Here's The Rules

The babysitting rules.  Rules for the parents.

Parents can do some crazy things when they hire a babysitter.  And since I've babysat thousand of dollars worth of time, I think I am qualified to set some ground rules.

1. You hired a babysitter.  That means you pay the babysitter.  
• If you don't have money, don't hire a babysitter.  
• Don't pay your babysitter with change you find in the couch (or any change, that's just rude).  
• Checks are fine, just don't post-date them, I have things I need to buy too.
• Agree on a price per hour before babysitting.
• Asking how many hours I've been there is fine.  Asking me to multiply the hours by the price per hour is not fine, it is hard to do in my head, and I don't like to see your face when I tell you how much it costs.  Just figure it out yourself, and don't whine.
• Don't try and talk me down from how much it costs, you are the one how birthed four kids and still wants to go to the movies, not me.
• If for some reason you cannot pay me the night I babysit, you should give a little extra for being late.
• Don't tell me you want to pay in clothes that don't fit you anymore.
• If your kids were bad, its nice to tip, not just for me, but for you too.  You want me to come back to babysit someday right?
2. Don't hire a babysitter for an hour.  It probably took me 15 minutes to get to your house and 15 minutes to get home (at least), parent's don't seem to realize this, and it costs money to drive to your house, and its not worth the $6 for the hour.  Or at least cough up $15 for my time and gas.
3. Realize that your kids aren't going to listen to me if they don't listen to you.
4. Know that if you don't ask me how they were, I'm probably not going to tell you unless it was really bad.
5. If you don't want your kids to watch t.v. or movies, don't also tell us not to do crafts or coloring, because what do you expect us to do?
6. Don't tell me the kids to go bed at 8:30 if you can't get them to bed at 8:30.  Tell me what actually happens, not what the goal is.  It stress me out when they are late getting into bed.
7. If I'm going to feed your kids dinner, feed me dinner too.
8. Know that your kids are going to lie to me.  Some kids have told me they don't have to wash their hands after going to the bathroom.  Some have told me later bed times.  Sometimes they just tell me that you read them 3 chapter books before bed.
9. Tell me your rules, or I'm going to have to make some up.
10. Remember that you didn't just hire some babysitter off the internet, you hired someone you will see again. Put your underwear away if you don't want me to see it.
11. Know that I try to enforce Christian principles when I go over to your house, I'm not a heathen, but I also don't know all the nitty-gritty of how you parent.
12. Since I'm not going to spank your kids, I have to use time-out.
13. If you care what pair of pajamas they wear, set them out.  If not, I'm going to look in the dresser, and put whatever I find on them.
14. Tell me if you want me to answer the phone.  I don't usually unless you tell me.
15. If I babysat for you, while you went to something I could have gone to also, i.e. we're church friends and you went to a church event or something, please tell me how it went.
16. Warn me if your dog eats shoes.
17. Leave me your cell phone number.  I rarely call parents, but sometimes its necessary.
18. Call me if you are going to be more than 5 minutes late.  If you are going to be 6 minutes late, call me.  I might have somewhere to go after.
19. Tell me if your kid is sick before hiring me to babysit.
20. I'm not a maid, I'm the babysitter.
21. I'm not watching your cat/dog/fish, I'm watching your kid.
22. And don't take me for granted.

There are probably some more, I'll post them later if I can think of them.

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right." Ephesians 6:1