Ask teacher to babysit?

[Anonymous]

My kid adores her public charter school (ps3) teacher. Would it be ok to ask her if she would babysit? The teacher is a paid professional, well trained, and well respected. Would it be demeaning to ask this of her?

[Anonymous]

How old is she? What makes you think she wants extra work on top of the likely 60 hours she puts into teaching?

[Anonymous]

Daycare, yes. Teacher in an actual school, no. I think any professional teacher would nicely decline.

[Anonymous]

Depends. If its a young teacher, she may appreciate the extra money. But, certainly she can't do it until summer, when the child is no longer in her classroom.

[Anonymous]

NO WAY! Totally unethical and any good teacher would say no.

[Anonymous]

How insulting! She's a professional, you have no business asking a teacher to babysit.

[Anonymous]

Inappropriate. #1, she's a professional not a babysitter. #2, it puts her in an awkward position in terms of her relationship with your child verus others in the class.

[Anonymous]

Teacher here who used to babysit, but never ever kids in my class. If she wanted to babysit she would have put the word out. When I was younger I did some babysitting for kids in my school, but always older kids, ones who would never be in my class. Asking her without her putting it forward that she was interested would be very demeaning, especially an early childhood teacher, who no doubt, has enough trouble getting people to understand the difference between her teaching and babysitting.

[Anonymous]

A delicate way you could do this is to ask her if she knows anyone interested in sitting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How insulting! She's a professional, you have no business asking a teacher to babysit.

And yet all those professional women give up their careers to be a nanny.

[Anonymous]

It would be inappropriate for a daycare or school teacher to to babysit for someone in her class. Don't ask.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Inappropriate. #1, she's a professional not a babysitter. #2, it puts her in an awkward position in terms of her relationship with your child verus others in the class.

+100

[Anonymous]

I think this is a relatively common practice in day cares, and possibly preschools. I've never done it myself because I think it crosses boundaries and opens up a can of worms. What if the teacher does something inappropriate in your home, but she is still your child's teacher? I know someone who asked a daycare teacher to babysit...who agreed, and then never showed up.
Plus, depending on the culture at school, your house etc can become the topic of teacher gossip.

[Anonymous]

I don't think this is any big deal. Our teacher assistant babysits for anyone in the class. It's a really wonderful benefit!

[Anonymous]

OP here. I posted this question because I see all the benefits of having this person watch my child, but also know that this teacher is a busy professional and I wanted to know your thoughts. I will not be asking her to babysit. Thank you for your input, especially those who didn't employ the vitriol so often found throughout this forum.