Do you provide lunch for your babysitter?

[janey99]

I have a nanny and I tell her regularly to eat whatever she wants in the house. I also reiterate that if DH and I go out to dinner and I leave the credit card for the kids to order take out (make sure you get something yummy for yourself too!).

She's athletic and regularly training for various events, so she brings her own stuff often, but I try to pay attention to what she brings and pick it up for the house (like her 0% greek yogurts in flavors she likes, or the flatbreads and deli meat).

She also has a starbucks and a subway giftcard I refill, in case they're out somewhere and need a quick bite to eat.

My theory is, when someone is in charge of keeping your kid happy and well taken care of, don't you want THEM to be happy and well taken care of, not preoccupied and resentful because you didn't leave them any food?

Jane

 

[shaylahc1]

Sounds like she is a cheapskate. $4 an hour? That's 1980s babysitting wages. I hate to say it, but she is taking advantage of your son....and not providing him with lunch is just mean. I am quite certain she knows your son isn't eating, she probably figures it isn't "her" problem if he doesn't bring a lunch

There was a lady I babysat for in high school who was like this. She was wealthy but really cheap. She would have me cook these elaborate dinners for her children, but there was never enough for me She asked me to babysit overnight once but I decided not to after she told me she'd stop paying me after 10 p.m. since I'd likely be asleep after then The icing on the cake is when she started flat out shorting me pay. I stopped babysitting for her after she shorted me one last time, my mom called her up and chewed her out. She was a really nasty woman.

 

[robsmom]

I think the very visible lunch bag is a good idea and maybe she will notice it and ask about it. I really wonder if she is just a bit clueless. If she is a single mom and money is tight she may not have used many babysitters other than daycare. I tend to agree that $4 is low, but at 13 it is a great way to get experience and practice babysitting. As a parent, I always left money and menus for the babysitter to order dinner for herself and my son. I was a frequent babysitter as a teenager. As someone noted above, there were definitely houses in which I felt more welcome in than others, and I would make more of an effort to be available for those families. My favorites were actually a family who had 5 kids within 6 years of each other. I started babysitting when they had 3 boys, she then had a baby and I probably sat for them when he was 2-3 months old. I did that a few times and then one day she called and asked me to sit. She said, before you say yes, I need to tell you something. They had applied for an international adoption and now had 2 babies. One was about 6 months and one was 3 months! They would go out of their way to have things for me to eat and to make sure I was totally comfortable. In hindsite, I realize that getting a teenager for 5 young kids is probably not an easy task and they did not want to lose me!

 

[Princess_Meghan <3]

I babysit a lot, and I'm always told to eat whatever I'd like. I usually just eat what the kids are having. I can't imagine babysitting all day and not having any food when the kid is eating a meal.

 

[Leajess99]

I really never intended on going down the rate of pay road, although I do appreciate your concern

She asked him how much he would charge before he started babysitting for her. I told DS I thought he should say $5/hr, but he thought that was too much, so he decided to tell her $4. I am fine with that really. This is his first babysitting job. He had just turned 13. He is watching a 6 yo boy...no diapers and apparently no cooking (haha!). In a 10 hour day that's $40...which would be $200/wk if it were fulltime - that seems comparable to daycare. DS13 is pleased with the money he is making. I think if he were charging $7/hour ($70/day), she would just send him to daycare instead. The little boy asks if he can stay home and have DS babysit him instead of going to daycare.

She defintely isn't rich. She is a single mom and we rent opposite halves of the same duplex.

My real issue with the situation is that she knows he will be there all day, and does not have any inclination to provide food for him, or too even ask if he brought a lunch. That was why I was asking if that was odd, which based on the response, it definitely is.

Does she not allow your ds to take the child outside?? Maybe she figures that since you live right next door your son will get food from home.

 

[mrsklamc]

I was floored that she didn't provide food right up until opposite sides of the same duplex. I can kinda see how she might figure that since he's practically home there will be something in your fridge he can grab.

 

[zurgswife]

I don't think rate of pay should have anything to do with this, really. He is paid $4 an hour, which he is happy with. He thinks its a pretty sweet gig, since the little boy is easy to care for and a "really funny little kid".

If she is only paying $4 an hour she should be providing a buffet lunch for him....she is getting off really really cheap in my book. She should be thankful to save so much money.

 

[Celidh]

I wouldn't say it is odd, as I babysat for a couple who never left me food. It isn't fair though. I hated it because I went right after school and was there until 10 or 11 at night. They fed the kids just before I got there so I had no chance to eat the same thing as the kids. One night I was so hungry and couldn't even find any bread anywhere. I don't know what these people ate. I think I ended up eating a handful of raisins I found even though they never offered me anything. I couldn't really bring anything because I was coming to their house from school This was back in the mid 80s. I hated babysitting there. The kids were not allowed to watch tv, they didn't go outside and no food. It was a long evening. Oh yeah, I got paid $1 an hour! It sucked even more because my bf got a job sitting for a couple that pd her $5 an hour, had her sit overnight sometimes and gave her $100 or so and she got lots of food and tv!


I haven 't had a lot of sitters but have had a few regulars. I always made sure there was lots to eat. The regular girl I had for a while (she was 13 or 14 at the time) was the best sitter. When I only had one child I paid her $3 an hour. The only thing I asked my sitters to do was to tidy up from whatever meal was had and to tidy up any toys that ended up all over the floor from playing. I'm not talking super clean, just pick them up and put them in the toy box. This was around 2000. I only made $8 an hour so this was a lot of $$ to me and my son slept for 3 of the 6 or 8 hours she was there anyway. I made sure to ask what she may want for lunch or supper and made sure there was something there for her. Not take out because we lived in a small community of about 500 people but frozen pizzas or whatever. She never asked for anything specific. If it was in the evening, I made sure there was pop and chips for her and told her to help herself to whatever. She was so awesome, when my son was sleeping and she was bored she sometimes did my laundry and even mowed my lawn a few times! She just took the baby monitor with her outside. When I had my second child the rate only went up to $4 an hour because I was still only making the same $8. I also allowed her to have a friend in if I knew who it was (the perks of a small village) because generally I was getting two sitters for the price of one.

It's been ages since I had a sitter come in the house so I don't know what I would pay.

OP I feel that this mom should at least make it clear whether your ds is welcome to eat anything or if he should bring his own. I totally understand the issue of not having the extra money but surely a pb sandwich isn't going to break the bank.

 

[mikkiwikki]

I provide food when I have a babysitter.

me too!
They are caring for my children and I want them to feel cared for.
This is timely because I have a sitter for February Break...

(FWIW - I pay 15$ an hour- I dont use sitters much and when I do - I want them to do a good job and feel valued - and return!)

 

[mikkiwikki]

Wow I agree $4 an hour is waaaay too low! I think I made that when I was a teenager or close to it anyway and that was a while ago

I thought most kids get at least $7 an hour to babysit these days and then to not include food? She is definitely taking advantage

Different states have different minimum wages it seems
http://www.dol.gov/whd/minwage/america.htm

Where I come from 4$ would be criminal but in say Wyoming..its a little less than minimum wage. I guess it would depend on where you are...but like i just posted I pay 15$ and always leave food, AND tell the sitter day one - "help yourself to anything in the fridge/cupboards!"

 

[KBoopaloo]

My favorite babysitting gig as a 14 year old was the house where the mom would cook up a different Italian feast every day before I got there and leave it for the kids and myself to eat for dinner. It was always delicious!

I don't remember any of my babysitting jobs not providing me with something to eat if I were babysitting through a mealtime. Weird.

 

[sookie]

Yes, we always feed our baby sitters.

 

[disfan07]

I was always allowed free reign of the kitchen when babysitting. They always made more than enough dinner for me as well.

However, I always brought my own snacks with me because I have food allergies and its not something I was particlaurly interested in risking while babysitting. However, when we did order in pizza or something like that I would eat it.

I had one family who was particularly awesome. They had 4 kids and I was with them for about 2 years (until I moved). They stopped bringing peanut butter into the house since I am very allergic to it (I never asked....it was just obviously one of those things i mentioned because I feel like they have a right to know). Their mom also kept a list of my allergies and what was safe and she would make sure that everything she cooked for dinners on nights I was babysitting was safe for me to eat. They were absolutely amazing. And, I was getting paid $20/hour for this job. It was a sweet deal and I miss those kids so much.

 

[mjkacmom]

Does she not allow your ds to take the child outside?? Maybe she figures that since you live right next door your son will get food from home.

Although she is under-paying him, the fact that you live next door does change things. I'm sure he can bring the 6 year old to your house, and make himself a sandwich. I have always told my sitters to help themselves to anything, and if they babysat during a meal, I provided food, but your ds can just stop home with the boy, and make himself lunch.

 

[fakereadhed]

Different states have different minimum wages it seems
http://www.dol.gov/whd/minwage/america.htm

Where I come from 4$ would be criminal but in say Wyoming..its a little less than minimum wage. I guess it would depend on where you are...but like i just posted I pay 15$ and always leave food, AND tell the sitter day one - "help yourself to anything in the fridge/cupboards!"

Min wage does not apply to underage babysitters.

What happened to earning a few bucks as a kid doing services for neighbors and friends BEFORE you could get a real job. Now the kid that cuts grass wants the same price as the lawn service. And we wonder why young adults want to be the boss right out of college instead of entry level positions.

 

[kamik86]

Most of my babysitting was done for my nieces and there I had a standing invitation to eat their food as if I was home (meaning I knew what was someones specific and knew what was free to have whatever I wanted of, where everything was kept etc).

The only non family was a friend of my moms but that was for them to go out and play cards so it was from 6-9. They fed the kids before I got there, I had dinner before I got there and only had to deal with drinks. They told me I could help myself to stuff in the fridge but didn't really need food for such a short time after dinner like that.

 

[LaDonna]

Min wage does not apply to underage babysitters.

What happened to earning a few bucks as a kid doing services for neighbors and friends BEFORE you could get a real job. Now the kid that cuts grass wants the same price as the lawn service. And we wonder why young adults want to be the boss right out of college instead of entry level positions.

I'm in the minority here with you on this one, if someone wants to pay their babysitter $8+ an hour I think that is great, and if our family made more money I'd be happy to pay a sitter more, but I see nothing wrong with paying less. Of course I don't expect at around $4 hour for the babysitter to be interacting(playing with/teaching) with my child every second, for $8+ I would hope they'd be playing with them the majority of the time. I think it all depends on what you expect out of your sitter, your income, the time of day and hours, wether they are coming to you or the other way around, and how crazy your kids are etc... Daycare can range around $4 an hour, we aren't paying them $8+ an hour. I myself babysit all the time and I charge range from $3-$5 hr. depending on the situation, i did for a few years do $8 an hour but that was because it was daily nightime sitter and I was looking for a job paying at least minimum wage anyways and this gal told me she'd pay that I babysat for a friend once, for kiddo under 2 and I did that for $115 a week and I thought that was low considering she dropped the kid off by 7am and didn't pick up until about 6 pm I had asked her to pack his lunch(he had allergies and I was honest with her, for the price I was getting paid I didn't want to have to worry about what to feed him) and she thought that that was strange and that what she was paying me was fair. seems to be ya' just think different depending on the situation

 

[java]

My daughter babysits for the neighborhood- she is always told take whatever you want(but again these are our friends as well)
She makes $10 an hour at most houses with 2 children. Gets more at a couple because they want to be her first choice which is funny as she does first call gets the job no favorites. But they are still trying.

 

[Rachel52288]

I have been babysitting for over ten years and have always been told to help myself to whatever I wanted. If I cooked for the kids I would just eat what I made for them. I even have some families ask me what foods and drinks I like and they would be in the house when I got there. It isn't anything I expect, but it was very generous of them!

 

[clori]

When I was in college I had a great babysitting job in terms of food (though it was all great). I babysat for 3 boys occasional nights from 6-10pm or so. I originally met the father and kids. They knew someone who worked at the university and met me there. The first time I babysat and met the mother she immediately asked me where my laundry was. I was confused but I was supposed to have been told to make sure to bring some laundry to do so I could get it done at a convenient time without paying for it.

The father had a job that had something to do with food vendors. They had tons of snack foods and that first day I was given a tour of all the food and told to eat whatever I wanted. Then I was asked if I would actually try a specific snack because he wanted my thoughts on it. At the end of the night the father asked me if I could bring some of the specific snacks home to share with friends and he would call me in a few days to get their opinions. Next thing I knew I had a hugh back of snacks to bring home - some were the specific snack and some were just because they had tons. While he didn't always have a specific snack that he needed opinions he always sent me back with tons of food. My college friends all enjoyed the perks of my job.

Usually the boys were fed but they often left some leftovers such as steak/potatoes for me saying they knew I was probably missing dinner with my friends. It was rare that I had to feed the kids but they tended to order pizza. I got paid $10 an hour plus a tip.