How to avoid being a doormat

[Anonymous]

I am a babysitter, not a nanny, with several clients who book with me as needed for occasional sitting. Sometimes I get a job that is a week or longer, but mostly I get jobs here or there. I'm a college student and don't pay rent so this fits my needs right now, although I'd love a very part time regular position that fits with my weird school schedule.

Due to the casual nature of these arrangements I'm having trouble knowing when to put my foot down. I just got a text at 9:30 this morning cancelling on a job for tomorrow starting at 6:00 am that was arranged two weeks ago. The mom arranged it with me for either a half day or full day depending on the working-at-home dad's needs for the day (mom is out of town). I was okay with being flexible with the half day vs full day and so blocked off my calendar for the full day. I understand things happen, sick kids, whatever but when the dad texted me his reason was that he "decided to work from home" which I thought was the plan anyway. I've sat for them twice before.

So how do I keep myself from getting walked all over? Should I tell these parents this is not okay? Or just drop them as clients because they clearly don't respect me, my time, or my work? Are there any other casual babysitters out there who have any sort of policy for cancellations? I know nannies need to have guaranteed hours, but I don't know how to make that work with these occasionall arrangements. Or maybe this is just what comes with the job and I have to suck it up and accept that's how it goes sometimes.

[Anonymous]

Am a nanny,when the other's family call me a babysitter,if the cancell they pay anyway.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, anyone tacky enough to cancel like that last minute is very unlikely to honor any "policy" you might set up. Especially if they are not maintaining a regular working relationship with you. I'd just stop accepting jobs from them.

[Anonymous]

Keep your existing clients but sign with an agency like White House nannies for temp jobs that work around your schedule so u can supplement. The benefit of this is if family cancel last minute, you get paid.

[Anonymous]

I would not accept anymore jobs from them if they do not give you something to make up for the cancelation - even $20-40.

[Anonymous]

Considering this was not even a valid reason, I would be miffed.
I mean, wasn't the the original plan all along....??! That the Father would be working from the house anyway??

I just would cross them off my babysitting client list.

Let them find someone else to walk all over.

Good riddance!

[Anonymous]

You have a 48 hour cancellation fee for big jobs and 24 hr cancellation fee for shorter jobs. Write up a simple contract and have them sign. If they refuse, cross them off your list.

[Anonymous]

I would not sit for them again and let them know why - not rudely or in a hostile manner, but still.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You have a 48 hour cancellation fee for big jobs and 24 hr cancellation fee for shorter jobs. Write up a simple contract and have them sign. If they refuse, cross them off your list.

As an MB, I have to recommend against this. Most babysitters do not have a cancellation policy and I think it will turn off parents to have to sign a contract with you when no one else asks for this, unless you are an amazing babysitter who can demand things others cannot. And practically speaking, how are you going to enforce your policy? I personally would feel uncomfortable going after parents (no matter how in the right I was) to compensate me for a last-minute cancellation. People are either considerate or they are not, the ones who are considerate don't need a policy to do the right thing and the ones who are not, a policy won't help. I have kept babysitter appointments rather than cancel when it turned out we didn't need the help anyway and used the time to run errands, but it's possible that down the road, something comes up and we need to cancel the day before. I would make it up to the sitter anyhow, but I would hope that a sitter would not insist on any compensation and give us a break the one time out of goodwill if she had a regular, longstanding relationship with us. I do little things for our sitters like round up or tack on an extra $10 and prefer a good relationship where neither person is nickel and diming the other and we are considerate to each other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Am a nanny,when the other's family call me a babysitter,if the cancell they pay anyway.

sorry, what are you trying to say here?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Am a nanny,when the other's family call me a babysitter,if the cancell they pay anyway.

sorry, what are you trying to say here?

That she is a career nanny FT for one family in particular, but for others she is just the babysitter but those families give her guranteed pay when they schedule her for jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You have a 48 hour cancellation fee for big jobs and 24 hr cancellation fee for shorter jobs. Write up a simple contract and have them sign. If they refuse, cross them off your list.

As an MB, I have to recommend against this. Most babysitters do not have a cancellation policy and I think it will turn off parents to have to sign a contract with you when no one else asks for this, unless you are an amazing babysitter who can demand things others cannot. And practically speaking, how are you going to enforce your policy? I personally would feel uncomfortable going after parents (no matter how in the right I was) to compensate me for a last-minute cancellation. People are either considerate or they are not, the ones who are considerate don't need a policy to do the right thing and the ones who are not, a policy won't help. I have kept babysitter appointments rather than cancel when it turned out we didn't need the help anyway and used the time to run errands, but it's possible that down the road, something comes up and we need to cancel the day before. I would make it up to the sitter anyhow, but I would hope that a sitter would not insist on any compensation and give us a break the one time out of goodwill if she had a regular, longstanding relationship with us. I do little things for our sitters like round up or tack on an extra $10 and prefer a good relationship where neither person is nickel and diming the other and we are considerate to each other.

Well surprise surprise a MB that would recommend against this

If a mb or family was turned off by this I wouldn't be interested in ever sitting for them anyway. So you are hopefully not someone the op would consider sitting for. Being turned off by a policy that ensures the sitter's time is treated with consideration and professionalism says a ton about you. There's nothing worse than turning down one job due to already having agreed to another prior only to get that dreaded text the day of or before saying "sorry turns out we won't be needing you this Saturday. Hopefully we can set something up in the future, enjoy your weekend!" Makes me want to slap somebody knowing that I've lost that money I budgeted in for the week, or it's too late to plan on joining friends or family for an activity that I thought I wouldn't able to make it to. So awesome being treated like our time is nothing.

[Anonymous]

Another mb here. I've cancelled on a sitter one time and mailed them a check for four hours pay. (The minimum time we guaranteed) If you asked me to sign a contract before you did a casual babysitting job, I'd find someone else. It will look nutty to possible employers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another mb here. I've cancelled on a sitter one time and mailed them a check for four hours pay. (The minimum time we guaranteed) If you asked me to sign a contract before you did a casual babysitting job, I'd find someone else. It will look nutty to possible employers.

Not a contract, but a verbal understanding is what I think works best. Op is referring to jobs that sound more like short term nanny gigs or standing appts. If it were something like an occasional date night I do think a contract is pushing it, but then again it's someone's livelihood we are talking about here. The agency that we use lets parents know that they expect their nannies that are hired for date nights, weekend afternoons etc should be paid a minimum if they happen to cancel and the agency has the family's card info already however the families pay the nannies directly that evening once their evening is over. If families can agree to this I don't see what is so wrong with giving to same courtesy to a sitter you hire on your own accord that works independently. They've made plans and arrangements to be there for an allotted amount of time. Be considerate.