Babysitters and daycare
A little rant about babysitters and daycare and money. On the daycare front - it's been my experience that in-home daycare providers get paid 2 weeks of vacation every year. Plus they get legal holidays off. This just seems to be the way of it. But I'm paying you so that I can work. And if you take these days off, then I have to take these days off, or pay double those days/weeks so I can find someone else to do it. This especially irks me when the holiday in question is not necessarily a day that EVERYBODY has off - like MLK day. Or Veteran's Day. Things like that. Or a personal holiday. I've been really lucky to find people for both Brynna and Eve that I personally like and so that makes it easier. But like any relationship, it can't be perfect. And it's not that I can't afford it, it's more of a principle thing. I would rather be charged a higher rate than feel like I'm paying twice.
And then on the babysitting front - Matt and I are going to look at some houses this weekend. I wanted to get a babysitter so that we're not putting Brynna in and out of the car a million times - nothing pisses off a toddler more than being told constantly what to do. I usually pay $10/hr (which is much more palatable now that I have 2 kids instead of just 1). I found our current babysitter through sittercity.com, and I specifically requested someone who lives nearby. The woman I got lives about 20 minutes away, and when I initially talked to her 3 months ago, she said the commute isn't an issue. Super. But then when I asked her if she could babysit for 3 hours on Saturday, she said OK, and then asked if I could pay a little bit more to cover gas money. And that instantly made me annoyed. I haven't responded to her text, and I know I have to, but I'm trying to get to a good place mentally first. And also, I'm pretty generous. I usually throw in an extra $5 or $10 when she babysits.
And now that I've ranted, I hear how ungrateful I sound, and I'm in a mentally better place. :) And when I have these thoughts, I definitely temper them with the fact that Sarah was a nanny and I don't want her to think I'm a selfish b!tch. :)
And then on the babysitting front - Matt and I are going to look at some houses this weekend. I wanted to get a babysitter so that we're not putting Brynna in and out of the car a million times - nothing pisses off a toddler more than being told constantly what to do. I usually pay $10/hr (which is much more palatable now that I have 2 kids instead of just 1). I found our current babysitter through sittercity.com, and I specifically requested someone who lives nearby. The woman I got lives about 20 minutes away, and when I initially talked to her 3 months ago, she said the commute isn't an issue. Super. But then when I asked her if she could babysit for 3 hours on Saturday, she said OK, and then asked if I could pay a little bit more to cover gas money. And that instantly made me annoyed. I haven't responded to her text, and I know I have to, but I'm trying to get to a good place mentally first. And also, I'm pretty generous. I usually throw in an extra $5 or $10 when she babysits.
And now that I've ranted, I hear how ungrateful I sound, and I'm in a mentally better place. :) And when I have these thoughts, I definitely temper them with the fact that Sarah was a nanny and I don't want her to think I'm a selfish b!tch. :)
You are absolutely in the right. Like you, I believe in the importance of paying the people that keep my kids well, but that is just taking advantage of the situation.
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