How would you pay in this babysitter sitaution?

[wanderlust]

Rachel's physical therapist's daughter (we'll call her T) is my "Mother's Helper" she is 13 and she comes onces a week and plays with the girls so I can get some stuff done (I am always there). The girls love her.

H and I have to go to a memorial service and I needed a babysitter for tonight. I love T to pieces but we will be gone for probably 4 hours (the service is a bit of a drive from our house) and whom ever babysits will have to put the girls to bed, so I think T is just too young for this.

So I knew T's older sister who is 21 and majoring in elementary ed, was home from college. So I asked their mother if she thought the older sister would be interested in co-babysitting with the T. She said that the older sister was busy, but she would come with T.

I really appreciate her doing this, it is kind of a perfect situation, the girls love T and I feel better knowing there is an adult in the house. But how do I pay for this? Just the mother and let her pay T? Just T? Both? How much?

[Deleted]

i'd ask the mom how she'd like to have herself and T compensated. i think a perhaps good rule of thumb would be pay T the regular payment and 2x that to the mom?

[idoinjuly]

Maybe pay T, but give the mom a certificate for a mani/pedi or a good restaurant.

[Deleted]

I don't think you have to pay the mom. I'd pay T the normal rate and her mom can decide if she thinks she ought to get a piece of that.

[rottimom]

If I were the mom I would say just pay my daughter. Do you think she expects to be paid? I would just ask her. I can see this being pretty akward though.

[momnteach]

May 25, 2012 14:14:10 GMT -5 idoinjuly said:

Maybe pay T, but give the mom a certificate for a mani/pedi or a good restaurant.

I like this idea.

[angelaa73]

I would only pay the daughter

[janiejones]

Pay T, and gift mom some wine, or a nice full starbucks card