Do you pay your family members to babysit? A FEW QUESTIONS ADDED, UPDATE ADDED
Ok, that's fine and I will. I feel if I am gone more than 30 minutes, I need to pay for my son to be watched, family or not. I do expect a steep family discount, lol, but I would actually feel bad for having anyone watch my son without getting paid. My cousin loves him and offered to watch him while I was still pregnant. Plus, I feel she is doing me a favor and as a single woman things are really tight for her right now. I feel we are helping each other.
So, do you pay family to babysit your kids? Why or why not?
ADDED QUESTIONS
I have read all the replies and thanks for responding. I do have a few questions though. I am in no way trying to be snarky or tell you you're wrong, I am just really trying to understand.
If you take your kids to a non relative, you would pay them, right? Why wouldn't you pay family? Also, for those saying I would only pay the younger family members, why? Young or old shouldn't they all be offered to be compensated for their time? If they refuse payment, that's cool, at least it was offered.
I don't charge to watch my nephews or any other small relative. I do offer payment to watch my son. I feel like it's not their job to take care of him for free just because they are family and should be compensated for their time. Even if it's only $20 for a few hours, I feel I should offer something, especially with the way the economy is these days. Family or not I feel they are doing a job and they should get paid for it.
UPDATE
Wow! I didn't expect this many replies, thanks for taking a moment to leave your answers. I do agree with not paying if they ask to spend time and see my son, but if I ask, I offer to pay. I also think the Barter System is a great idea! I will watch your kids then next time you can watch mine, take them out to lunch or something. I will even pay with cookies, lol. I just feel I need to give or do something since they are doing me a huge favor.
Oh, just so I don't confuse anyone, I offered to pay my cousin and asked her to name her price. I thought $20 for that night was awesome!
Lol, I guess you could say she is. All of our friends liked her... they called her Mom, lol. They always respected her too, and respected her rules... they were afraid to cross her because she had a zero tolerance policy.
But, she's great with the kids. I love that she asks instead of just gives. I know, with my son, she'll never just let him have whatever because she's seen how we struggle with him. She called my husband once, after we'd been at a rummage sale down the road for about ten minutes. My son was being impossible to handle...again. She was just jaw-dropped at him. She'd put him on time-out for something, to which he decided to try to pull the fabric apart on the couch so she whooped his butt... and he just didn't phase from it. She didn't know what to do... she's not used to it. I have no problem she spanked him either. We spank when needed, and she knows she's allowed to too. But, we've been learning more about him with him being in early childhod special education. Slowly making progress, but it's progress no less~
Hopefully, when we go in August, we don't end up with a huge regression, as I'll have given birth to his baby brother about four weeks prior, lol.
Quoting misslady80013:
Your mom sounds awesome!
Quoting ForeverInLove:Well, we rarely see family, as we live 450miles away.
Do we pay them to watch the kids when we get to go home? No. My mom has never asked and has always said that as long as it is not an everyday occurance, she has no problem watching the kids. She even uses our cloth diapers, and will properly reheat breastmilk and feed an appropriate amount of breastmilk (instead of shoving four ounces down their throat). She doesn't feed them anything that we say no to, and she always asks us if something new is ok.
Yes...I think you should pay her.
When I was a child (age 12-17), I was forced to babysit 5-7 YOUNG (ages 4 months-5 years) children ALL day (whenever schools were closed) while the adults were at work. The bitch(es) never paid me for the stress of taking care of their unruly children. I was obviously overwhelmed.. What adult IN THEIR RIGHT MIND leaves 5-7 children, home alone with another child, for any amount of time (especially all day long while at work)? I mean really.
Quoting cherrywaves21:
You're welcome! It's cheaper then hiring a sitter but i still pay. Sometimes she says forget about it because she justs wants to spend time with him. Sometimes I just take her out to dinner. But she does get compensated in some way:). I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this way lol.
Quoting misslady80013:
This is what I was getting at! Thanks for wording it so beautifully! I pay because my son isn't their child and they should be paid for watching him. I will have to pay a non family member to watch him. Yes, they do deserve something for doing me a favor.
Quoting cherrywaves21:
Yes I pay my mom it's not her child. I'm taking time out of her day she deserves something. She watches him for me when I go to work and the occasional drink afte work. I take responsibility for my child that means not shoving him off on the nearest free relative.
Quoting ForeverInLove:Lol, I guess you could say she is. All of our friends liked her... they called her Mom, lol. They always respected her too, and respected her rules... they were afraid to cross her because she had a zero tolerance policy.
But, she's great with the kids. I love that she asks instead of just gives. I know, with my son, she'll never just let him have whatever because she's seen how we struggle with him. She called my husband once, after we'd been at a rummage sale down the road for about ten minutes. My son was being impossible to handle...again. She was just jaw-dropped at him. She'd put him on time-out for something, to which he decided to try to pull the fabric apart on the couch so she whooped his butt... and he just didn't phase from it. She didn't know what to do... she's not used to it. I have no problem she spanked him either. We spank when needed, and she knows she's allowed to too. But, we've been learning more about him with him being in early childhod special education. Slowly making progress, but it's progress no less~
Hopefully, when we go in August, we don't end up with a huge regression, as I'll have given birth to his baby brother about four weeks prior, lol.
Quoting misslady80013:
Your mom sounds awesome!
Quoting ForeverInLove:Well, we rarely see family, as we live 450miles away.
Do we pay them to watch the kids when we get to go home? No. My mom has never asked and has always said that as long as it is not an everyday occurance, she has no problem watching the kids. She even uses our cloth diapers, and will properly reheat breastmilk and feed an appropriate amount of breastmilk (instead of shoving four ounces down their throat). She doesn't feed them anything that we say no to, and she always asks us if something new is ok.
Oops, sorry for the mini vent, lol. I guess I was trying to explain why I feel I should pay anyone who watches my son.
Quoting Love2Bake:Yes...I think you should pay her.
When I was a child (age 12-17), I was forced to babysit 5-7 YOUNG (ages 4 months-5 years) children ALL day (whenever schools were closed) while the adults were at work. The bitch(es) never paid me for the stress of taking care of their unruly children. I was obviously overwhelmed.. What adult IN THEIR RIGHT MIND leaves 5-7 children, home alone with another child, for any amount of time (especially all day long while at work)? I mean really.
Quoting YzmaRocks:
No, I don't pay them. I tried to pay my SIL for staying with us for almost a month to help with my little ones during my labor with their sister (she lives far away so she stayed with us so she could be here when I went into labor) and she returned it all.
She is 13, by the way. I think that was outstanding for a 13 year old who has little income to do something extremely nice just because she loves us!!
Quoting misslady80013:
That was nice of her and at least you offered.
Quoting YzmaRocks:
No, I don't pay them. I tried to pay my SIL for staying with us for almost a month to help with my little ones during my labor with their sister (she lives far away so she stayed with us so she could be here when I went into labor) and she returned it all.
My baby fell out of the crib today:(
- misslady80013
on May. 12, 2012 at 2:26 AM