To expect to be fed when babysitting?

[PulpFriction]

Babysat for a friend last night for the first time, don't know her all that well, but our DCs are at nursery together. Had a long day at work, and by the time I got back, fed DD and put her to bed I was famished but totally assumed friend would have got something in for me to eat. When I arrived, quickly realised that all that was on offer was tea/coffee. No crisps, no choc, no biscuits and NO dinner whatsoever. I could have wept. I did end up finding some biscuits but felt a bit guilty just helping myself. It was a long hungry night...

Whenever I have a friend to babysit, I go overboard with a nice ready meal, choice of wine, pudding etc, but having just a 2 yr old, I'm relatively new to the whole babysitting protocol. Should I have brought round my own tucker?

You fed DD so couldn't you have done yourself something too?

What time did you go to babysit? Maybe she presumed yu would have eaten before you went. I wouldn't expect to make a meal for a babysitter. Snacks maybe.

YANBU to expect something to munch on.

It's hit and miss for me, I have one great family who always buy me a tesco finest pizza but other's just leave and I'm left hungry and alone -sob-

I generally provide tea and biscuits, not a meal. What time did you start?

I've never fed a baby sitter, only pointed them in the direction of the biscuits...

May be if it was very early, but we never left the children before 7.30/8pm ish

If a friend is babysitting as a favour for free, absolutely would provide a meal and extras. If I was paying would still leave some snacks

I have never ever laid on a meal for a babysitter - assuming they arrive about 7pm or something. Yes - wine in the fridge, biscuits etc, tea, coffee etc - but never real FOOD.

I always cook for mine before I leave.

Something they like.

YANBU to expect to be told where the snacks are. I did a lot of paid babysitting as a teenager and was only once left a full dinner, but then I was getting paid, nearly everyone either left biscuits out or told me where they were.

Yep, I would have left snacks but not a meal. Usually leave some hummus/pitta bread/carrot sticks, some nachos or crispy type thing, or biscuits/cheese and some fruit.

I do think it depends on the time a bit though.

I would always offer a meal or at least have something suitable in the fridge and encourage the babysitter to forage if she feels hungry

Very hit and miss - I babysit a lot (am a nanny) and as Juney said some people leave out a bowl of sweets, ask what pizza I like, leave money for a takeout, say help yourself, leave 2 tea bags a splash of milk in a jug and others have nothing in their house what soever I once went to a house and bearing in mind they had 3 kids there was actually nothing edible in the house not even a packet of crackers :(

Got there for 7pm. I didn't think for a minute to eat with DD as was rather looking forward to eating a nice pizza or whatever in peace later. But, I'm used to eating a late evening meal (8 ish) so fully accept that many families have a big dinner together earlier in the evening.

Wasn't being paid, just trading favours

Can't really blame them, and they probably would have expected you to have eaten, but it would have been nice of them to offer you a snack though!!!

I had no idea babysitters expected dinner.

I always leave crisps, coke, chocolate, remote control for babysitters but I have only ever used teenagers.

I love the idea of a bit of fridge foraging redwine

It sounds a bit expeditionary - 'I'm going out into the kitchen, I may be some time...'

You could have ordered a pizza

^ I've been locked in before...

Agent Zigzag Ha ha. I suppose that I might not assume the babysitter is expecting dinner or not, but would leave pizza and some tasty scooby snacks in the fridge just in case

If you were doing a favour for a friend yes indeed they should have provided a pizza or snacks for you to munch on, imagine the price that they would pay if they had a professional sitter, its on another thread on here.

I always show babysitter where snacks are and suggest they can help themselves to toast or yoghurts/other bits in fridge. If they start early and put DD to bed I'd be really sure to leave them something but our usual babysitter never ever seems to eat or drink a thing when she's here (and she's not exactly a skiinny girl so I've no idea what she eats!)

Gosh. I've never heard of babysitters expecting dinner before. I did a fair amount in my teens and only ever got left biscuits.

I always do food for a babysitter, partly in the hope of luring them back to babysit again

I do babysitting exchanges and wouldn't expect to be given a meal. Last time I did it I didn't have time to eat before I went so I took a ready meal with me and asked if I could bung it in their microwave (they didn't have one so it had to go in the oven!). They asked if there was anything else I needed so I asked if I could do some frozen peas to go with it. If I hadn't eaten I'm sure they wouldn't have minded me making myself some pasta and whatever, but I wouldn't have relied on it.