BabyDummy Questions: Babysitter Edition

[Auspicious]

Is it really the same price to watch two kids as one? I guess I didn't charge per kid back in the day, but I feel like taking care of two is way harder! Is it weird to have the same sitter come to your house for the same price each time but not always watch the same number of kids? I'm thinking our hypothetical sitter would be watching both girls for now (with Hazel likely napping for at least part of her visit) but could possibly be coming to just watch Hazel while Cora is at preschool in the fall. Same price, right?

Also, I'm looking for someone for 5 hours a week, while I am in my home office, behind closed doors. I have a pretty perfect-sounding applicant through sittercity from a college senior I'm about to respond to. (And one that's almost as good, if that first one doesn't work out.) The first time she comes over, I plan to stick around and interact, since the girls have never had a sitter at home before. In a case like this, what would you do as far as checking references and/or background check? (I confess I don't want to do either of those, but I need iMSN permission to skip them. )

I generally (with one exception) pay a flat rate for 1 or all of my kids. It's very generous when there is only 1, but with all 3 it's pretty much the going rate. I do pay Nora (my adult, 2x/week sitter) more when the boys are around -- but she's more of a nanny than a sitter.

I haven't done a background check on anyone -- but I normally get my sitters via friend referral or knowing their parents, etc. Plus, my boys are older, and I feel confident that they would tell me if there was an issue (in fact, they did with one sitter, and I haven't used her since).

[Mrs. MD, Esq.]

When I babysat I charged the same for 1 to 3...more than that usually upped my rate (or if your kids were nightmare children, but that's an entirely different situation...)

[Auspicious]

but she's more of a nanny than a sitter.

What makes someone more of a nanny than a sitter?

What makes someone more of a nanny than a sitter?

Well, she WAS a nanny (full time) for a long time, but she also does a lot more of playing, engaging, teaching kind of stuff than most sitters (in my book). I guess I think it's just a better, higher level, adult (not a student -- Nora's actually older than I am and has 2 high school aged kids) sitter. She also does some light cleaning - the house is always cleaner when I come home than when I left it.

For my teenaged sitters, I'm really looking for someone to hang with (and play with) the kids, but I would never come home looking to see what they'd learned today. Nora is like Mattie's very own pre-school. In fact, I could send Mattie this year, but I'm not - specifically b/c we have Nora.

[Auspicious]

I see! That makes sense.

[alison]

I can't offer advice, but do hope it works out for you. Let us know what kind of arrangement you come up with.

I always feel like the lines between babysitter and nanny are blurred. We currently have a German nanny, but I do have our house cleaner come on occasion to keep an eye on M. Usually I'm around, but I'm able to step out an run an errand or make phone calls. Quite honestly I don't see the difference between the two care givers. They talk nonstop to M, have activities, sing, etc. My house cleaner actually manages to do dishes and clean up while she takes care of M, and when M naps, she tidies up.