Babysitter Duties

[Canuck]

We have a 19 yr old that babysits for us on occasion (once a month or so) and comes to help when my hubby is away on business. I'm not used to having someone help me and son isn't keen on anyone but mummy feeding him or bathing him.

What duties do you normally ask your babysitter to do? I don't want to turn into a slave driver but I also don't want to put money out for someone to be watching me look after my son.

We arranged for her to come in and help me out while hubby was away with feeding, bathing, etc in the hopes to free me up to have a few minutes of sanity and actually eat dinner before it was time for me to go to bed. That's not working due to my son wanting only me but would I be considered rude to ask her to do up the dishes instead while I bathe him or clear up his toys? He is pretty needy for attention but like last night she left at the allocated time but when I looked around there was food on the floor, his food dishes all around and a wet towel on the floor. I really like her though - just want to know what I should be asking.

[tiggles]

If you are only paying her for baby sitting then that is all you should expect.

If you want to to do other duties, then you will have to discuss & agree upon the required duties and also pay her a higher hourly rate.

[justmum]

I think you can ask her to do those duties. She is more like a mothers' helper than a baby sitter at this stage so should be prepared to do the extra types of duties you give to her to do.

Maybe in time, as you and your son become more comfortable with her, you might then be happy to hand over the reigns a bit and let her do the bathing and feeding.

[lukaelmo]

Perhaps if you made it clear that you were paying her by the hour to work it would be a better arrangement. If I were told I was babysitting, well I would hang around waiting for the baby to be handed to me... at 19 I wouldn't have thought to clean or clear up... lol, not all 19 year olds are like that, but I was... hee hee, still am :D.

So, talk to her, say what you'd like her to do. And perhaps don't call it babysitting. How about "home help" :laughing:!

[Canuck]

true points.

To clarify - for the nights that she's been helping while hubby is away she was asked to come and help - not babysit. I'm happy for her to feed and bathe my boy but he just screams if I'm in the house she's trying to do those things for me so if she's not doing those, she's sitting doing nothing. When we are going out for an evening I only expect her to watch him (would be nice if his dishes were at least in the sink though!). Most of the times she comes to watch him at night he's already in bed and doesn't wake. And when I mean do the dishes i mean his dishes, not ones I've used.

it's hard to think back to when I was 19 though - too far for me to remember lol. But seriously, I was a bit mature for my age so I am probably assuming more than I should.

[bubbleyblossom]

Im 19 and when I babysit I do whatever I can around the house without being intruding such as putting toys away, dishes, any food mess etc

[FluffyBunny]

This is a really good question. I guess it depends on what the sitter is willing to do too.
I would assume being 19 that you would pick up things or do the dishes but I guess some need to be asked if they can do things.

We had friends of our family who went through a divorce when I was only 16.
The mother came and asked my Mum and myself if I could help out with her children by sleeping overnight (she worked nightshift) and getting them off to school.
When I think of it now, I think it was a HUGE responsibility that I took in doing this.
I had babysat these children since they were 2 years old and they were 6 and 8 years old when I started sleeping over and looking after them for 2 nights a week. I did this for 2 years and didn't mind helping out and getting paid.
I'd get there at 7pm on a Sunday night, sleepover, get them off to school, get myself to school and then do it all again Monday through to Tuesday!
Gee I even DROVE them to school too.
I did normal household duties where I could like dishes, clothes washing etc but the house was always spotless and the kids were really good kids and cleaned up after themselves.

[kiwibird27]

I would expect her to do his dishes, and hang up his towel stuff involving him. I have been a nanny and babysitter for years and always left the house tidy, as the families mum would do but I'm 30 now and understand what that means. Probably just talk to her!!!

[neostudded]

When I baby sat two children part time from the age of just turned 14 to 15 and a half the mother didnt ask me to do anything but feed the children and put them to bed, other than the odd thing here and there.Id baby sit while she went to work sometimes over night normally for 5-10 hours until she got home.

But these are the things I did,

Played games with them (they were 9 and 6 so I played barbies, dolls, ponies ect)
Had general coversation with them.
Sorted out fights
Cleaned the house (dishes, washing/hanging out clothes, sorted toys in to proper containers, wiped down benches, neated lounges, sweeped/vacummed ect)
Asked children to brush their teeth then Read/told the children bed time stories and put them to bed.
Oh and I cooked their dinner

There was normally a kitchen full of dirty dishes when I arrived and I washed them and the ones the children made.By the time their mother got home the house would always be clean.And the children would either be fast sleep unless I was working during the night, then they would be playing.

[OJandMe]

Whenever I babysat I ALWAYS made sure the house was clean when they got home.

ie: dishes washed and either stacked or put away.
- stove wiped down if I had cooked
- dirty clothes in the washing basket from the kids baths
- towels hung up
- general lounge/dining tudy up
-kids rooms clean

I never entered the main bedrooms, so I wouldn't know what condition they were in.. and if something layed out on a table looked impotant (ie. papers or something.. I'd leave it. (except if it was at a dining table)

I think it's nice for parents to come home to a clean quiet house. Where they can just relax and enjoy the rest of their evening.

It doesn't hurt to put a few things away after the kids are asleep... I just got the kids to help before their bath... so their wasn't anything to do after they were in bed :yes:

[punkbaby]

Whenever i used to baby sit i would always do extra things, it just seemed to be the thing to do though i guess, i would always wash the dishes, maybe fold a little washing if there was any there, i wasnt asked to but i did it as i wasnt doing anything else why the child was in bed.

Perhaps have a chat to her and say that you are thinking that seeing your son wants you doing everything you wouldnt mind her helping in other areas if she doesnt mind, maybe write up a job description so she knows what to do. I do know that i was paranoid about stepping on someones turf with dishes etc but i never had a complaint and to be honest, if i had a baby sitter here to come home to my washing folded would be heaven for me!

If you are clear with her then i dont think its a problem, as someone else mentioned though at 19 you dont think to do these things, i was bought up from a young age to pitch in, some kids arent around that age it really depends on how they were bought up i think

[studyingECS]

I always clean what I can, or atleast make sure that the house is in the same condition as when I got there if I am abit rushed for time.

[punkbaby]

Just a thought though, if i had a baby sitter and i wasnt home, i couldnt care less what was done at my house, as long as my kids were given priority over everything :)

[studyingECS]

Just a thought though, if i had a baby sitter and i wasnt home, i couldnt care less what was done at my house, as long as my kids were given priority over everything :)

I agree, I always make sure the house is in an ok condition BUT if I dont have time and the kids need taking care of then I am not really thinking about the house but more about the kids needs........

[MountainGirl]

maybe get her to come at a different time and get her to take DS to the park whilst you have some down time,....then she can amuse him whilst you make dinner,...then she can help feed/bath/story and then listen out for him when he is in bed so that you can have a bath or something?

[MummaBear03]

Im 19 and when I babysit I do whatever I can around the house without being intruding such as putting toys away, dishes, any food mess etc
I used to do the same when I was babysitting. If it meant going into bedrooms then I'd leave it, otherwise I'd pick stuff up, do the dishes, even hung out some clothes and folded some clothes on the odd occasion, but only if I knew that was ok because I'm funny about people doing that for me. I don't like anyone else seeing my knickers that are stretched and full of holes :o

[Cat13]

Wow, I must have been a really slack babysitter when I did it years ago.

I had a few families who'd call me when they had a night out planned. Depending on the time the kids dinner would be already made and I'd just feed it to them then playtime and a story or two and bed then I'd do some homework or watch TV. One family the dad worked nights so I'd come for a few hours during the day to supervise and entertain the kids while he slept. Another mum would call me just to come play with the kids so she could get the housework done.

That said, I really don't think any more was expected of me for $5 per hour. I was shown where the coffee and biscuits were and the TV remote. Any dishes the kids or I used I would wash and restore the house to how I found it. However I'd feel I was intruding to do any more than that without being specifically asked. What if they didn't want me folding their underwear or got frustrated with things being tidied into the wrong spot?

I'd have been happy to do more if asked but as a shy lass would not have just jumped in to do it of my own accord. Just have a chat with your babysitter to negotiate what is expected from her.

[jacks mum]

We went out with some friends up the coast last Nov and they had their usual babysitter come and look after the kids. She is about 60 I suppose. She arrived and the kids were eating, we left as they were finishing, she had to make sure teeth were done and put them to bed and give the baby a bottle. Which was all done within 3/4 hour of us leaving.

When we got home the dinner plates from the kids were still sitting exactly where they were when we left, food was spilled on the floor and still there and she was sitting on the couch watching telly while knitting. I was really shocked, can't you even put the dishes in the sink or dishwasher????

In saying that she had the 5 kids (3, 2, 2, 1, 6months) and only charged $50 for about 4 1/2 hours. Pretty easy money though