Babysitting question

[BobDear]

DD (17) is babysitting on Saturday. Neighbours we are friendly with and she has sat for them before.

They are off to a big party and have asked her to cover from 6pm till 3am.

She is worried that she will fall asleep on the sofa whilst that they would be expecting her to stay awake. I'm not sure. Oldest child is 13 so could wake her if there was a problem, but on the other hand she is being paid to be responsible for them.

Would you be annoyed if you came in at 3am and your babysitter had dozed off?

I definitely dose off if I’m babysitting that late. Usually it’s not a properly deep sleep so I wake up when I hear the door, but before when I haven’t I apologised for being asleep and was told “don’t worry, it’s what I’d be doing if I were here”

Parents don’t sit up all night in case something happens. I see no issue with it!

I would definitely have a sleep! I wouldn't expect a babysitter to sit awake for that length of time

Its fine, expected even. She could always say ‘ I might doze off hope that’s ok” if it’s that or they have to back earlier ……. I’m sure they will be ok with it. Actual parents don’t stay up all night .

Qeve offered the babysitter a bed for the night in similar circumstances.

Yeah I agree with this - probably good to make expectations clear beforehand just in case, but what parent is going to stay up til 3am every night?! I think the parents would be being unreasonable if they expected the babysitter to stay awake late night and if they did they should be paying a generous rate.

6 until 3am I would be offering to make up the spare bed and telling the baby sitter they could go to bed and sleep here, and be paid accordingly of course.

When I was a babysitter I used to sleep on an airbed in the kids room with him when mum was going to be out past 10 (kid was only 5-7, I was a regular Friday babysitter and sometimes I'd stay all day Saturday with them and babysit again Saturday night)

I'm sure they won't mind her dosing off for a bit.

I don’t mind at all if the sitter snoozes on the couch.

I wouldn't worry to be honest. Your neighbours surely sleep at night when they have their children in the house. All I'd say if she starts getting dozy, make sure the living room door is open. The older one can come down, any younger ones are likely to call out or cry (and would wake 13 year old up even if they didn't wake her up).

This.

But even on the sofa of course she can sleep, most people don't stay awake at night 'in case something happens' - it's quite normal for a household to be asleep.

"They are off to a big party and have asked her to cover from 6pm till 3am."

For this time frame, I would be inviting her to stay over. I'd expect her to stay up until perhaps midnight, do a final check on the kids that they are asleep and ok, then go to sleep herself. Definitely wouldn't expect her to keep herself awake until 3am!

Thank you.

It's only a few doors down so no need for her to have a bed for the night, but good to hear that sleeping wouldn't be considered irresponsible.

She could set her phone alarm for 2.15am or whatever

I have always been able to fall asleep really easily. Some families did expect me to stay awake when I was younger and babysat. I used to simply set an alarm every 30 minutes if I thought I might drift off.