Provide dinner for sitter

[Anonymous]

We're new to this babysitter thing. We'll have a sitter looking after our kids over dinner time. Should I provide dinner for her? She'll be making an easy dinner for our toddler (mac and cheese or the like). Is it acceptable to have some frozen options that she could cook for herself? Would love to have some guidance here...

[Anonymous]

If she is making dinner for your child, you could invite her to make enough for both of them, or leaving something frozen also works.

[Anonymous]

When we have a sitter, we always make enough of whatever she's feeding the kids for dinner so that she can have some too. We usually point out the snacks and welcome her to help herself (though ours usually do eat with the kids, I can't remember a time that someone has eaten any snacks).

[Anonymous]

Yes, of course you offer her dinner when she's working at your house at dinner time. It's embarassing that people need to ask.

[Anonymous]

Yes! That was my favorite part of babysitting as a teen.

[Anonymous]

Yes, you always provide access to food for babysitters. Invite her to make herself dinner from a few options or, if you want to be a preferred family on her list, order take-out for her (pizza is usually a hit).

[Anonymous]

If I sit for families at dinner time where I'm feeding the kids then yes they offer me food. If I am sitting later like 7pm and the kids have eaten, I eat before I get there but they tell me to help myself to whatever snacks/drinks.

[Anonymous]

No,non,and no!! You don't have obligation to do that!!

[Anonymous]

one family never had snacks (or even something I could easily cook, like pasta) in their house. I was coming straight from work to babysit for them a lot of the time. They paid well, but it SUCKED to try and plan out lunch for work AND dinner for the babysitting gig.

[Anonymous]

No, it's not an obligation, but it's an easy perk we always offer. If she is sitting during dinner, she makes and eats what my DD eats (DD is five and this is usually something fun for them, mac and cheese, pizza, that kind of thing). If the sitter is there after dinner, I get her a pizza or takeout and tell her to help herself to snacks and drinks.

We also always give her a ride home. Babysitting isn't exactly a huge moneymaker, so we do our best to make it as easy as possible for her.

[Anonymous]

Oh, PP here again. When I say babysitting isn't a big moneymaker, I don't mean to suggest we underpay her. We pay her well, but, on balance, she is giving up a weekend night for maybe four hours. I'd like those four hours to be enjoyable for her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No,non,and no!! You don't have obligation to do that!!

This comment is totally embarassing and I don't even know you! Didn't you learn common manners as a child? It's never too late to start...