If the children sleep through the night, you should only pay the sitter a flat $50-100 rate. Or pay half her usual rate. Why on earth would you pay double her rate if the kids are sleeping?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you have a baby coming? If so, can you have a sitter "on-call" during the final weeks of the pregnancy?

Yep. It could happen pretty much anytime over a 3-4 week period. I can't afford to reserve a sitter 24/7 for that long

You wouldn't be reserving the sitter and paying her to be on call. You'd just be looking for a sitter who doesn't have a lot competing obligations in the evenings and who wants to be on call. When the day rolls around, she swoops in, and you pay her handsomely. Lots of people fall into this category - she may be between jobs, or a sitter who takes piecemeal work all the time. As a backup, I would check in with friends and neighbors. I would drop everything and take the kids of a friend or neighbor who had rushed off to the hospital.

I think that's fine, and you're smart to talk it through in advance. If you have someone who has a relationship w/ your family I would think they would be excited and waiting to hear just like everyone else so probably very happy to help out.

Good luck and congrats on the baby!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you have a baby coming? If so, can you have a sitter "on-call" during the final weeks of the pregnancy?

Yep. It could happen pretty much anytime over a 3-4 week period. I can't afford to reserve a sitter 24/7 for that long

I would just find out which ones that could be available last minute and willing to accept a late night phone call, and if you don't have any that are willing to be doing it (I would definitely suggest double hourly pay for the hours before 7am), then look now and find someone that will be able to.

Absolutely.

Our nanny offeres to come when our second was born so we called her (and paid of course) but in a pinch I would have just asked a neighbor. I would have no issue with this if a
Neighbor I knew well asked me this.

Anonymous wrote:Do you have a baby coming? If so, can you have a sitter "on-call" during the final weeks of the pregnancy?

Yep. It could happen pretty much anytime over a 3-4 week period. I can't afford to reserve a sitter 24/7 for that long

Anonymous wrote:Lets say babysitter was needed to watch kids in an emergency while dad went with mom to the hospital.
If babysitter happened to be up and answer the phone and took the job, would double hourly rate until 7am be reasonable compensation?

Yes it would be reasonable, but you're right to talk to the sitters about it beforehand - some wouldn't be able/willing to give up a night's rest for ANY amount of money and others would jump at the chance.

Do you have a baby coming? If so, can you have a sitter "on-call" during the final weeks of the pregnancy?

Is there a specific "emergency" you are anticipating or are you just checking to see if someone will be available just in case? Something seems odd about this situation...

Anonymous wrote:Are you working this out with your sitter in advanced, or just hoping she'll be awake and available? If you're talking after the fact, then yes that sounds appropriate. If you're in the process of arranging things, discuss it with your sitter.

Yes to this. I have 2-3 sitter options and am hoping 1 will be available (if not, we're out of luck.)
I will discuss it with each of them

Are you working this out with your sitter in advanced, or just hoping she'll be awake and available? If you're talking after the fact, then yes that sounds appropriate. If you're in the process of arranging things, discuss it with your sitter.

Yes

I would certainly do it for that amount!

Lets say babysitter was needed to watch kids in an emergency while dad went with mom to the hospital.
If babysitter happened to be up and answer the phone and took the job, would double hourly rate until 7am be reasonable compensation?