Babysitters & Mojo?

[marine]

Question for those of you with kids, and also some advice from the husbands and fathers out there.

1. The wife and I talked it over and decided to get a babysitter ona regular basis so she can get out and take a break a couple times a week and go to the gym and shop and what not. Like a 2 hour block 4 days a week, and then additionaly one night a week or every two weeks for us to go out alone together.

What are you guys paying for rates these days for one baby ~3 months old????
I am thinking like 9 bucks an hour, and its in my home and the sitter can use all the goodies in the house to amuse herself while we are away. Plenty of goodies too.

Is 9/hour too high/too low?
Its going to be a college student doing the sitting, so I THINK that is fair, any suggestions?

Also, now here is the REAL dillemna!!!!

I put an ad up for students to sit for us. Got three calls and semi interviewed them on the phone, 2 idiots, one smart woman.
So I had the smart one stop by my office to talk with her more...

Guys, she is a perfect 10! 23, 6 foot tall, long blonde hair and like a size 4. The guys in the office were drooling! We are talking MOJO quality here.

But anyway, I maintained composure and talked with her more and was actually pretty impressed with her history and responsiveness - PSU grad, elementary education teacher job starting in the fall, so she likes kids and handles them decently, and was cpr, first aid and all that jazz knowledgable.

Thursday she is stopping by our house so my wife can grill her. I already know what my wife is going to say the second she walks in the door... NO!


How do I convince my wife that this girl was actually the best one I talked to on the phone, sight unseen?

 

[Inergelbp]

Man that is gonna be tough. You'll probably have to let her call the other two just to see for herself that this was the best choice, but it won't be easy.

 

[AR182]

i think that you should let your wife do all of the initial interviewing, especially when a candidate is a looker.. this way if a sitter doesn't work out she won't be able to throw it up to you whenever she chooses.

 

[dr. freeze]

as AR said tell her thats who you want and if she doesn't like it let her do the initial interviewing

 

[marine]

ah yes, but that is the catch 22, she cant go out and find someone since she is busy taking care of the little one 24/7... (thank god for breastfeeding!!!!)
Plus, I talked with her tonite about the sitter.. didnt tell her she was a hotty tho.. L* just told her the credentials and what not.

My wife trusts my judgement she told me, after all, I am a recruiter.

I just cant wait for the scowls I get on Thursday when she meets the sitter.

 

[GENO]

yah gotta pinpoint a benefit to your wife or baby that the sitter fulfills a sorta of hotbutton if you would. I don't know what it is but if you think about it long enough it should become obvious to you.

 

[ChrryBlstr]

if she objects....point out the obvious to the wife....you will be with her on your evenings out....AWAY from the sitter!!!




as for her trips to the gym, shopping, etc....theoretically....i guess you could sneak back home while she's away....so....i'd stay away from that can of worms!!!

 

[THE KOD]

just my opinion but a 3 month old is just too young to consider leaving with any kind of a sitter.

Instead I would look into very reputable day care centers. There are some that have internet cameras where you can check and see how the kids are doing via the internet.

If push comes to shove though hire the good looking one let your wife grill her , then you sneak home and grill her some more.


Good luck


KinG OF DoGs

 

[marine]

Gotta disagree Scott, a three month old is fine for a babysitter. All the kid does is eat and sleep. If its sleeping, let it sleep, if its crying, feed it.

I really can't stand the thought of my daughter in a day care center. Not because its a "day care", but because of the trust issues. I mean, do I really want to pay $15+/hour to have someone watch my daugher for 2 hours a day, drive 30 minutes each way to drop the kid off, spend 20 minutes each side getting the kid in and out of there with all her gear, turning the whole ordeal into a 3+hour evolution? Also, do I really want to send my daughter to a place that has to have video cameras installed to ease the minds of parents?


I want someone I can call up, she will come over, I can hand the kid off like Jim McMahon to Walter Payton and be on my way out the door to score for the night.


I would rather I have someone to spend 1 on 1 time with my daughter that I can trust.

Anyone else have thoughts on this? If anyone has good reasons for day care please chime in... but I am looking for something like 2 hours late morning and the occasional 8-midnight on a saturday. I dont think day cares are open that late at night.


And Scott, I was thinking about setting up a webcam and nottelling the sitter.. L* could charge you like $1.99 minute to watch her for me

But when I had her in my office yesterday, I explained to her that if she ever chose to screw us over and steal something or not take care of my baby properly I can have her enlisted in the navy chipping paint of the side of some boat in Guam for 4 years.
I think that is motivation enough not to f*ck this up.

Then I told her I was only kidding and in reality I would probably just have to spank her bottom a few times if she screwed up.

 

[Wilson]

To answer your initial question. Yes, 9 bones per hour is too much. Don't you have some 8th or 9th grade neighbor girl that will watch your baby for 5 bucks an hour? Works for me.

 

[rrc]

Have 2 boys 7 and 9 years old. The $9/hr you are willing to pay is a very fair rate. We pay $8 but our kids but our kids pretty much amuse themselves while the sitter is here.
Great idea to get out of the house for you and the misses a couple times a week. We've found it's much better to have the sitter come to our house rather than any alternatives.
One final thought...almost all our babysitters were either friends of friends, sisters of someone we knew, someone elses prior babysitter... We never went the straight interview route. Ask around you'll be amazed at who knows who and would be more than willing to babysit for you. Good luck.

 

[marine]

Wilson,
Neither I or my wife will trust a 2 month old with a middle/high schooler. We have two large german shepards as well, and we both feel that the baby and dogs would be too much for a young student to handle. And most students do not have their own transportation to swing by in the afternoon/mornings when their parents are away at work.

The only reason I am thinking about 9/hour is that we realize that who ever gets the job is not going to be able to work their own waitress/hostess store clerk job during that time and I dont think anyone is going to sacrifice a better salary for babysitting for 6 bucks an hour.

For 9 an hour she can wash the kitchen floor and do the dishes too.
I hope!

 

[rrc]

$5/hr is a liitle low.

Remember that your baby will be sleeping a lot which will provide tv or study time. Sitting for that age is actually a pretty desirable gig.

 

[marine]

Yea rrc, would love to go that route, but we are relatively new to the area and dont know anyone with children that have babysitters unfortunately. I have been prowling the campus here asking around and get very few leads since everyone leaves town for the summer.

 

[THE KOD]

Gotta disagree Scott, a three month old is fine for a babysitter. All the kid does is eat and sleep. If its sleeping, let it sleep, if its crying, feed it.

I asked around to a bunch of mothers that I know.

They almost all agreed that one year old would be safer. If you have a family member or someone in your church that would watch her that was a proven caregiver of children that age, that might be better.

All I know is that I wouldnt want my daughters safety or life in the event of a emergency, in the hands of a sitter. Too many things can happen when they are that small.

But you have to look at the reality of having some sort of freedom once in awhile. marine if your wife is watching her 24/7 when are you watching the kid ? No wonder she needs a sitter. Ever heard of take your daughter to work day ? I bet you could get some sign ups that day.


KinG OF DoGs

 

[marine]

Scott,
She let me watch my daughter one night while she hopped in teh shower.. she came out of the shower to see me laying my daughter on the table next to a box of half eaten pizza and beerstiens and whipping out the digital camera because I thought it would make a really cute picture.

The pictures turned out great.
Unfortunately, in her book, it was not cute.

Hence, I am unable to go solo with the baby anymore.


Do people really still go to church?
Shit, I thought that whole gig went out in the 90's

 

[MadJack]

finda granny and give her 10 bucks for the 2 or 3 hours. and quit looking for some sweet stuff on the side (not good)

 

[THE KOD]

Scott,
She let me watch my daughter one night while she hopped in teh shower.. she came out of the shower to see me laying my daughter on the table next to a box of half eaten pizza and beerstiens and whipping out the digital camera because I thought it would make a really cute picture.

Unfortunately, in her book, it was not cute.
Hence, I am unable to go solo with the baby anymore.
Do people really still go to church?
Shit, I thought that whole gig went out in the 90's

marine

Same thing happened to me with the laundry. Wife complained I wasnt helping. First load I did crammed all her white chit in the washer with a new red shirt.

BINGO .....no more laundry duty.

Yeh the Godly people still go to church. I am a member where I could turn to them in need at least.

KinG OF DoGs