight while we go to a Mavericks game. Besides buying dinner, I think we should pay her..DH is being stingy...

I would offer and see what she says. If she really had no expectations of being paid and was doing it out of the goodness of her heart, she will refuse it. If she accepts it, then she probably expected or was hoping you would. Either way, you will know for next time

ballet84 · February 2012

My sister - no. But she alwasy asks to take Colin to fun things (like Chuck E Cheese) or to come visit him. My brother - I would. He hasn't yet, but I would. He is the baby of the family and still in college, so I know he could use the extra money. However, if my sister takes him to CEC, I usually send her with cash and pay. So she isn't earning any money, but I pay for some dinner and fun.

I agree with a PP that it probably depends on the relationship you have with them and maybe their stage in life.

Mrs. Rohde · February 2012

I think that if you are swapping babysitting duties then it all works itself out. But, if your sister is watching your kids and she doesn't have any for you to reciprocate then I definitely would either pay her or take her out or something. Good luck!

bulbasaur359 · February 2012

I've never paid anyone actually. My mom has watched her on occasion along with my SIL and younger brother. I've watched my 2 year old niece on several occasions tho so it's kinda helping each other out. They have brought me lunch home on occasion since I watch my niece more often then they watch my DD. My older brother and my other SIL haven't watched her yet although I need to take up their offer to. I just feel guilty when I have someone watch her even though I know that I need the break and it's good for her to be with other people.

maplehearts · February 2012

Mine aren't in town. When my sister comes to visit she always watches the girls so we can have a date night. We don't pay her then, though she has a serious coke habbit and goes through 2 2L a day. I joke and say that is her payment.

varkeyr · February 2012

depends on the situation. If its a regular thing or daily then yes I say pay. If it is a once in a while thing then no. I do expect them to do same to me though.

Dochas · February 2012

Money was never exchanged when I watched my nieces and nephews. I would not have taken it. Maybe if I babysat for money and had to miss a job it would be different? Would your sister take money? Mine are older and quite honestly have more money than we do. And they would pay us to watch him. Sadly they do not live close enough!

MrsBalletStar05 · February 2012

It depends. BIL is our only babysitter really. If its overnight, we often pay him or if we know it's a bigger inconvenience than normal. Oh, and we dont pay him much, maybe $20-$40 and sometimes food too. He would do it regardless, but we want to keep our babysitter happy and stay on good terms, lol

cactus5 · February 2012

My brothers and sisters are all older, and no I wouldn't pay them. However, I watched my brothers kids when I was in HS and college (he is 15 years older) and they paid me. I pay his kids, my nieces, now.

rab41380 · February 2012

Yes I would pay my stepson. Already have an agreement with him. Rather pay him and let him build a savings for a car, rather than some stranger who cant seem to put my kids to bed...lol!

pepomntpat · February 2012

I pay my brother $5 for his gas and he is allowed to eat what we have in the house. That agreement works for me.

spunkyprincessmande · February 2012

I used to baby sit my nieces during the day while my sister was at work. I expected to get paid for that because I was turning down other jobs to do it (I got paid a regular amount, it was all agreed upon before). However, when I would baby sit at night or on the weekend I never expected to get paid. They're my nieces, I like spending time with them.

Now, I don't usually pay my younger sister (24) to watch Micah unless I've been calling on her a lot and I know that she's giving up her social life to do it. However, I know that she loves watching him and sometimes even calls and asks me when she can come watch him again. My thought is it's family and we should do this for each other--but we're kind of close and all feel the same way.

Some time in the future my nieces will be old enough to baby sit my children. I will likely pay them because they'll be teenagers and that will probably be the only way they earn money.

Temp174496125006552 · February 2012

My one sister used to watch Ben two days a week (8:30am-4:30pm) when I was still working. She watched him on her two days off from her job and we did pay her for that. I only thought it was fair.

This same sister is also our babysitter. She probably watches Ben for us 5-6 times a year so DH and I can have a date night, or if I have an appointment that I can't take Ben to (she'll be watching him when I go for my 20 week ultrasound at the end of the month, for example). We don't pay her for those times. I've offered a few times, but she won't take it. She says that she's just happy to come and spend the time with Ben. I make it a point to always buy her a nice Christmas gift as a 'thank you' for watching Ben throughout the year and I pay for things for her occasionally (we went to a concert a few weeks ago and I bought her ticket).

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