sitter question

kimberley wrote: ok so i found a lady to start watching the girls monday. she will do about 30hrs/wk at $9/hr it cost me $350 just to get her number

my question is, do i have to give her a christmas bonus or something? i've never had a sitter before so i have no clue about the ettiquette here. also, if Jamie doesn't contribute to her wages, my kids won't get presents from me, never mind the nanny.

ediep replied: maybe you could make her a plate of Christmas cookies are something like that, especially since Christmas is so soon

coasterqueen replied: Not this late in the game, I'd say not. Maybe a small gift, like a candle or something, but that's all I'd do.

Our sitter started watching Kylie in November that first year she was born and I didn't give her a bonus. I just got her a gift card to a restaurant. I started doing the bonus the following year.

mummy2girls replied: maby something teh kids made. personally i dont expect gifts expecially if the kids just started with me so soon before christmas...


im sorry about jamie.. but cant you get it enforced that he has to pay for half the wages? aron has to whenever jenna is in childcare... that is one thing i dont let slide at all.

Wow 270 a weeks? did i calculate that right? wow!

kimberley replied: yes, you calculated that right as for getting it enforced, i'd have to see a lawyer, draw up papers, have them go thru the court, see if he pays, then submit more papers to have it garnished from his wages if he doesn't put in willingly. it is not an immediate process, especially during the holidays, so i have to be prepared to be screwed for the first while.

i will just get her a small gift then. just curious, Karen, what kind of bonus do you give now? i seriously have no idea.

KingMom replied: I guess I'm cheap. My sitter started watching Colin part time in June this year, and now has Lauren part time; I just gave her a $20 Gift Card to Walmart.

Hope that wasn't an insult to her, I truely meant it to be nice.

mummy2girls replied:
im sorry kimberely... I know its a long process.. i call that blonde brain for me

(((HUGS)))

jem0622 replied: I would honestly do what your heart tells you to do. It isn't about money...it's about thoughtfulness.

I had no idea that you were going through this crud. I am so sorry.

booey2 replied: Kimberely, that sounds pretty expensive to me. Is she through an agency. Oh well at least you found someone. I would really like to kick Jamie for doing this. We were only giving our sitter gifts the past years but DH decided he wants to give her a bonus and a small gift this year. Probably around $100 but keep in mind we pay almost half of what you are going to be paying your sitter. Take care and lots of .

CantWait replied: Wow Kimberley that's a lot of money, I'm so sorry. I take it you went through an agency. I wouldn't even bother with a gift. Just a card with your appreciation. Have you tried to get subsidy? Toronto has a great subsidy program and if you've found a place already, then it won't take that long, just the line up to apply.

As for Jamie (because I can't say what I'd really like to say), tell me he's giving you child support???

kimberley replied: yes, it's thru an agency. i had no choice. going rate is about $10/hr for a baby and preschooler. no one else will sit from my home in my area. i want this to be as easy as possible on the girls and ripping them out of their home AND have strangers take care of them just isn't an option imho. i don't think i qualify for subsidy but i am waiting to hear back. i don't know if they even subsidize home sitters. he gave me some money last week but not enough to sustain the house and the kids. hopefully he'll give me more this week. we'll see.

Calimama replied: I would just make her cookies.. or get her a pretty ornament.

coasterqueen replied:
I've heard it's customary to give one weeks pay (salary) as a bonus, which is what we do for our sitter. So she gets around $200, but we require her to claim it on her taxes, which is customary with any employer, really.

I let Kylie pick out a small gift to give her so she has something to open at their Christmas party. We've done candles, homemade gifts, etc. I'm not sure what Kylie wants to do this year for her.

CantWait replied:
I hope it works out, all I know is from when I was subsidized, of course that was many years ago.