A little (well, big) rant...look after your babysitters!!!! Post Reply

[Wfm]

Some of the responses just sound weird.

I pay £10/hr plus provide dinner and taxis home (which always costs £9) and I call the taxi myself when I am on my way home.

When you tot up the total cost of childcare, cost of taxi home seems somewhat marginal. And I think there is an element of moral conscience to look after your employees.

If you can't afford it, don't go out!

[bile]

im a babysitter...and drive,but even before....i use to take bus home...i mean taxi are really expensive for parents too,but probably if u use teenage babysitters....u need to ask in advance are they able to stay late,how they will get home,ets.
My friend use to ask for taxi money all the time,now she is complaning they dont call her anymore,im not suprised....5miles of taxi fee,so best and cheapest option is use local sitters around 2miles radius,or even best use sitters and u dont have to worry about transport,just leave some coffe,biscuits everyone happy
we have to understand both sides,not everyone who use babysitters can afford taxi fees,ets,i dont want to sound horible im babysitter too,but from expirience i know that people are not happy to pay taxi most of the time....maybe on the odd ocassions,but not reguraly.

[bile]

and unfortunately we only earn like6pounds ph..but most people are kind and give us littlebit more,im talking for ones employed for agencies like me,and on the behalf of my other sitters friends.Im always gratefull to families and im happy to do washin up,tidy up little..why not...those little money are add up to help me in live and im truly gratefull,but from septembar im gonna raise my rates as im qualified and highly expirienced...however..its good to hear different points of views .
Families need to be respectfull and nice to babyistters,cause you leave your children ,your house in their responsibility....children are what matter most...there is no prize for that!!!

[GWcouns]

I'm for the pro booking taxi brigade. Unless you're paying them a tenner an hour, but even then I wouldn't let a young girl/woman leave my house without calling them a cab and would make them wait inside til it arrived

[NannySonia]

When I was a teen doing babysitting I was always driven home by one of the parents (as prearranged), then for years had my car and looked after myself. Since moving to London the families I nanny for always call cabs after 10pm. From what I have experienced it is an expected thing in London for a family to arrange cabs for their childcarer.

[carrot3]

feels like we're in danger of splitting into 'people who care' and 'people who don't'...

anyway, in an attempt at self-justification...we nearly always use sitters and in our experience (20+ callouts) they provide really well-qualified people (often 30-60 year olds) to sit at sometimes short notice. of course we ask how they are getting home and without exception they have already organised transport (bikes, own cars, husbands) or they decline because they want to take a short walk home in Balham. we do offer drinks and snacks but they are often not bothered or bring their own food. costs are around £7/hr too but we always add a bit.

i like the fact that they are experienced and sensible and honestly prefer them to teen sitters or au pairs (having been both myself).

[ordinarygirl09]

It completely matters what age your babysitter is!!! If you have hired a responsible adult to do a job then surely you would expect them to make their own way home-especially if they are well paid!

It is different when you have hired a teenager, you then have an obligation to get them home safely.

[nannyjo]

Babysitting/childcare is such a touchy subject. Of course no one wants to pay stacks of cash - you would all prefer to spend it on yourselves!

However, if you need babysitting then you choose someone you are happy with and can afford. Whether its a teenager at £5 an hr or a top qualified nanny at £10. It depends on the level of care you would like your children to receive and how competent you need this person to be in an emergency (if you're uncontactable for the evening etc)

Most nannies who babysit have their own cars, but this is something you need to check before you hire them. If you are not happy paying for a taxi then don't choose that nanny! Safety is ultra important - a babysitter needs to be either walked back to her car, driven home, or given a taxi. If you don't agree maybe you should stay in with a DVD instead...

[eli]

I am really rather shocked that people would not even ask how their babysitter is getting home. When you have a girlfriend over for dinner and they are leaving at 11 at night do you not inquire how they are getting home?
Many people do not drive in London, it just seems the common (clearly less common than I thought) to ask how they are getting home, do they know where they are going, etc. Would you just send your girlfriend out your door at 11 if she was walking? Or would you say, as many of you have already stated, 'Its not my responsibility' or perhaps some of you might even say 'is it not enough I have fed you?' Really, where are peoples sense of responsibility not to mention manners? So you can afford to go out for dinner, presumably drinks but you cannot pull your wallet for a taxi home for the person who you have entrusted with your children for the evening?
I have come to learn in my few short'ish years in life is that anyone can defend their actions if they really want, regardless of how incredibly silly, irresponsible, etc they may seem.
Sometimes I think we have all gotten so self centered we can hide behind statements like 'its not my problem' simply because we do not want to pay for something that on the surface may seem generous.

[swaby0797]

I used to be a nanny and babysit for families all over South West London and fortunately I have always driven so this was never a problem however now I have children and use babysitters if they are good enough to come and look after my children until late at night I think it's the least you can do pay a cab home to make sure they get home safely!!!

I know you are paying them but even so it's not like they are being paid a huge amount so that £5 to £10 out of the nights salary hardly makes it worth their while!!

I would much rather keep my babysitter happy!!

[la-la]

I am a childminder and am going to be going into teaching soon. As I am going be training and will be on next to no income I was thinking of offering myself as a local babysitter to earn a bit of extra cash. I have to say, I would ask for a taxi after 10:30. OK, an employee wouldn't usually pay for transport home for employees but I think it's a bit different when you finish very late at night. I worked as a barmaid before going to University and was always given a cab home by my employer as we finished so late. Also with parking restrictions as they are in London it would cost the equivalent of a taxi to park your car on a meter! We'll see how much work I get as to whether I'm being unreasonable!!!

[moops]

To compare it to having a Girlfriend over is just plain ridiculous. Like someone else said I think it depends on the age of your sitter. I personally wouldn't hire a teen but of course would make sure they got home safely if I did.

However I disagree with the comments that if we don't we don't have manners or don't care! Most of us are hiring qualified adults who we are paying properly and the rate they ask for so I don't feel like we should feel grateful for them staying late to look after our children or they are terribly hard done by. I'm sure we all give them free range to the tv, fridge and internet as well as paying them what they request, just like any other job!

If a sitter wants to work and advertises their services then it's their responsibility to ensure they can get to and from work. If they can't then they need to specify this and make sure the family can provide them with a lift home.

To say if you can't afford to pay for a taxi then you should stay at home with a DVD is appalling! Surprise surprise but for many paying for a sitter and having a night out is a treat and with the added hidden cost of a taxi included it might be too much for them which is ridiculous as all they should have to pay is the sitters wage!!

[eli]

Moops: what is so ridiculous about comparing a girlfriend over to a late staying babysitter, please explain? Also, what does age have to do with safety and responsibility?
If you hire qualified adults who can get their own way home, then so be it but that is not what happened to this young 15 year old girl. So, what should be done to get these young babysitters home than?
Also, its not about gratitude, although a little of that goes a long way. It's about doing the right thing for young people. Sheesh, at least think of the lessons we want to pass onto our children. What if, God forbid, something had happened to her on the way home. I don't think anyone who has posted on here saying 'its not my responsibility' would be saying that too proudly!

[Honeymummy]

what's wrong with giving a lift ? It's easy to drive at night. And a cab fee makes a nice tip for a good babysitter, she will most likely want to come again which is good for bonding. Money well spent I'd say.

[moops]

More than happy to explain if it needs it. You are not paying or employing a girlfriend to provide a service for you, you would enquire as to how they are getting home just like you would a sitter but I seriously doubt a girlfriend would come over for dinner without any means of getting home then assume that you would drive them home or pay for a taxi for them. Still think this comparison is valid? Also not sure where the 15 year old comment comes from the OP said late teens so that is why people are saying that adults should be responsible for their own safety. How do they get themselves home after a night out?? Sounds like a lot of irresponsible, incapable people out there!