https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 11 Apr 2026 14:02:01 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-pay-family-when-they-babysit#post-283659 Thu, 06 Sep 2012 07:46:19 +0000 heffalump 283659@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Coco Bee: Yes I prefer they be here too, everything for LO is here and it's too much work to pack it all up and then I always feel like I forget something! My mom doesn't mind though.... plus she knows there's no way to get things done AND watch my LO at the same time! She's too much of a hand full :)</p> <p>That was nice of you to make dinner! It's the thought that counts. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-pay-family-when-they-babysit#post-283657 Thu, 06 Sep 2012 07:44:54 +0000 pelikila 283657@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My sisters-in-law always refuse payment but every other time or so I give them an Amazon gift card "from" my son so they can't refuse it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-pay-family-when-they-babysit#post-283652 Thu, 06 Sep 2012 07:42:29 +0000 Mrs. Pen 283652@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@artbee: aww that's so sweet!!!</p> <p>I know my mom doesn't mind watching LO and of course she adores him... but I don't think it's her FAVORITE thing to do... like she might rather do something else - especially at her house. I prefer for her to watch him here because his bed that he is used to is here and so his sleep is easy and undisturbed. But if she had it her way, she'd always watch him at her house so she could still get things done.</p> <p>So I made her a dinner, tilapia, artichokes and fresh cherry tomatoes - and she brought panera for dinner! haha oh well. DH got it instead :P </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-pay-family-when-they-babysit#post-283649 Thu, 06 Sep 2012 07:39:21 +0000 mrsjyw 283649@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our parents won't accept anything for babysitting. My mom will be primary care when I go back to work so we plan on paying her weekly, even though she expects nothing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-pay-family-when-they-babysit#post-283643 Thu, 06 Sep 2012 07:33:38 +0000 looch 283643@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My parents wouldn't accept anything from us and I don't think my inlaws would either. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-pay-family-when-they-babysit#post-283634 Thu, 06 Sep 2012 07:19:05 +0000 T.H.O.U. 283634@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My IL's live about 20 minutes away and my husband will always offer to buy them dinner while they are here or give them some gas money. I think one time we bought them a gift card. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-pay-family-when-they-babysit#post-283539 Wed, 05 Sep 2012 23:16:20 +0000 BoogieBea 283539@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Unless its a regular thing, I wouldn't need to pay the grandparents anything. Even then, they probably wouldn't accept anything. Spending time with the grand kids are priceless to them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-pay-family-when-they-babysit#post-283507 Wed, 05 Sep 2012 22:28:05 +0000 Springtime 283507@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My MIL watches LO 8 hours a day, and I don't pay her, she wouldn't accept if I tried to offer! We are very thankful so we get them gift cards to red lobster every once in awhile. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-pay-family-when-they-babysit#post-283397 Wed, 05 Sep 2012 20:44:04 +0000 Mrs. Sunglasses 283397@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>my family wouldn't expect me to pay them. but maybe you can have a mommy/daugther time together? Coffee, pedi, massage, shopping whatever... just you and her. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-pay-family-when-they-babysit#post-283395 Wed, 05 Sep 2012 20:43:00 +0000 blackbird 283395@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>What if you took her out for a pedicure? My mom also wouldn't take money from me, but she can easily be talked into pedis or lunch :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-pay-family-when-they-babysit#post-283340 Wed, 05 Sep 2012 19:39:13 +0000 Jumpingjacks 283340@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I wouldn't pay. It could get out of hand really fast. But I do think showing your appreciation is important like with an occasional card, invite for dinner, etc. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-pay-family-when-they-babysit#post-283336 Wed, 05 Sep 2012 19:35:14 +0000 heffalump 283336@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't pay my mom, she wouldn't take anything from me. I actually joked with her that her chanukah gift this year is a sleepover with lo. The reality is that dh and my gift to each other is a night away and we wanted her to babysit. But when I told her about her "gift " her eyes lit up and she got so excited! I told her that's not her real gift, it would be a favor for us and she would get a real present. Even though I know a night with lo beats any present I could give her. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-pay-family-when-they-babysit#post-283270 Wed, 05 Sep 2012 18:37:10 +0000 chopsuey 283270@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We don't pay family.. We do prOvide dinner or lunch though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-pay-family-when-they-babysit#post-283267 Wed, 05 Sep 2012 18:31:40 +0000 Andrea 283267@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I wouldn't pay for one night (I would just provide food) but my mom helps out a lot when she visits for 2 weeks or so. I always give her a nice hand bag or watch. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-pay-family-when-they-babysit#post-283257 Wed, 05 Sep 2012 17:50:33 +0000 birdofafeather 283257@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i wouldn't pay my parents or in-laws to watch my LO when she arrives unless it was for an extended period of time. and i probably wouldn't pay, but would get a bottle of wine or something. if it were one of our siblings, i would just give food money or something. i know they are going to be more than happy to watch her when she is here! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-pay-family-when-they-babysit#post-283251 Wed, 05 Sep 2012 17:47:29 +0000 Running Elley 283251@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I also wouldn’t think to pay our close family for watching LO. I’d make sure the house was clean when I left and leave good food but that’s it unless it was for a few days or an extreme circumstance. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-pay-family-when-they-babysit#post-283249 Wed, 05 Sep 2012 17:44:46 +0000 photojane 283249@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i wouldn't even think to pay my parents or in-laws. when my sister-in-law was nursing full time she paid me a little bit to nanny my nephew, but that's a different situation. for a date night or something like that i wouldn't expect/want her to pay. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-pay-family-when-they-babysit#post-283223 Wed, 05 Sep 2012 17:13:42 +0000 MamaMoose 283223@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I can't ever see myself paying a close family member to babysit. I would probably just make sure there was yummy food in the house. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-pay-family-when-they-babysit#post-283214 Wed, 05 Sep 2012 16:59:03 +0000 Foodnerd81 283214@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When I've babysat my nephews they have never paid me, nor would I accept it. But they make sure there is food for me in the house that I like, or maybe pick up take out or something.<br /> I did babysit my nephew for a full week, including taking time off work, and my sister sent me a massage gift certificate after that. I didn't expect it but it was nice, but that was also for a different circumstance than just watching him for a few hours.<br /> Like stargal, my family loves to babysit the LOs! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-pay-family-when-they-babysit#post-283205 Wed, 05 Sep 2012 16:40:57 +0000 stargal 283205@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>my family LOVES to watch Ds, they would seriously pay me so that they could watch him lol. Ive never really offered anything since only his grandparents are with him and i know they would never take any money, etc.. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-pay-family-when-they-babysit#post-283199 Wed, 05 Sep 2012 16:36:52 +0000 Mrs. Pen 283199@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My mom is coming over to babysit DS tonight... She's really only babysat him a few times... one time I "paid" her with a gift, and another time it was in exchange for something else she did... I don't remember.</p> <p>I know my mom doesn't expect me to give her or pay her anything... but I always feel like I should.</p> <p>What do you do when family babysits? Do they expect anything, have you talked about it? </p>