3 Things Your Babysitter Wishes You Knew

As a parent, you might occasionally use a babysitter (I say might because you might be like us and only ask your own parents to keep your children for you – because if we ever asked a sitter over Grandma we’d never hear the end of it!). If you’ve hired a sitter in the past, you might wonder if your sitter is completely honest with you. You might wonder if she’s offended by your home or kids or lifestyle or why she hasn’t called you back. Are you the family she dreads sitting for or the one she adores? Here are a few answers to things your babysitter will never tell you (and it might just make you a more popular family to sit for).

Babysitters are Not Housekeepers

If you come home to a spotless house – especially if it’s one that was far from spotless before you left – you might want to consider handing over a little more cash for the babysitter. She’s not a housekeeper, but she often feels that if she doesn’t clean up, you might consider her a bad sitter, tell others that she didn’t clean up after your children or she might just feel weird about being in your house all night and not straightening up. It’s not her job and if you don’t want to pay her for it, tell her ahead of time not to worry about cleaning up because it’s not her job. And for the love of all things good, do not expect her to clean up after you – ever.

Being Late is Not Okay

When you tell the sitter you’ll be home by 11 and she’s still waiting on you at 12, it’s not very kind and it’s very rude. She may not say anything to you since you’re paying her to be there, but you need to be home when you say you’re going to be home. If you can’t help but be late, call and let her know. However, try to avoid being late whenever possible and never give a vague, “We’ll be home sometime tonight,” as an answer.

Please Warn About Illness in Advance

Illness is often contagious. If your child is sick and you need a break, don’t trick the babysitter into coming over and becoming contaminated with your child’s germs. Let her know in advance so that she can choose whether or not she’s will to subject herself to the germs of a sick child.