Should I pay the babysitter?

why don't you compromise and pay her half??

Sounds like a good idea DiAnA. A compromise.

I wouldn't pay anything if you gave her notice.

Many who do child care in their home are depending on a certain amount of income each week. Usually that is something that is discussed before selecting a child care provider. The ones I know of require payment on a regular basis even when the child is not being watched, but don't charge anything when they take time off. Think what it would be like if you or your husband were told at your jobs that you weren't needed for a week so no pay. If you have a good provider I would say you should pay. Good day care is not always easy to come by.

I would pay half. That lets her know that you appreciate her and if you gave her several weeks notice then I don't think you should have to pay the full amount.

if you didn't tell her she would get vacation pay then i wouldn't pay her

I would think it depends on how you regularly pay her - related to what Sadie mentioned. If you stay home with your son because he's sick, do you still pay her a set amount each week? Or do you only pay her for the days he actually visits her?

This should be determined before hand. My son goes to guitar lessons. I pay while we are on vacation and we split that paid for lesson into two half sessions and add it on to his next 2 lessons. This way everyone makes out.

If you had agreed to pay it is one thing, if it was not discussed , discuss it now. I would not pay more than half but if she asked for payment I would agree to half. When the Y kept my son if you give 2 weeks notice you did not have to pay.

If you use her all the time I would offer some sort of vacation pay.

i would pay half as well, just so she knows you arent trying to get out of paying her, but not that you are paying her as much as if she was actually working...

i agree with them... half sounds good.. its better than nothin... and then you still have respect from her...

If she's set up as a Day Care, then she would have told you up front what her rules on time off are. Many require a payment of some sorts to retain your position. If she is just a baby sitter, then it is not required. You can ask if she has a spot hold policy, though.

she should have vacation time, any child care centers that ihave worked with, parents get up to two week of vacatin a year.

most daycare make you pay a holding fee wich is usualy around half. so you probley should offer to pay at least half. expcialy since you do like her so much.

I wouldn't pay her

Thanks for all your input. I need to have my husband read this, LOL!

If the child is not going to be there all week. I would not pay the sitter as you told her well in advance. So, she could get an a child while yours was gone. You not under any obligation to pay for something you are not using.

When my kids went to a sitter, if they went for one day. I would pay for the whole week. But it they did not go the whole week. I didn't pay as I was not using any service to pay for.

She is taking care of your child, you pay her the going rate for a baby sitter. You cannot expect free help. Does your husband work for free?

Pay her all of it and appreciate the hard work she does. There is no way for her to find another client to come and fill this space while you are gone. Why would some other family only want or need her for a week or two? Also, have you considered how much a provider loses if all her parents do this? As soon as a provider allows it for one, she needs to allow it for all. That can easily make reduction in up to 4000 per year for some providers, more or less depending on the part of the country, how many kids they have, what they charge etc.

I have also learned that if I allow this behavior, parents well send the kids away to grandmas or Aunty's house anytime the parents feel some financial pinch. Why should daycare providers have to disappoint their own children, never have money for birthdays or Christmas to make their clients happy? Personally, I wouldn't want to work for someone that thinks so little of me and I have let go of MANY families through the years that otherwise were good clients.

Suzi

I know I'm probably a little to late on this one but for future reference as long as you give her a notice well in advance were she can plan and maybe save a little money for that week or so that she knows she will have one less client then I don't feel you need to feel quilty in anyway.You shouldn't have to pay when she isn't watching your child and you seem like a really nice person but realistically it would be best to put that money into something else and maybe if its bothering you a lot because you guys might be friends then write her a card and give her a little token to show your appreciation like 20 or 30 bucks just something that you can afford.I hope this doesn't sound mean or anything but i just think that would be the best thing to do.

I would simply just ask her"

"do I need to pay you for the week he will be gone?" If she says no and you think you can afford to pay her something then I would offer her something.