Hi,
I’m a 15 year-old girl from Crown Heights and, like many, I babysit quite often. Sometimes it will be scheduled in advance, and other times parents will call at the last minute with “emergencies” and I’ll generally run over to watch the kids.
I and my friends try to do the best job we can. As every parent knows, kids are not always easy to deal with – especially when they need to go to bed and sleep.
So why is it that when it comes time to pay me, parents will say “We’ll send money over” or “We’ll pay next time,” but very often I won’t be seeing a penny.
Yes, I understand that in today’s economy not everyone can afford to go wild with their cash. But this is a job for me and I deserve to get paid just like you get paid for doing your job. And you just came back from some nice restaurant driving your nice car!
I have a friend who recently went through a hard time. Her father lost his job and was barely putting food on the table. My friend, during this time, was buying her own clothes and basic necessities from the babysitting work. And you know how difficult it was for her when people weren’t paying?
I don’t mind doing Chesed from time to time, but these people show no appreciation for what we’re doing. If you can’t pay now or even next time, give us a token of gratitude, a small gift, that will show that you care – until you get the money.
My friends and I began sharing names of people don’t pay and just shrug us off. We might not answer the phone or we might make up an excuse because we will not be babysitting for them ever again.
Babysitting is not costly, but it’s also not slave labor.
Sincerely,
A Babysitter
oh and then she was mad at me bec her kids werent sleeping yet!!!
I hate when ppl come home late and dont tell u they will b late and then theyre obnoxious enuf to nut pay u for the extra time! im 13 i charge 8 per hour and recently i babysat 4 someone who called REALLY last minute (like 1/2 b4) told me her kids would b asleep and when i got there (a few mins EARLY) a housekeeper was there and i had to give them supper. and then change them, put to bed, etc. she was supposed 2 b home at 10 and came home at 11 and didnt even… Read more »
to: 29, I’ll talk to you in your narrow minded language, Why are you labeling it as a Lubavitch problem, maybe it’s because you don’t know other people, Guess what? it’s an individual (character) problem Not a community or a group problem, Sometimes I see it with none frum people, goyim immigrants etc. SO PLEASE DON’T LABEL, Thank you,
Loshon Horah.
If speaking about these people will ensure that they get paid it is ok.
If you can’t afford a babysitter, don’t go out. Simple. Or negotiate. I think Jews like taking advantage of other Jews, especially in CH.
Number 37: That’s pretty revolutionary thinking for a bochur! Good on you!
Number 95: You are seriously hilarious (I checked that sentence 3 times so I wouldn’t sound stupid) 😉
there is something like that. they announced in my school (brhs) as one of the chesed options. its called “steps to succes” and i did it and it was to help a family an hour a week.
completely true sick and not right on there part
I used to make backyard camps, and when parents wouldn’t pay, my mother would coach me on what to say when I called them. “You owe…when can I come pick up the check.” Kinda reminds me of the credit card companies: “when would you be able to make this payment” As true as it is that a bbstr shouldn’t have to chase payment, if parents say they’ll pay tomorrow, a high chance of actually getting the money,is to follow up that next day and say what time can I come pick up the $? Please, dont feel awkward. THEY should… Read more »
my friend gave me a babysitting job erev pesach and I know pesach costs a lot so I charged 7 an hour so I did it for I day and the next day I babysat for 6 hours and I bought water for the kids and then I bring them back and she gives me 15 dollars so I told her that’s not what I charged and she said well you kept them out to long and I told her to pay hack for the water and she said I don’t drijk that I only drink fiji and she didn’t… Read more »
i dont get it?
Im very shocked by many of these comments, I have had babysitters for my kids for the past 15 years and we always pay right away, a little more if the kids were up, and always offer a ride home. I babysat as a teen and wouldnt have gone back to anyone who didnt treat me properly, and I have always treated anyone who is kind enough to babysit for me the same way.
If you expect your kids to be safe, house clean and homework done, you’ll need to pay A LOT more than for a babysitting job. If you want the girl you hire to do three jobs at once:
* $10 for babysitting (baby SITTING) – ensuring the safety of your child
* $10 cleaning lady rate – for cleaning up after YOUR child(ren)
* $30-40 minimum tutoring rate.
So, do the math and don’t complain!
I babysit, and i do not charge anything.
I agree with both sides. Adults should be responsible and kids should be considerate. But I think babysitters should request a deposit. For example $100 up front. Fees can be deducted from that amount or it can be credited toward future dates.
It’s perfectly reasonable for you to warn your friends that some people don’t pay and therefore to stipulate at the time you are asked, that you will only babysit on condition you get paid that night, that should solve the problem.
HOWEVER…….
…….. to make a blacklist is definitely Loshon Hora – don’t do it!!
Man, I hope your babysitting is better than your grammar.
$10 is ridiculous. I get $25 an hour. If I see the people can’t afford it then i go down to $15.
but $10 is just way too little
a suggestion. my babysitter charges quite a bit less for sleeping kids rather than watching them all awake.
so if i want the cheaper rate, i ma motivated to get them to bed early. just a suggestion to you babysiiters. you can have a pay scale which reflects the job. charging less, for less children. etc.
Ur comment is great! World will be much dif if everyone was mentchlich like that. U said it!
I babysit, and I can name 3 families, none of which are tight on money, bH, who owe me a sufficient amount of money or babysitting. I won’t call them and ask them to pay me because that’s awkward. But for all those who are reading this after 80+ comments… When you go up to shamayim after 120 years, you are going to be told ‘you owe so-and-so money!’ I have a friend who babysits and the mother always makes sure to pay on time because she doesn’t want to go up to shamayim and hear that. (: I don’t… Read more »
To all those who are saying girls are charging too much, get younger girls. You get what you pay for. If you want to pay $7 an hour find a 13 year old. Like others have said, you are paying to go out so find an extra $10 to give your babysitter (an extra $10 would be 3 hours at $7 an hour). If your children are the most important things in your lives you will find the extra couple of dollars. I understand that teachers get paid the same amount, but that is not the babysitters problem. If you… Read more »
to #30 and all the rest of you asking your babysitters to lower there rates…i have to say exactly what #52 said “Assuming you both have jobs, did you lower your rates because of the poor economy?” no you didnt and you would never, i remember my mom always told me when i was a babysitter how she got paid (50 years ago) about 1$ an hr and that was alot of $ it was a luxury for the ppl hiring her and it was amazing for her to have extra $ to spend even though she came from a… Read more »
It seems like a clean house is more important to you then your children being taken care of. Not every teenager or even older girl is capable of doing everything at the same time. Be grateful that your kids were happy and safe. If it was so easy to do it all, then why do many mothers get cleaning help?
#85, you arrive to find your kids are not dead or maimed or running around on fire. Are you really that dense?! The cleaning lady also has a clearly defined job. Cleanliness is according to your standards. The babysitter’s role is a support role. You need someone to supervise the kids and keep them from harm. Anything beyond that is negotiated upfront since not every parent leaving the house needs multiple duties fulfilled. Kids bathed? Make it a duty upfront Homework done? Kids do that–babysitters only get so much authority to enforce it. Mess in the house from before she… Read more »
My daughter has the same problem with one of the family she was babysitting for (yes, always the same family). A week later I texted the father that I (the mother) wants to remind him that he owes my daughter money and I asked him if I can come now and get the money he “forgot” to pay. The money was sent to MY HOUSE IMMIDIATELY
If I leave my cleaning lady for an hour, the house is clean. If I leave my babysitter for an hour, my kids were looked after but I come back to the same mess, kids have not been bathed, homework has yet to be done, and dinner fed. Yet they charge the same amount! why?
I babysit a lot and whatever the parents give me I accept, I don’t say any amount I want for each hour, when people ask me I say whatever they want to give me. There was one time though when I babysat for 8 hours, the kids were really wild and didn’t listen and I had to feed them supper and do homework with them. and the parents couldn’t pay me that night for some reason or another and said that they will get it to me the next day, that’s ok but what happened to me was that the… Read more »
I used to babysit when I was in High School and let me tell you more than a few times, the parent was putting the kid to bed right before they left and of COURSE the kid sees the parent leaving, starts crying and I’d have to spend at least an hour with a screaming child, trying to get him/her calm enough to just fall asleep. Sometimes the kids would wake up in middle of the night and because their parents are gone they get scared and many times won’t go to bed until they get back (usually the older… Read more »
i completely understand where this 15 year old is coming from. babysitting is a side thing a teenager does to raise extra cash. kids are busy sometimes and they make time to babysit thinking they are getting money. Parents know they need to pay and its just rude to let down a girl who expects this money.be on top of it. you wouldn’t forget to pay for your car or house???? its uncomfortable for a kid to call you and say u owe them money.
It’s possible, i think i’ve done it once before… forgot to pay. I”M SORRY.
I’m a baysitter too. where I live, the going rate is 8$/hour for a high schooler. if you’re older, more.
I don’t see why wherever you live it’s 10$/hour! I even babysit someone that pays 5$, and i’m ok with it cause I know she’s not wealthy. on the other hand, one mother knows that her kid is tough, and so she pays me more.
remember-the rate is by how much most people pay. if people start to pay the minimum, then it will become the norm. I think 8$ is enough.
i one time babysat for somone she asked for me to come with a friend we had a test the next day but she was desprete she sed she would be back at ten and when we would get there her kids would be sleeping we got there her kids where wide awake they could win a medal for being a babysitters nightmare we got them to bed finaly at 10 at 11 she called me that she would be late never mind that fact she was already late arrving home at 12 she sed she would pay us a… Read more »
When I was 15 about 37 years ago….babysitters got $1.00 and hour. shoes were $30. and boots too… a Harve Bernard coat was $150. Airline tickets to California were $400. Airline tickets to Israel were $600. A very expensive dress was $80.00
Housing and automobiles have increase 10 times, but not the expenses of a teen ager living at home.
i’m not gonna make a really long comment here, caz i know most ppl have no patience to read drasha’s on babysitting $ when they have important stuff to do, so i’ll make it snappy: JUST PAY. don’t say you’ll pay later, and don’t pay extra and tell the person she’ll make it up another day. Then that person feels like she OWES you, which is just unfair. your broke? then negotiate a price BEFORE you leave. got it? good. please don’t be obnoxious. From the point of view of a baby sitter who’s always OWING ppl money because they… Read more »
im the girl who sent this post b/c i felt this topic needs 2 be adressed. i charge 8.50/hr and try 2 lower the price if parents need it but its genevah honestly 2 agree 2 a price and not pay. ppl who agree w/ me pay babysitters. ppl who dont ure stealing and mayb ure boss should w/hold ure paycheck. I also feel that the older u get the more u charge and also obnoxious kids, feeding supper etc. should warrant more. i kno a friend who was told 2 bring a friend w/ and they only paid the… Read more »
As a kid I’d babysit and my mother wouldn’t let me charge the full $1.00 an hour from my frequent relatives… They should onlypay haff. So at .50 cents and hour, I made plenty of money to pay for my clothes….i didn’t know what a chesed I was doing until I grew and and needed to pay for my own babysitters. Later, when my kids got older,I told my kids that ithey should never quote a price of what they charge for babysitting…let people pay what they want, this is a chesed.Now my childdren use babysitters…and I know how hard… Read more »
Hey i too babysit ocasionaly and i love it! btw moms out there im looking for more jobs maybe put an add in the brhss grapvine and ill gladly acccept the job anyways it is true that babysitters do work hard and parents should really be paying us on time. btw for those who feel our price is to high for you we should not have to lower it you thats our price and if you have an issue dont higher us unless you have some extreme circumstances that wed agree to charging less anyways for thos who are in… Read more »
As usual many of you have missed the point. The point is not the cost of babysitting – the point is that people who don’t pay are are in effect ganovim. They have hired someone to do a job, agreed to the price and then not paid what they have agreed to. I think the blacklist is a wonderful idea.
B”H just to inject some humor into this.There was a Dennis the menace cartoon last week. His baby sitter says to him- ‘look I’ll split my pay with you if you behave ‘
I am a 12 year old, I enjoy baby sitting very well. Yes sometimes they may not pay you or have some difficulty ever remembering to pay you. Although I have never situated such like this as I don’t baby sit so often. You’re right they should show some gratitude like they couldn’t have done it without you. I’m not saying they should praise you, no they shouldn’t. Maybe a reminder should be made to reward the sitter. Or maybe if this mother cannot pay right away she shouldn’t be calling as often. When I baby sat a while ago… Read more »
you two could use a date… put aside 25 bucks, go on a date and PAY a sitter.
my babysitter still owes me around 100$ from literally slaving away LAST (not this) EREEEEVV pesach and for like a week before that.
It was always, “Oh! i didn;t pay you yet!?”
Hahaha. nice!
dear cheaters u suck!
yes, I will gladly lower for you but not from 10 to 6 make it reasonable I do pay for all my necessities and no adult can tell me whats a necessity or not+ girls in ch aren’t all living a dandy life think about how much they need it too before paying less,
A CH babysitter
Gosh! history repeats itself. And looking at some of these comments, some parents didn’t yet realize the severity of stealing. Looking back now, I can’t even begin to count how much money I was supposed to get and was just brushed off when I was babysitting for them. Although I must admit there were some really nice, sweet mothers who cared, paid right when they got home, and sometimes offered a lift back home even though I lived close.
FYI: The going rate in Manhattan is $20-$25 an hour.
That being said, be happy paying the going rate of $10.
Remember, these baby sitters also have lives, some are in the middle of exams or other just have things to do, yet they drop it all for a measly $10 an hour.
I am a parent. Yes it hurts to pay an extra $40-$50 for an already expensive night out but hey that’s life! be happy!
Life is a cycle, at some point we babysat as teenagers and now we’re paying for babysitters. What goes around comes around.
I have a question Is there a chessed group for women who are not well or have just had a baby and need some extra help? I used to run such a group in London and it’s really a necessity not a luxury. slightly off topic, but good place to to suggest it……. is anyone willing to start one?
Most girls are decent and if you ask them to lower the price im sure they would I have a daughter that age I always tell her please be fair .
I agree with girls they should get paid My parents Never went out because they couldnt afford it And when they did they paid.
infortunately the fault is in the mosdos…
after all,they hire a full staff and don’t pay them, they expect teachers to do “chessed” and the parents learn from them….. and thus the cycle returns….
Are you kidding? You are leaving your children in the hands of this person and you want to be cheap about it? Seriously? Doesn’t matter what the parent is making in their job…if the mother was a lawyer she could be charging $800+ per hour. She chooses her job and the babysitter chooses her own and standard prices are $10 today.
I was getting $1 when I started 35 years ago, but now I am more than happy to pay $10, just as long as I can find one on a busy night!
If you hire someone then you know how much they are charging, which means you AGREED to pay that price. If you can’t afford it – look for someone else. When did the cost of the safety of our kids come down to being a bargain. You get what you pay for. If you pay them $5 p/h your kids will get the $5 p/h treatment. If you pay someone $10 p/h than you best trust whose watching your kids.
Why is it anyone’s business what any individual’s expenses are?? Pay goes by the job, not by the person’s expenses. Since when do you get paid more or less depending on how much rent you pay, how many kids you have or how much you spend on groceries per month?
Yes I do agree with you fully… however I do want to make a point here. I believe it is the employer’s responsibility to make sure the employee gets paid. You might be honest and maybe just forgot… but that doesn’t go for everyone. I remember as a babysitter- it was extremely uncomfortable to go to someone or call them telling them they owe you money. I had a lady look at me bluntly and said- well I have no money on me! and that was after quite some time that I gave to her to supposedly “get” money. It… Read more »
When I was in high school out of town 14 – 20 years ago, I babysat all the time and it was the only way I could afford anything. However, I got paid $2.50 and hour and I once babysat for my teacher who did have hard kids for $2 and hour for like 5 hours!!!! I did some bad things like forget a pot was simmering and it burned (B”H no fire) but never sat there again. I was so busy taking care of the kids that I forgot. I cleaned up the toys and put things away, put… Read more »
Unless My husband and I absolutely need to be at a Simcha at the same exact time, one goes first for some time and then the other one of us goes, once the first has come home. This has saved tons of babysitting money! Who goes first and who goes second, depends on our schedules and who is the earlier sleeper.
especially if your are babysitting sleeping kids
many people simply can’t afford the prices
and no they are NOT going out to a 200$ meal
but perhaps to a chassunah, bar mitzva, PTA
THERE ARE TWO SIDES TO THE COIN
It’s not a question of whether you can afford a babysitter or not or whether you think the babysitter is overcharging. If you hire a babysitter, you agree to a price – and you have to pay! If you can’t afford and can’t find alternative arrangements, then say this BEFORE the babysitter comes. People are willing to do chessed but not willing to be cheated.
Assuming you both have jobs, did you lower your rates because of the poor economy?
** Iagree with that If someone can’t pay a babysitter, it doesn’t mean that they shouldnt have kids!!!!!!! It means they shouldn’t be going out if they can’t afford to do both. i personally very often wont go out with my husband, because we cant afford to pay the babysitter. i always try to have the exact money ready for my babysitter, so she doesnt have to get uncomfortable while i look for money in my house. i do want to mention that there used to be allot of chesed girls out there who would come help families that needed… Read more »
I disagree completely. I mean yes it’s very sad for your friend who could barely put food on the table but what if a babysitter was babysitting for her parents and her parents obviously couldn’t pay her if they could barely put the food on the table, so they couldn’t pay her. DON’T EXPECT MONEY!!! Babysitters charge way to much, when I babysit for someone I get close to nothing but who cares because it was nice to do and it was really fun babysitting really cute kids. If you don’t like babysitting then don’t do it but don’t say… Read more »
“Is your rate commenserate with your cost of living? ” What is your business what anyone’s cost of living is? Some babysitters spend what they make on fun and others are saving for sem or paying for necessities that their parents can barely afford – just as some very fine doctors spend most of their income and others invest in real estate or the market. You can only concern yourself with the quality of the services provided and whether someone is charging the going rate that the market accepts for such services. Paying people according to their needs rather than… Read more »
im with these young girls. babysitting is hard.
come to miami, im always looking for a sitter and ill pay!!
stand up for yourself
As a fellow babysitter, I have also been in sticky situations that it took a while for the parents to pay for the babysitting. Bottom line, If the families can’t afford babysitters, instead of delaying to pay them don’t hire babysitters in the first place.
The next time one of ‘those’ parents calls u to do the job, kindly let them know that they owe you, and that you will need to be paid before they hire you again.
Good Luck!
If the baby sitter is charging too much then dont hire them because if you do hire them with an agreed price and you dont pay them you are a criminal no better the bernie madeoff
I was driving up New York avenue a couple of days ago and witnessed a horrible scene. A girl was hitting a little boy on the back of his head and kicking his legs and the back of trycicle he was on. The kid looked hot and thirsty and was crying. I stopped my car and kindly told the girl not to do that-she ignored me just walked ahead very fast leaving the child a good 20 feet behind her. I dont know if the girl (who looked between age 12-14) was a sister of the little boy or a… Read more »
what happened to us that so many feel it’s ok not to pay people on time or at all? how many girls end up not being paid by the camps they worked in all summer? i was hired by a chabad house to run a kiddie camp.i was already married btw.the first check was much lower then had been promised and the excuse was pathetic.i had the luxury of quiting and did so.
no one works for free. If you have money to go out then make it a priority to pay.
Lowering their price? Maybe if the parents can’t afford to pay the babysitter they shouldn’t be going out to expensive dinners. $10 p/h is not a lot of money to pay a babysitter when they have to take care of 3 or more children. If you can afford to go out – you can afford to pay for babysitting and if you can’t afford to pay – find a family member who will do it for free. These girls need the money just like anyone else.
that is so wrong. If you can’t pay your babysitter then don’t go out and don’t hire one, or take the kids with you. I go almost everywhere with my kids because I don’t have much cash to spare, but believe me, if and when I hire a sitter, she most certainly gets paid that same day
Mom going our to rehearse for a performance is not a chessed case! If it’s perhaps a single mother or a poor one with many kids who needs to attend a school meeting or Dr. appt. – YES that is chessed. Otherwise PAY.
Wondering if girls would consider taking pay 90% of time, and, if they are not in dire straits, would consider doing chessed the remaing 10% of time. I know of a Crown Heights mother who has young kids on her own, little money (welfare). She really needs occasional help but it’s been impossible to find volunteers.
As a bochur, I find it noteworthy that people are protesting paying babysitters $10/hr. Some posters seem to justify it as “too expensive” when they probably could negotiate based on their own financial needs. Others justify lower rates because “the kids are sleeping”. What happens in an emergency though? These girls are the first line of defense. They are the one who deals with your precious children on their own, often more than 1 child. If C”VS something happens to your kids, you’re relying on these babysitters to remedy the situation while you’re out to dinner. This applies even if… Read more »
It does cost a lost of money to babysit. I have been swapping with a neighbor and we each take turns going out and babysitting. Both when you babysit and when you go out are to your benefit as you get to have a relaxing time away from the children or chores even when you’re babysitting.
I feel terribly for any ADULT that has a family and makes $10/hr.
that’s not enough to support a family with…
#1 you get what you pay
#2 there is actually an issur from the Torah not to pay on time!!
#3 is it a treat? if you think will help mothers to go out more often DO it it’s a mitzvah !!
”it is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt”
this has nothing to do with lubavitch
you are missing the point
If you don’t have cash, give the sitter a check. I NEVER let my babysitter leave without payment, it is just plain wrong.
Actually a check may be better, because it is safer and the money is likely to be saved than spent.
I fully agree that the babystiters should be paid in full when they babysit. I also understand that teenagers nowadays have expenses (worthwhile or not) which we may not have had (ex: cell phone, clothes, ipod, digital camera, etc.) But I ask the babysitters: does the amount that you charge fit the job? from what I understand, the going rate is $10/hour. (same amount that ADULTS make). that itself should make girls think. yes, you have expenses, and yes, you are working, but you do NOT have the same expenses as an adult, and it would only be FAIR that… Read more »
The cycle begins, when u have a worker Halacha states u must pay on the day, unless otherwise arranged! You teach a child at 15 that u don’t need to pay on time and then you wonder why as an adult she leaves bills unpaid at the grocery and at the doctor. Does it get better for either side? No! Adults on set wages don’t get paid on time in the frum community either, even when they’re demoralised by begging their bosses for what they have rightfully earnt. Why does lubavitch feel they are exempt in this Halacha? Don’t pick… Read more »
Since my babysitting money, 30+ years ago, paid for all my extras and even more as I grew older, I always appreciated my babysitters while my children were young. Therefore, not only did I pay on time, I was the best payer in town. All the girls knew that I gave a nice tip and never counted the pennies. That’s why I rarely had trouble finding a babysitter, even last minute, unless there was a high school event. You are leaving your most precious possessions in her hands and need to show your appreciation and be good to her! BTW,… Read more »
If friendship circle of CH has an excess of volunteers, they should make the available for the stuggling families of CH that don’t have special needs children. Maybe not every week like special needs homes but perhaps once a month or so for 3-4 hours. That is assuming that they can get enough volunteers to expand into the non special needs families. Even if they can’t meet all demand, let them do however many families they can and waitlist the other families. Of course the first priority should be special needs families, but if they have extra resources, they can… Read more »
If you can’t afford the sitters hourly charge, try negotiating a lower fee. Many times a sitter won’t mind this. Many times you will find that they don’t mind doing a chesed, but please be upfront with them and pay them the agreed amount on the spot!! Just remember, you don’t want your name to be their next topic of conversation with their friends at lunch!
please moms stop kvetching. Go out if you can afford it or stay home with your kids if you can not. They are your kids and your responsibility. You pay for what you want. Babysitters deserve to get paid. If I can’t afford it I stay home. The same if I can’t afford to buy something, I don’t. Stop kvetching. Stop having to need a break. Everyone works hard. That is life. Accept that you have kids and need to take care of them
my 15 yr old did a babysitting chessed for a women of 3 young children on a Friday afternoon while she went to sleep. no problem there, but when she was called back to do another ‘ chessed’ at 5 pm school night while the women had rehearsals for a production she was in , I said noway! stay home and look after ur kids, or pay!
I used babysitters all the time and paid well ( even my sisters!) gave them nosh, computer, videos and sleeping kids! I can assure u I never had a problem finding babysitters!
I am a mother and I agree with the babysitter.
It’s not fair to not be paid for the work you do. And if you don’t like how much she charges, then find someone else tat charges less. You get what you pay for.
There is a group on facebook called ababysitter4u check it out its been helping a lot of people in our community.
If someone can’t pay a babysitter it doesn’t mean that they shouldnt have kids!!!!!!! It means they shouldn’t be going out if they can’t afford to do both
I know I can’t always pay so therefore I don’t go out when I was younger and I babysat there were parents I would babysit for for free because I knew they couldn’t afford it and because I liked them and they had good easy kids
However babysitting rates are VERY expensive someone wanted 12/hr and my kids would be sleeping for most if it I was like ummm noooo
unfortunately people in this community (or maybe everywhere) think they are not obligated to pay certain people. dr’s /groceries/ dentists and i guess babysitters too. I mean what u going to do put them in collection/ not see a patient. its absolutely disgusting. I am no rav but I am pretty sure thats genava and against halacha. not to mention immoral, reprehensible and dishonest.
Before blacklisting, make sure you remind the parent at least one time that they owe you money. As a parent who hires babysitters often, I have had a few times when I thought my husband would pay as he drove the girl home or I realized that i was short, and told the babysitter that I would get the rest to her. There is a chance that, perhaps, I forgot to get back to the babysitter. Not purposely. Now I am wondering if I ever shorted a babysitter by mistake. I think most people want to pay up and there… Read more »
Yes, they should be paid, but the going rate of $10 per hour tax free, in cash for minors who, for much of the time are sitting for sleeping kids, amc are just sitting at the computer or studying on the couch is high.
If parents can’t afford it, don’t go out. Simple solution. How about parents doing a swap? My mother used to babysit her friend’s kids & the friend babysat us when my parents went out. It worked very well although we girls were a lot more troublesome than her boys!! 🙂
It’s not right to take advantage of these girls. Pay them!!! Try this shtick with your cleaning lady & see how far you get.
Thanks for a great idea… now us moms will write a list of all the cheapest bbsitters in town…
But you should include in your list: dirty homes, uncontrollable, obnoxious kids, & no transportation home at night. And some refreshments (soda, nosh etc) is appropriate but not a given. You can give extra points if the nosh is good!! LOL
signed a Bubby
What is the going rate for a babysitter in Crown Heights?
Is your rate commenserate with your cost of living?
What is your rate based on?
Do you bring specific value to the table that makes you more attractive than your competitor?
A minimum charge, such as 1 hour minimum, for a session is fair. Maybe the minimum AND PREVIOUS BALANCES must be paid when you show up or you go home.
Good for you. If they hire a babysitter, they should pay you. If the offending parents have the $200.00 to go to the restaurant while you watch their kids let them find the $40 to pay you. If not let them stay home. It’s part of the expense of going out.
Please note that in this economy it would be fair to lower your price. Are you aware that many working moms hardly make more than $10 an hour? Teachers? You might be surprised to know that you, the babysitter, make more money an hour than your boss considering she pays you more than half of her hourly earnings (and sometimes more than all of it). The person you work for needs to to pay for more than just clothing and extras. She needs to pay rent and tuition and provide all of the necessities for her children. Just a thought… Read more »
What a gr8 idea.
I HOPE you also have a list of people who you help who NEED it for free.
To #7:
The issue is people who can pay, but choose not to.
for those of us who need babysitter, and will bs”d pay
what’s the best way to get a babysitter in CH
I have a hard time finding people sometimes
if someone cant afford to pay a babysitter to watch there kids when they want to go out, they should not have any kids, your kids are worth alot more than paying a babysitter to watch them for the time you want to go out and enjoy urslf,
Like many other funds, there needs to be a babysitter fund. Sadly, but those young mothers that need some time off the most and have the biggest need for a babysitter from time to time are the ones that find it most difficult to afford to pay for a babysitter.
but still i understand the babysitter who wants to get paid for doing work. so solution is to make a “babysitter fund”.
Sitters should turn the tables on the parents by demanding full payment up front, with the balance, if any, to be returned to the parents when they arrive home. This will put the parents at the mercy of the sitter rather than the other way around.
My daughters went through the same thing as did thrir friends. They did not have an ‘official’ black-list’ but it was through word of mouth that the gils knew who would promise payment ‘next time’ but then call another girl from another family…..BTW, this family had money but were too mean to pay.
Such a good point! people demand to be paid on time but when it comes to paying others they delay it as much as they can. The torah even says that you are supposed to pay your workers everyday day before they leave the job.
If you want you kids babysitted, then be honest and pay for it.
kol hakavod.
soulja sista moment!
if this is done in a way that includes derech Torah u mitzvos, then it is fair. what more to say, it makes sense.
my dtr had the same problem as you are having now – if its the same family each time it might be wise to speak to either both your parent or just your mom for advise – you may not always agree with them (your parents) but thats we are here for – when you need our opinions and/or our help you can also try speaking to these families and explaining that you understand if “sometimes” they have a financial problem but you really need the money you earned i also hope that in sharing these name is doesnt become… Read more »