My 15 year old is babysitting tonight the latest she's ever babysat. She said the parents said that they'd be home around 1 or so. She's right across the street (LOL - I told her to turn out the bedroom light in the girl's room) and she asked me to put the house key under the mat so she can get in. I'm going to stay up and wait for her but DH said to come to bed that she'll be fine. I feel weird going to bed. LOL - Now tonight will feel like *I'm* babysitting - watching Saturday Night Live when I really want to go to bed.

So, would you wait up too?

Ann

oh tough one!
Well if the parents watch her come home to make sure she gets in okay, I'd go to sleep.
If they don't watch her, I'd wait up.

I'd wait up. Even though she's big enough to babysit and you trust her to do it so late at night, she's still your baby.

I'd wait up. You just never know....

It's so good that you care about your 15 y.o. enough to worry. :big hug: When I was 15, I was out till all hours reaking HAVOC!!!! :rolleyes:

Oh yes, I'd wait up!

I'd wait up, but not let her know. LOL I would worry, but I would want her feeling like I trusted/had confindence in her kwim... I dunno but I think I would feel "babied" if my mom waited up for me like that at that age. Not sure since I never had anyone wait up for me though....

my funny babysitting story. Chelsey babysat for a friend about six months ago. It was going to be a late night. around 1am. So i waited up. Or so i thought. I woke up around 3am freaking cuz i fell asleep on the couch and she still wasn't home.

i never even checked before calling the mama, waking up her houes at 3am to find my child. Who had crept quietly to her room and to bed as to not wake sleeping mama on the couch.

ugh.

New rule was 'wake me and tell me you're home'.

I might try to wait up, but i'd never make it. 1am is too much for this old mama. But i'd have her wake me to tell me she's home safely :)

They never stop being your baby!

When I was 15, I was out till all hours reaking HAVOC!!!! :rolleyes:

me too ~ :monkeydan

did you stay up, how was your dd's night? how was SNL ~ was Jack Johnson the musical guest? lol - he's good.

I'm pretty experienced wiht this subject. I never stay up anymore. I did the first few times they did this. (Cranky mom in the morning)
The rule in our house is wake me when you get home. That way i don't wake in a panic like Barb did.:) LOL

I don't usually sleep very well when everyone isn't here anyway:(

Sue

well since I stay up until DH gets home when he works late, I think it's ok to stay up and wait for your dd :D

I would.

This is *exactly* what I was about to type. :)


I'd wait up, but not let her know. LOL I would worry, but I would want her feeling like I trusted/had confindence in her kwim... I dunno but I think I would feel "babied" if my mom waited up for me like that at that age. Not sure since I never had anyone wait up for me though....

Well, I DID wait up ----- until 2:30 when the parents finally came home!! ;pop: MAN am I tired as is she! I called her a couple of times after 1 just to help her stay awake (she has no problem knowing I'm waiting for her and even gave me a hug for doing it) and SNL was OK. So, now I want to know, do I get a cut of the $60 she got!? LOL!!

Ann

I think I would have called to check on her at a certain time OR had her call me to let me know what is up or not.

I would have stayed up if not so tired that I zonked out too.

My 14 yr old often is hanging at the friend's house down the street til I start to nod off and I call him and say "Get home, I'm fading fast!"

You let her keep her $60......lol!

My parents always waited up for me, and I'm glad they did. One time a mom I was babysitting for (and granted, this was across town and not across the street) came home stumbling drunk, and was about to drive me home! Thankfully I knew my mom would be up and I called her to come get me. Obviously she would have come even if she were sleeping, but at 15, I am not sure I would have called if I knew she was sleeping.

Glad she wasn't mad at you for waiting up.

Michelle

$60.00!!!! That's how much a girl can earn babysitting nowdays????? ;pop:

How many hours did she sit and how much does she get per hour?

Around here, I think girls get $5/hr - which seems like so much to me. When I babysat, I got a dollar or two an hour (granted it was a long time ago).

Oops! Didn't see the responses here last week!

Yep, $10 an hour is what she gets - isn't that sick?? She started babysitting 2 years ago and the mom paid her $7 when she was 13 which was WAY more than I thought she should have gotten. I had her give back 1/2 the money but the mom wouldn't take it! They have the money, Lauren could use the money, they won't give any less, so she gets paid really well! Her sister gets $10 a day for pet sitting - going over 2X a day (it's right across the street) to feed their cat and bunny. Not bad!

She got to keep $30 and the other $30 went into her ING account. We always take half of whatever they earn and put it away for savings. She's accumulated quite a bit already on her own! LOL!!

Ann

umm yikes, I guess I'm really bad to my babysitter. We have 2 kids and I pay her between 5+6 an hour :(

I have 3 kids and I pay $5/hr. Although, usually the sitters only come after they are in bed - and I think that they are totally overpaid for sitting around in my livingroom doing nothing. I also encourage them to invite a friend - when my kids are in bed.

Man, I never would have made 2:30!

I used to sit for a couple across the street, and our arrangement was that I would flicker my bedroom light (which faced their porch) when I got in. Both my parents and the parents I sat for were comfortable with that arrangement, and my mom didn't need to wait up.

Back in the day I was paid $2/hr for 2 kids, and now we pay our sitter $5/hr for 2 kids, plus a tip at the end of the night. Sounds like your daughter made out very well!