Sitter Stories

Ok, whew.  This one comes from an Anonymous Sitter.  I was laughing hysterically!

"I have been Babysitting for one family for over 7 years now in Hoboken.  The Parents are divorced.  The Mom is a little less involved than the Dad, but still has her days with the kids.  One time when I was there, the Mom went out for the night with her new boytoy.  The kids ran into her room/bathroom to brush their teeth.  As I walked in to help the younger one, I noticed that all over the floor were sex toys and condoms.  I was so disgusted!  I wanted to ask why the Mom kept these things out where her kids could see them but I didn't."

Anonymous Sitter, I love this.  You are a trooper! 

Sitter Stories

This email comes from a Hoboken Babysitter named Melanie.  

"It really bothers me when a Parent tells me what time they are coming home. A lot of times they say they will be home at X and then come home an hour or two earlier.  Then, the Parents don't pay me for the original said time.  I rely on any money that I make for bills.  Don't you think that Parents either shouldn't say a return time or if they do, they need to pay until that time?"

Melanie, Yes.  Yes, they should be paying until the time they said they would return.  I always find it disgusting when Parents do things like this.  Come on, Parents, don't you want to keep your caregiver happy?  What's an extra $30-$40 to you?  But, Melanie, do you say anything about it?  If you do, you probably don't hear back from them.  If you don't, then you probably do Babysit a lot for them and it continues to occur.  It's one of those problems that us Nannies/Babysitters face.  I just think that the Parents need to pay and everyone will be happy.  

Sitter Stories 

If you're following me on Facebook, which you should be: Hoboken Nanny, I told you that I  am going to do a series of stories that just babysitter's have emailed me about. Some are hilarious and some are just downright sad that they have to work with these people.  C'est la vie!

Let's start with this one.  From a Sitter named Rachel.  

"I have a full time job in the city.  I like to babysit on the side, not just for the extra cash but because who doesn't like hanging with a cute baby or kid from time to time?  My hours at work are 9-5.  I get back to Hoboken and often go to meet families for a potential date night or whatever.  I'm in my early 30s and have been babysitting for 15 years.  I've got the experience.  I want to know why when I give people my rate($18 for one kid), I never hear back from them?  Can you help me with this one?"

Rachel, here's my answer: people are cheap as F%#@.  I once read this quote "If you want an average Babysitter/Nanny, you pay for an average Babysitter/Nanny.  If you want an amazing Babysitter/Nanny with experience, you pay for an amazing Babysitter/Nanny with experience. My advice is to just keep truckin.  I loved when I used to interview and I would go to these million dollar brownstones and lofts and the Parents wouldn't budge on the hourly rate that they wanted to spend on a caregiver.  With your experience, you are worth the $18 an hour.  If the families you meet don't want to spend that, then find a family who will.  They are out there.  Some Babysitters price themselves low, not because they don't have experience, but because they want a steady family who can rely on them.  That's fine too.  Think about it like this: would you rather make $18 an hour one time, or maybe $15-$16 with a family who loves you?  But you could also find a family who relies on you and you can make $18 all the time!  It just depends on how much a family is willing to not be a cheap bastard.