AIBU Babysitter always asks for lift home?

onlyroz

If you only pay her £7 an hour then offer her a few extra quid for the bus fare.

rach_k

If you've never actually said no to giving her a lift, I think it's unfair to assume that she's being awkward or anything, and the special snowflake comment is completely unnecessary. If you say no and she makes a fuss or refuses to babysit, then she's being unreasonable and you'd be right to feel miffed. If, however, you've always given her a lift, how else is she to know whether you'll give her a lift home this time? She's only asking. She could just make her own transport plans but if you've given her lifts with no comment up till now, she probably doesn't realise you mind. When I used to babysit, the dad always insisted on walking me home or if they got a taxi home they'd send me off in it and pay the fare. Even when I started driving, he would walk me out to the car and watch until I turned off the road - it wasn't weird, just caring. If other parents she works for have been like that, she wouldn't know to expect any different. Just say "No, sorry" and see what she says.

Loz01

Christ £7 an hour, prices have gone up since my babysitting days But seriously, at 24 years old... you'd expect her to get home on her own. Can she drive? (sorry if Ive missed that somewhere in your post) If you're going for a night out its a bit unreasonable for one of you to sit and not drink just to take her home!! Talk about defeats the purpose of a night out lol. Even then if its a 25 min drive, aren't you spending a bit of money on petrol?

PasturesNew

At 24 and not driving .... she should really have a moped so she can become independent of others. I had a moped the minute I could afford to buy one ...

freeisgood

Thanks, we always overpay her, I always add another pound per hour as a extra. Yes, it's not fair on her, as I suggested in my opening post I just wanted a way to tactfully tell her no.

.. and mentioning a lift home is not available at the same time as asking for her to sit is a great way of giving her the option of refusing

Thanks for all the good advice. I knew my fellow msers would come to the solution

pollypenny

Can't you join a babysitting circle?

onomatopoeia99

I was getting a tenner for an evening of babysitting (about 3 hours) when I was 14, which was 1983. £7/hour for a two hour job that also includes almost an hour of travelling if she's walking?

Pay her more and suggest she takes the bus home would be my approach.

Kaye1

Another point to consider-

She's good with the kids.

She lets you book 2 hour slots- that's a bonus.

She needs to walk 25 mins there and back- so 50 mins walking for £14-£15 quid.

Yes, I totally agree she should walk but- will she be bothered to take the work if she has to spend 50 mins walking there and back? I don't know her financial position, so can't make that call.

I would probably take her home at 10.30pm because it is later but wouldn't offer for the 8.30pm.

If she stopped doing it, would you be able to find a replacement you can rely on? Again, I don't know the answer, just things to consider.

Spendless

Kaye1 wrote: »

Another point to consider-

She's good with the kids.

She lets you book 2 hour slots- that's a bonus.

She needs to walk 25 mins there and back- so 50 mins walking for £14-£15 quid.

Yes, I totally agree she should walk but- will she be bothered to take the work if she has to spend 50 mins walking there and back? I don't know her financial position, so can't make that call.

I would probably take her home at 10.30pm because it is later but wouldn't offer for the 8.30pm.

If she stopped doing it, would you be able to find a replacement you can rely on? Again, I don't know the answer, just things to consider.

Alternatively she could walk the 2 minutes to the bus stop that is a direct route to where she lives.

Part of me going out, is being able to have an alcoholic drink and I'm perfectly capable of doing that without being drunk.

I'm surprised a 24yo adult, doesn't think that maybe the parents of the children she's babysitting for would both like to have a drink and not have to drive.

Mind you, a few years ago, my DH's Godson and his girlfriend used to babysit for us. Godson was 15 at the time, girlfriend 16. It was the 16yo who used to have to be home before 9.30pm.

lika_86

Spendless wrote: »

Alternatively she could walk the 2 minutes to the bus stop that is a direct route to where she lives.

And pay for the bus, bringing her actual pay down? I wouldn't do it for the amount left, unless I was getting my bfh on top.

I'd pay her for the equivalent of one hour more of her time on top of babysitting (to include her time and effort getting to you) and let her sort herself out one way or another.

Ultimately it's someone you trust with your kids and who is reliable, how much do you value that?