Have you taken a sitter with you on vacation?

coasterqueen wrote: I have a work event next month at a gorgeous resort/spa. I don't have to work the entire time I'm there, which is nice. I can enjoy the place with my family. Usually when we go Ryan stays with the girls while I go to my events. This time I'd love for him to attend some of the events with me so we can get out together and have a little fun ourselves. We had discussed taking my cousin along with us to watch the girls while we are at certain events. I'm just not sure what to pay her for the time she's with us. We'll leave on Monday evening and come back either Friday or Saturday. I've already arranged for us to stay in a 3 bedroom villa while we are there so she'll have her own room for privacy. I'll also sign her up for a pedi/mani and horseback riding if she wants to go. ETA: I'll also give her $25-$50 chamber dollars to shop at the downtown stores when we go.

So if you took a sitter with you on vacation, what did you pay them?

mummy2girls replied: wow.. can i be your sitter?

thats tough i am not sure. But what youa lready told us you are giving her would be good enough for me to watch your kids and to go on a paid vacation... again can i be your sitter?

My3LilMonkeys replied: I've never done it but I'd say with all expenses paid and the perks you mentioned you shouldn't need to pay her a whole lot - maybe $100 or even less? I guess it depends on how much she will be left alone with them and also how much she will be responsible for them when you're all together.

coasterqueen replied: Sure Shelly. Come to Illinois and you can come with us. You'd have so alone time to go to the pool, lay out, go shopping, go boating, whatever. There are also other fab spa treatments you can do. I just got her a mani/pedi because she's younger. My work will pay for the amenities, food, all that at the resort/spa so I just have to pay her cash for going with us.

I am not sure how much down time she'll have for herself. Mainly Dh would go to the lunches and dinners with me and after the dinners we'd go out and have some fun. So she'd definitely be watching the kids from like 6 to midnight and then just two hours for lunch. When Dh is around he'd still be responsible for her somewhat. We won't let her run wild on the resort for too long at a time.

~Roo'sMama~ replied: Lol if it were me, I wouldn't expect anything above my expenses paid and the fun of just going somewhere. Especially for family. what you're offering sounds great!

A&A'smommy replied: dang I wanna be your sitter too lol!!!!

not but really with all expenses paid and with the perks you mentioned I would probably pay her 75-100 dollars

Kaitlin'smom replied: dang for that I will make the drive to IL and stay with them....heck I coudl bring Kaitlin and they could all have fun again.

hire me

luvmykids replied: How old is she? For any teenager I think a trip like that plus $100 would sound great

Cece00 replied: We havent before but we are this yr!!

I am so excited, I am HAPPY to have as much help as possible- we have 4 kids!

I am paying all her expenses & paying her $50 a day.

She's 16.

mom21kid2dogs replied:
I agree
If she won't do it for that, I will!

My2Beauties replied: I think everything you're offering is perfectly fine for a teenager like that and maybe $75-100 as others have mentioned. How long are you going to be there?

coasterqueen replied:
We are going to leave Monday night, since it's over a 4 hour drive there and I have to be there by 10:30 am on Tuesday. Then the event is over on Thursday at noon, but since my work will pay for us to stay longer we may not leave until Friday.

Maddie&EthansMom replied: How old is she?

Since your job is paying for lodging, amenities and food, I would give her $100 to spend however she likes. If she wants to go horseback riding she can (unless you are all going together, then I would just pay for hers as well). Or she can book a mani/pedi or facial at the spa and use some $$ for shopping.

coasterqueen replied:
She is 13. She's babysat for us before. Her longest "sit" was 6 hours while we went truck shopping. I was so nervous about her babysitting at a young age, but she did fabulous and the girls won't stop asking when they can see Kayla again.

My work will pay for the pedi/mani, shopping money, and horseback riding because that's provided for all of us. So I just have to give her some money. I'm thinking $75.

Maddie&EthansMom replied: Our sitter is 13, too. She does a much better job than any 16 year old we've had. It doesn't hurt that she only lives a couple of houses down, either.

Anyway, I meant to tell you that sounds like so much fun!! I hope you guys have a great time. And $75 sounds perfect!