Feed the Babysitter (and Other Ways to Keep Your Favorite Sitter Happy) Parenting Motherhood Kids
Babysitting has changed a lot since we were 16 and sitting for our down-the-street neighbors. Now it can be competitive to keep your sitters! To make sure that you are a favorite family for the sitters on your list, keep these things in mind:
- Coming home early isn't doing your sitter a favor. Babysitting is their job and they are doing it to make money, so while it's great to leave a salaried day early, it's not great for an hourly one. Paying for the entire time booked is respectful of their time.
- Your sitter has to eat! Don't assume they will help themselves to things in your fridge (they should want to be respectful of privacy). Let them know what is fair game or if there is anything off limits.
- Tipping a sitter is A-OK! It's not like a restaurant where its assumed to tip on top, but use good judgment. Baby have a blowout? Toddler potty training? Sitter helped do a ton of vacation laundry? Sick kid but the sitter came anyway? Show your sitter you appreciate their extra effort/patience/endurance by rounding up or throwing some extra money on top.
Great babysitters are treasures and these extra bits will make you stand out as a family they will love to book frequently!
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