I just can't believe a mother at home with her 10 yr old needed a babysitter.

Sorry - should have been "I can only do it..."

MB here. She should have paid you for your time.

Unless you really need the work I'd not babysit for her again. If you do need the work then I think you need a gentle but clear conversation with her the next time she calls you.

"I'd love to babysit, you know I enjoy Janie so much. But I really do it if you will actually be paying me for the full time. I can't afford to hold the hours, and spend an hour commuting, if it turns out that you won't need me the whole time."

If you want to keep working for her, next time she asked I would tell her that you have a minimum price for booking (3 hours salary /$45) due to both your drive time and for reserving your time. She will get the hint and pay you extra for the last time, or she's a selfish C and you know what you're working with.

She should have paid you in full. I would decline and tell her that if she reschedules or changes plans like that you expect full payment as you decline other jobs for hers.

She should have paid you in full.

So next time she asks say no.

I was supposed to babysit a ten-yr. old girl this morning for about five hours.

I have babysat her many times before and never had an issue.

So I arrive & we play for an hour.
Then she got an invite for a play date online, called her mom for permission then got picked up by her friend's mother & left.

My charges mother came in at that point and made her a lunch to take along on her play date.
She then apologized to me profusely saying this play date was unplanned which I understood.

She then gave me $15 (my hourly rate) for the hour I was there.
I felt she should have paid me for the other four hrs. I had dedicated to her, but she never offered.

The driving commute is 30 min. each way & I feel screwed over.
She couldn't have been more apologetic or kinder about the whole thing, but still I am a bit miffed.

Your thoughts?
Am I being selfish here? Should I just let it all go?
Or should she have paid me in full??

Once while I was there, a violin instructor showed up for a 1 1/2 lesson appt. w/her older brother, but he was at the movies still and the mother had forgotten to cancel so when the instructor showed up, she paid her in full and apologized profusely for forgetting about the lesson.