Do you pay one child to babysit a sibling?

[princesspumpkin]

Inspired by the "what age to leave a child home alone" thread, do you pay your child to watch your other child/children? After reading someone's response where they said that it was great to have a built in babysitter, I started wondering if people expected an older sibling to babysit (for free) their younger child. I know that there are differing opinions about children being paid for chores (some people feel that taking care of the house is everyone in the family's responsibility - so no $$$), but what about babysitting?

 

[5wdwfans]

We pay older child if DH and I are going out for the evening or gone for more than a couple hours but not for a quick trip to the store etc. It is a big responsibility so some compensation is deserved.

 

[Sheric68]

We have 3 kids, 20, 18 and 8. They only babysit occasionally. They get paid if I ask them to babysit so DH and I can go out for a fun night, but if I need them to babysit because we have a business appt or something like that then they don't get paid. I don't expect them to just babysit because they are older, I ask them and make sure they don't already have plans. If they do then youngest DD just goes with us. We don't have any other sitters except our older kids so we are pretty use to just taking youngest DD with us.

 

[ducklite]

I didn't get paid for regular chores, although if there was a large project my parents would pay me a predetermined fee at it's completion.

As far as babysitting, I was expected to help out with the younger kids, watching them while my mom ran to the store or even when they went out to dinner now and then (and in that case they would ask as opposed to telling me). But for anything "regular" I got paid. My mom worked Saturday mornings, and I watched the younger ones every Saturday while she was at work, and I got paid for that. (My dad worked half days on Saturday as well)

Anne

 

[mickeyboat]

from a built-in baby sitter. I didn' get paid for short trips or an evening out, but I did babysit during the summer sometimes when the regular sitter was on vacation, and I got paid a small amount. I didn't feel very respected as far as that goes.

Denae

 

[azgal81]

My parents paid both my brother and I a buck an hour to babysit each other as they called it.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

We have 4 kids--18, 15, 12, and 6. My DD started babysitting the 6yo when he was 1yo. She is now in college and my 15yo now babysits him.

If my DH and I are going out for pleasure, the sibling gets paid to babysit. If we are doing a family obligation (school meeting, etc) then they don't get paid to babysit. When Jake was younger it was very difficult to have him at baseball games, etc. They were family events in a way, but I felt like I should be paying my DD something to watch him, so we paid her 1/2 price for those times. He now normally goes to the games, unless it's a night game and it's past his bedtime, but now I don't pay my son to watch him. He's not staying home because he's difficult, but because he's going to bed.

When I do pay, I pay $5/hour, which is not bad. However, our next door neighbors pay my son $10/hour, so you can guess who he prefers to babysit for.

 

[froglady]

If I would have arranged for a sitter in advance (if I didn't have one "built-in") I would pay DD. If it was a family emergency, or something that needed to be done to benefit her or the whole family, I did not.
The same rule of thumb applied to her car. We gave it to her, paid insurance on it, etc but expected her to transport family members from time to time.

"I'm in the ER with Grandma. Please pick your brother up at school and watch him until I get home. Thank-you!"

 

[Servants of Evan]

Growing up, I was the built-in. It wasn't paid per-say, but I did receive compansation. About the time I was deemed responsible enough to handle babysitting, my allowance was increased to "compansate" me. I think I went from a dollar to a whopping two dollars a week. Of course, I was also then responsible enough to handle operating the lawn mower, and a few other chores around the house.

 

[challada]

While my kids are very rarely left home, yes, I pay the older one to babysit the younger one...ANY time this happens.

So, if I get home from work and realize we are out of milk and the kids don't want to go to the store, the 11 year old gets paid $2 for watching the 6 year old for the 10 minutes I'm gone.

When we are out for an "evening" (once every blue moon), we farm the kids out to friends...for example, this weekend we have a charity dinner to go to so kids will spend that night at other friends houses. We have no family within 500 miles, so can't call grandma, aunt, uncle, etc, etc.

So now seeing what other folks do, I'm telling the 11 year old he's got it REAL good getting paid for milk runs!

 

[punkin]

I only pay if I am going out w/ hubby for dinner or movie or dancing. If she wasn't sitting for me, she would be siting for someone else and making money (more than I pay BTW) But if I need to go to he store or doctor's appt, she has to help me out without pay. That's part of her responsibility in the family. I also don't pay for chores unless it is something extraordinary.

 

[mom2of2]

DS15 gets paid to watch DS8 only if I am working too so if I'm making money then so is he. If I go grocery shopping that is for the family so *free* and if me and DH go out that's *free* as well since then DS15 is doing something "nice" for us since we always do "nice" things for him. I would never tell him that he couldn't go somewhere due to us going out but if I had to work...that comes first and he understands that. We live 1000 miles away from family and we never leave for more then 2 hours and even then we call once or twice anyway.

 

[lyeag]

My oldest doesn't get paid if we are out due to family activities or appointments. If we go out to dinner, or I want to go shopping by myself, then I pay her what I would normally pay any sitter. She understands that watching her brother and sister is part of being a family. Now, if she is stuck doing it a lot during a short period of time, I will slip her a few extra bucks and tell her that I appreciate her.

There is a 6 year gap between my oldest and my middle child. I told my husband that I never wanted her to feel taken advantage of as being the built in babysitter. It is one thing to do your part for the family, it is another to abuse that role.

 

[grlpwrd]

Our 2 eldest children babysit together for $$$ for our 3 youngest.

They are both babysitter certified thru the Red Cross plus we have 3 nurses and a dr. and other responsible neighbors that live nearby should they need help.

 

[ceiligh1]

I was the built in growing up. It was expected that I would be at home to take care of my little sister after school until my parents came home at about 6. They gave me a roof over my head, food and clothing but they did not pay me. For them it was just being part of a family. I dont think I will do that with mine.

 

[Fire14]

i was pd to babysit 2 younger brothers 2 days/wk and parents pd for my horseback riding 3 days/wk on top of that. i don't really recall being pd for milk runs etc but thats been yrs ago.

 

[dismom9761]

So far I haven't left the house but I will get one of my older children to "babysit" while I clean house or Dis .They get fifty cents an hour.

 

[tar heel]

When my youngest son was smaller, I paid both of his older brothers to watch him. I also pay them to mow the lawn. They do not get the going rate that I would pay another kid in the neighborhood for either chore.

 

[disykat]

I do not pay. My kids are less than three years apart. When we leave the older one is "in charge", but they are both required to be on their best behavior and no one is allowed to leave the house or have anyone over. We lift the video game time restrictions and they're both happy as clams. When my younger son turns 11, my older son will no longer have to be "in charge" - they both will be. (that should be interesting!)

Because of their ages and the fact we rarely leave them, it hasn't been an issue. I would only pay if I was expecting an older child to provide daycare that would otherwise be paid for, if it happened often enough to cause resentment, or if I was expecting full service sitting with diaper changing etc.

 

[Sleepy]

After reading someone's response where they said that it was great to have a built in babysitter......

I think this is a terrible way to view your older children. Kids were not created to be maids and nannies. My father was the oldest of 5 boys. Their parents (my grandparents) were very fond of long distance trips visiting friends and other family. WHo do you think got to stay home and care for the younger children? My father. By the time he was old enough to leave home, he hated the idea of children and never really wanted any of his own. He had already raised 4 brothers. I am sure this is why he never interacted with me and my brother. As a child, he was used by his parents for a "built in babysitter".

I also remember my childhood friend. We were 7 when her sister was born. There were mnay times I would go to her house to get her so we could all play outside. SHe would be stuck babysitting her baby sister because Mommy was "cleaning house". I never understood that one either. WHat did Mommy do when my friend was a baby and she needed to clean house? Very sad.