Babysitter protocol

I'm going to have my next door neighbor start doing some babysitting for us and I would love to know what other peoples rules are.
Is it wierd to tell the babysitter not to use the computer? What is your routine when you have a babysitter come over? I know these sound like dumb questions, but your response may help me not to forget anything!

Re: Babysitter protocol

It depends how old the babysitter is, but when I babysat, i started at 15 for non family

I wasn't allowed to use the computer
Phone use was just for emergencies or to call the kids mom/dad if i had questions only
I was not allowed to have anyone over
The mom left instructions to what needed to be done-ex.homework, if they were allowed outside, what to eat
I had to make them dinner/lunch the majority of the time

That's basically it, really, most of the time i spent i was playing with them. I started with a 3 and 1 year old and by the time i was 21, they had 4 kids, and i was watching a 6, 4, 2, and 6 month old. I loved it, i can't believe now the oldest is 17!!

Re: Babysitter protocol

I had no rules when I babysat. I used the phone and the computer but that was at night after the kids were asleep. If it was weekday babysitting we were doing homework or playing or outside. On weekend nights they had to get dinner and sometimes baths and we would watch a movie and then bed.
I don't know what kind of rules I would set if any. I guess I would hope that I was confident enough with who I had babysitting that they would know the right things to do. I think my definite rule would be no friends over. Maybe I'm naive because I never have even thought about a babysitter other than my mom so these things haven't come to mind yet.

Re: Babysitter protocol

I don't usually have rules. When my older sitter comes I will let her have a friend or boyfriend. I know she takes care of Connor and he goes to sleep so early that she is just sitting here by herself.

When my niece comes she is young
I tell her she can't use the computer till Connor is asleep only because he wants to touch it. I usually encourage her to get a movie off the pay per view since their is nothing on to watch on the weekends.

We tend to skip baths on nights we have a sitter. I have no issues with phone use after he is in bed.

Babysitting can be VERY boring.

Enjoy the time out!!!

Re: Babysitter protocol

So what's the going rate these days per hour? I live in Ohio, not NY, so I'm assuming I can knock a dollar or two off per hour.

Re: Babysitter protocol

Message edited 2/2/2007 4:10:57 PM.

Re: Babysitter protocol

I started babysitting fairly young. I never had any rules, I just didnt use the phone and computer unless the kids were sleeping b/c they needed my attention. That is something, if you decide, you may want to mention to your babysitter.

Re: Babysitter protocol

I pay $10 to a grad student - what she requested. Also, she babysits on Saturday nights so when my son is sleeping she can do whatever she wants, computer, TV, help herself to anything in the fridge, cupboards (no alcohol ofcourse) etc. I pretty much open my house to her.