Babysitting and tips

[Anonymous]

I babysit frequently on evenings and weekends to supplement my main position and it's been great. Half the time I will receive tips, and of course I always appreciate it as it's never a necessity. There are a few families though that will tip me then next time or the time after I am over, underpay me and to be honest, as much as I am grateful for the prior tip last time I babysat, it is annoying.

For example, sat for a family about three weeks ago and received a $15 tip. Next time I was over, the payment was $5 short (If I receive cash, I never count it in front of the parents). Sat for the same family last Saturday and payment was $10 short. I wonder if they did that on purpose? Quite honestly, I would just rather receive the proper amount every time. If this happens to you, do you ever say anything or let it go? I am a very easy going person and if it was just a couple times, I wouldn't bother thinking about it too much, but these are the same families that do this every time.

[Anonymous]

I let it go if it happens once or twice and is a small enough amount to have been covered by previous tips/overpayments.

What you're describing sounds unreasonable though, but also easily remedied by a quick and painless conversation. If I were you, I'd say something.

[Anonymous]

I don't usually count cash in front of parents either, but in a situation where you're frequently getting shorted, I think I'd make it a habit to start counting, or even to say "that'll be $45 for the night!" as a cheerful reminder when they get home.

[Anonymous]

Are the parents telling you the overpayment is a tip? If not, my guess is that they don't have change handy and are overpaying you with the expectation that they will make an adjustment next time you sit. That's not a tip.

I agree this is a bad precedent, especially if you don't sit for them on a regular schedule, but it isn't realistic to think that parents are always going to have exact change if the amount of time you are there varies. You might try saying "I've noticed that sometimes you overpay me and sometimes you underpay me, and I guess it all works out in the end, but I'm concerned that we don't have a good way to keep track of our running balance. Maybe in the future if you don't have exact change, you could pay me what you have in cash that night and then either write a check for the difference or mail it the next day."

They will get the message that you aren't comfortable with the informal way they are paying you, and they may be more likely to have exact change in the future.

[Anonymous]

If parents don't have exact change they can either write a check or overpay, but it is OUTRAGEOUS to suggest that a sitter shouldn't "expect the parents to have exact change." The parents know how long they will be gone for and how much their sitter costs - worst case scenario they can stop at an ATM for more cash or at a gas station to get change. This is THEIR responsibility, no one else's.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Parents are always welcome to write a check if they want to give exact change. They never mention anything about not having change when paying in cash and the amount is more than rate.

I will go ahead and start casually saying the amount owed. Like I said, I would much rather be paid the proper amount minus tip then get extra one time, and less than why I'm owed the next.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Parents are always welcome to write a check if they want to give exact change. They never mention anything about not having change when paying in cash and the amount is more than rate.

I will go ahead and start casually saying the amount owed. Like I said, I would much rather be paid the proper amount minus tip then get extra one time, and less than why I'm owed the next.

If you are an occasional sitter and willing to take a check, that should take care of the problem. Most sitters don't want checks.