What are your expectations of a babysitter? We had a new babysitter Monday because our normal sitter was booked. I went downstairs to the playroom after they left and stuff was EVERYWHERE. It took me an hour to clean up. Maybe it's just me, but when I babysat I used to leave the place cleaner than when I arrived? Ex: All the puzzles were ripped out of the closet and scattered around the room. Goldfish were everywhere. Crayons everywhere. It looked like a frat party. Are my expectations too high? I don't mind a little mess but this was crazy...
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I always cleaned up when I babysat too so I would expect it to not be a disaster... Maybe not perfectly cleaned up depending on if the kids were awake the whole time and all that, but at least toys a little picked up and tidied.
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There are two kinds of sitters: those that clean after the kids are napping/sleeping and those that don't
all kidding aside, i tend to use the ones who don't clean as my backups and not my regulars. i've also heard of people having better luck with leaving a list of "rules" (e.g., no tv/screen time, clean up toys after playing with them) that the sitter should follow with the kids so they are easy to explain to new sitter and documented.
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My sitters usually clean! But a lot of the time I take DS to their house. I make him help clean up before he leaves.
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I always cleaned up, too! I would just set that expectation at the start of the night.
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@brownepiano: I'm the same way. If we go to someone's house i always make DS clean up after himself.
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I expect my sitters to leave it as least as clean as they found it...this doesn't always happen of course, but usually, or I'd be irritated
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This wouldn't bother me, to be honest. Our playroom is usually has train tracks on the floor, half built lego creations on the table, etc.
But if it was my expectation that the room be cleaned up, I'd specifically mention it.
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@looch: that would not bother me! :). The room was literally trashed. I felt like I should have just let my 3 year old down there by himself.. Same result lol
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Depends on the sitter, really.
Our nanny leaves the house spotless and if any toys are astray, she apologizes! But she's paid really well, so I do expect her to tidy up.
We had a neighbor watch the boys for an hour, and toys were everywhere, but it was just for an hour and the boys were awake so I didn't really expect her to clean up.
If the kids nap or go to bed while she's there, I would expect a little clean up. It doesn't need to be spotless or organized, but tidied, yes.
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This would not bother me for a sitter. I think of a sitter as almost like a back-up and someone who is there just to entertain my kids and keep them out of my hair. I expect the nanny (who is there 3 days a week) to clean up, etc. That is part of her stated expectations.
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I would expect the room to be in the same condition as the sitter found it unless the child was still playing with something. I always cleaned up as a sitter or cleaned up with the child. After all, I wanted the parents to call me back for additional work.
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@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: that's my thought.. Like I said I don't mind some mess but total destruction I have an issue with.. She will definitely NOT being called back
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I've very rarely had babysitters clean up for my return. Honestly, I expect a babysitter to keep my kids alive, fed, and happy. I can deal with the rest.
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That bothers me. I've had a couple of instances where my nanny has left more toys out than when she arrived. I posted about it here. I've had to specifically ask her to clean as they play. I actually go to bed late/wake up early to clean up any toys my kids play with at night so that she has a clean environment to work in, and I expect the same in return.
But like you, I feel like this should be understood--it's a little "red flag"ish to me that I've had to spell it out, more than once, for it to happen.
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I would at the very least expect the room in the same condition s/he found it. If we paid a sitter and they let our kids trashed the room that much? We wouldn't be calling them back either.
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@MamaBehr: just curious does your answer change if your home and only responsibility is to play with the child in playroom?
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@Anagram: also I have a 14 month old, I'm not sure how any of them managed to walk around the room with toys literally covering every open floor space.. And food on floor.. Granted it was goldfish
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I'd expect some effort but I wouldn't be upset if things weren't where I typically put them.
Goldfish or other snacks being on the floor would bother me.
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there were days (as a nanny) that the day was just SO crazy I couldn't go above and beyond, but I always at least left it tidy. by above and beyond, I mean the days that were calm (good naps, solo play) I'd get their dishes done and clean laundry folded.
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I remember getting in trouble for not doing dishes after making cookies, I was probably 12 or younger. After that I never left a 'mess' again when babysitting.
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I'm raising an eyebrow at Goldfish being everywhere. Toys, ok. Food? No. That doesn't seem like a good sitter to me.
In general, I would expect a regular nanny/sitter to clean up, but I would let it slide for a one time sitter.
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If the kids were still awake it wouldn't bother me but if they were in bed and she was just sitting there watching TV instead of cleaning up then it would bother me!
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When I babysat growing up, I always left the house cleaner than when I arrived. All toys were put away and any dishes that we used were clean (and I sometimes cleaned other dishes that happened to be around the kitchen too!).
I wouldn't necessarily expect the house to be spotless (especially if the kids were awake the entire time). But it definitely should not look like a tornado went through the playroom.
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@Anagram: Have you resolved the issue? Do you have a contract with your nanny? We spelled out tidying and children's laundry as part of her expectations (first and foremost is keeping children safe and fed, obviously). She also will do more than that when there's a good nap day for the baby (do parents laundry, vaccum, swiffer....and she was essential in our recent move with packing and unpacking).
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When I babysat, I would try to leave things the way I found them. Or as close to it, anyway. That would be my expectation! With a 7 mo old I haven't had to deal with that too much just yet but it's something I should begin keeping in mind as she plays with more toys/eats table food.
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I would expect them to leave it at least as clean as when they came, if not better! Were they playing right up till the moment you came back? I would have said, oh, let me stay an extra 10 minutes to help clean up first.
I mean it's not like a huge huge thing but if you have other choices I def would not call her back!
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I usually ask people to pick up the toys rather than expecting them to automatically do it. But food left on the floor would make me angry. Most people I know don't leave food on the floor in their own homes, so why would they do it elsewhere?
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Leaving a messy playroom that shows the kids were having fun and the babysitter was playing with them? Fine, no problems at all. A trashed room that looks as though she just let the kids run wild and absolutely destroy the place? Not ok and I would be voicing my disappointment. It's not just the issue of the mess, it sounds like she wasn't even watching them if the room got to that kind of a state, and THAT would be my biggest issue. Definitely would not be asking her back....
We have a 16 yr old girl babysit on occasion and whilst she doesn't really clean up, it's not a disaster zone and I can tell that she was actually engaged in playing with the kids, so I'm fine with it.
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@winniebee: I'd call it semi-resolved. I'm still kind of on the fence about her. We have a contract, and it does spell out my expectations. After her first week, I sat down with her and went over it all again and things improved. But then, just this week, she's been sliding on the picking up stuff area again, and I'm going back to thinking it isn't a great fit. I'm torn. After checking around with my local mom friends, I'm not expecting too much, so it does seem to be that our nanny is just not very observant/doesn't care/maybe is a bit lazy and I guess I'm at the point where I have to decide if I'm going to live with it or let her go.
I should go back to my other thread and post an update.
all kidding aside, i tend to use the ones who don't clean as my backups and not my regulars. i've also heard of people having better luck with leaving a list of "rules" (e.g., no tv/screen time, clean up toys after playing with them) that the sitter should follow with the kids so they are easy to explain to new sitter and documented.
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