I have a babysitter that I love to bits. She is FABULOUS with both kids. Very happy, very patient, would rather play with them than sit in front of the TV, and does her best to keep them both happy.
However . . .
I've noticed that the house is generally a mess when she leaves. The food is broken into little pieces so Rebekah won't eat too much and gag, but then it's left on the table for the world to see when mealtime is done. I always find myself ridding the basement floor of toys. So for all of you experienced mothers out there - do I bother bringing the mess up? or should I just be grateful I've found a babysitter that does more than plug my kids in?
6 comments:
This is my humble opinion:), I think it is great that you found such a fabulous babysitter with the kids and I wouldn't bother telling her about the mess! That's just me though, it would be nice if they did do that but not even my husband goes that far when he watches the kids:)!
I'm still too shy to tell a babysitter about messes. Just try someone else?? No, I would just ask her if it would be okay if she helped you out by picking up a little. I think babysitting these days is a little different that when we did babysitting. More was expected, kids these days are LAZY. :o)
While I'm not experienced and I'm not even a mother...yeah, I'd just be grateful. I guess to put it bluntly, I would much rather have 2 hours away from the kid, than a clean house. I'm such a mean father.
My daughter babysits (sometimes for you), and I personally would want her to know if there's something she could do to improve her babysitting service. While the kids are, and should be, the center of attention, there's no reason why messes they make cannot be cleaned up.
I am in the same predicament with one of my sitters, except she sometimes fails to thoroughly clean the diaper area after a poopy diaper change, and a few other things. But she's a teenager and I think she needs to know these things, and possibly be taught, cause if I don't tell her, how is she ever going to learn? ...Only problem is I don't have the guts to tell her.
Remember that ultimately you are her employer and you are paying her to take care of your kids and watch your house while you are gone. So you have a right to expect it. I think its kind of unprofessional as a sitter to leave a mess.
I would ABSOLUTELY bring it up. I don't expect a babysitter to clean any mess that I've left around, but if it's mess that was made while you were gone, it should NOT be there when you come home. There's nothing wrong in improving the job that YOU are paying for. It's all about proper training, and you are the perfect source for it. I remember being taught (fortunately by my mother) as a babysitter that you clean up after yourself. I'm sure her mother would be mortified if she knew the mess your house was left in.
As a preventative measure, I tell my babysitters up front (usually on the first job) that I tip them a little more if I come home to a clean house. (Truthfully, most of the time, I do my best to leave the house clean so the sitter has seen a standard that I expect.) Honestly, because babysitting pay is so variable anyway, the 'tip' is basically up to you. After I've taken them home, I'll look around the house and if I find that they've gone above and beyond the call of just watching the kids, then I send them a little card with a little extra money in it later to reinforce how much it meant to me to have those little tasks done. Anytime I've done that, when that babysitter is re-called, I never have to worry about a dirty home and it only cost me a few extra dollars (and I'm talking $3-5).
Good Luck. But, again... Say SOMETHING! It's all in the way you say it.
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