What does your college-educated babysitter do when kid is sleeping?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd have her sort baby clothes. Weed out the stuff that the baby has overgrown and box it up. Organize the 'next step' clothes so they are by season and by size. Do baby laundry. Balance the checkbook. Prep for dinner - baking is awesome! She can even research convertible carseats for you, or search for baby stuff that you need on craigslist/amazon.

It's one thing if she's perfectly happy chilling on the computer, and I'd flat out tell her that if she needs a mental break, then by all means her (and your) first priority is giving her breaks so that she can be a happy, involved, energetic babysitter. But if she's one of those people who can't sit and stare at the computer, or who just needs to be doing something when earning a paycheck, then please please please give her things to do!

I can't tell if you are kidding or not.

She is being paid $12 an hour, which is the low end of the babysitting rate for a twenty something. I can't imagine asking a babysitter to do work around the house. Would you ask the college aged babysitter who you pay to watch your kid for date night to do the laundry? Give her access to your computer if you want, but asking her to research carseats?

I'm sorry, but have you HAD a college-aged babysitter? Or been one? Ours used to ask for stuff to do. Some people, as I mentioned, are not happy just sitting around.

I didn't say assign her chores. I said, if she WANTS something else to do, and asks for it, then give her options. I mean, if the infant is asleep for 50% of the time, then she's likely to be bored. And if she likes you and the job, she'll be glad to help out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a new poster on this thread. I moved to this area not long ago, and not knowing that DCUM has its own ideas about what to pay babysitters, advertised a job that paid what we paid in our old city: $10/hour. It was only babysitting, nothing else. I had about a dozen applicants for the job.

Isn't the market supposed to set the price? If there are people who want to work for this rate to take care of my 5 year old, why am I supposed to pay more? Because of their cost of living? $10 is what I could afford to pay based on my own income. Is that a factor?

No, it's not a factor. What you're asking for in an applicant is a huge factor. If you want someone legal with lots of good references who works in DC, expect to pay more than $10.

We had someone legal (US born) with good references, native english speaker, in Georgetown who asked for $10 an hr. She was an amazing nanny.