I give our sitter a time, but say it could be later. It's really no way to accurately give her a set time. If I'm early, I still pay for that hour and vise versa.

I always ask for a ballpark, I'd nothing else so I know when to start worrying because they're not home. I take mass transit so depending on where the family lives I might have an end time just to get home and I'll tell them that when they book me. In that case I also always offer to let the kids come to my house for no additional charge for the overnight. Some people take me up and some don't.

I always ask Sat night babysitters if they need me to be home by a certain time and if they do I always respect that time. However, when choosing between two sitters (all else being equal) I will always call the ones who don't give me an "end time" first. On Sat nights I really like to relax and not worry about watching the clock.

On the other hand, I have one sitter who asks for a 5 hour minimum. She lives far away and that makes total sense to me. I never begrudge paying her for 5 hours even if I come home earlier some nights.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know what the correct protocol is, some parents don't take it very well when you ask them to be home by a certain time. With one family ( note, they were not respectful of me at all) I had to work ( for them, not for another job) the next morning at 10am, so I asked that they be home no later than 1, so I could get at least 6-7 hours of sleep. They agreed, but later brought it up when they were airing their many grievances, they accused me of giving them a 'curfew '! Even though that was the ONLY time I asked that they be home at a certain time, most date nights they would be out until about 3! Some people are just ridiculous.

Did you ask them when you accepted the job? I think it's fine to say "I'm afraid I'm only available to X time that day. If you still want me, I'd love to do it!" I think it's not cool to arrive on the day and say "By the way I need to leave at . . . "

Of course I asked them. I was working full time for them Mon thru Thurs and date night FridAy. When they asked me to work Sat morn, I said fine as long as they were home at X time on Friday.

OP, are you asking them to come home much earlier than they normally do? If so, I think you jut need to call them and tell them that you have very early plans the next morning and unfortunately won't be able to stay as late as usual and would prefer to be home at X time. But you also have to be prepared if that doesn't work for them and they find another babysitter. Do it now since that gives them 2 weeks. I'd never spring it on someone short notice.

OP- here, thank you for all the replies, it really helps. I usually don't ask because I don't mind staying until they get home (and they almost never give me a time by which they will be back, so I am almost always in the dark on that as to until what time I will be there) , but it is just this time they booked me for 4 nights in a row, so I am fine with two nights staying until whenever time, but the other two (weekends), I have plans the next day early, so I was planning to just tell them I am available until X time. I already accepted the job and it is in 2 weeks, so, I was thinking of nice ways to let them know without them thinking I am giving them a curfew.

Anonymous wrote:I don't know what the correct protocol is, some parents don't take it very well when you ask them to be home by a certain time. With one family ( note, they were not respectful of me at all) I had to work ( for them, not for another job) the next morning at 10am, so I asked that they be home no later than 1, so I could get at least 6-7 hours of sleep. They agreed, but later brought it up when they were airing their many grievances, they accused me of giving them a 'curfew '! Even though that was the ONLY time I asked that they be home at a certain time, most date nights they would be out until about 3! Some people are just ridiculous.

Did you ask them when you accepted the job? I think it's fine to say "I'm afraid I'm only available to X time that day. If you still want me, I'd love to do it!" I think it's not cool to arrive on the day and say "By the way I need to leave at . . . "

I typically ask for a general time frame of when they expect to be home, and the families I sit for are very respectful of my time and try to keep it accurate. If there's a significant difference (an hour or more) in their estimate versus the actual time I usually get a text.

There have been a handful of times that I've let the parents know (ahead of time) that I was available but would need to be relieved by X time due to early plans the next morning (i.e. a friend's morning wedding). And its never been an issue.

I generally tell whoever is watching the kids "we'll be home around 2 give or take a half hour in either direction".

We make sure everyone gets home safely.

I ask what time they expect to come home but if they aren't sure I just prepare for it to be a late night. I would only say that I could only stay until a certain time if I had other plans that evening or early in the morning.

If I have plans, I would. But since I never do, I just leave it up to them. I want them to go out and enjoy themselves without worrying about beating the clock home to relieve me.

Plus, I live in CA where everyone drives and hardly anyone takes public transportation so after a family gets home, I just get in my car and go home.

Now if I were living somewhere where transportation were an issue and I was concerned about taking a bus or train home late at night, then yes, I would require a time. Or if they couldn't give me one, I would ask if they could provide a taxi home. It would only be fair.

I ask for an estimate, but plan on being there until 2 hours after the estimate. BUT, if a boss is consistently much later than the estimate or if they are consistently early and don't pay me the difference, then I stop working for them. I have never had a problem with nanny families, but I screen carefully for respectful considerate employers and have had good luck in that regard.

I don't know what the correct protocol is, some parents don't take it very well when you ask them to be home by a certain time. With one family ( note, they were not respectful of me at all) I had to work ( for them, not for another job) the next morning at 10am, so I asked that they be home no later than 1, so I could get at least 6-7 hours of sleep. They agreed, but later brought it up when they were airing their many grievances, they accused me of giving them a 'curfew '! Even though that was the ONLY time I asked that they be home at a certain time, most date nights they would be out until about 3! Some people are just ridiculous.

Just a Quick questions for nannies and babysitter who works date Nights or evenings, what do you do When the parents do not tell you At what Time they Will be back, or they are not sure, do you tell them you Would like to leave a At a certain time, lets say 11 pm, do you let them Know in advance? Thank you.,