To think that dozing off on the sofa is OK for a babysitter?

[BitOfFun]

To my mind it is - if the kids wailed it would probably wake her up, we have smoke alarms etc, and I often have a snooze myself after I've put the kids to bed...

Another poster was annoyed to come in at 11pm though and find this to be the case, and I just wondered if anyone else would have a problem with it?

One thing I did have a problem with was finding what looked suspiciously like a small open cellophane bag with some white powder in on the floor under MY BED...so I have never used that babysitter again - but as we'd had a few house guests (who seemed straight as a die though)that month I didn't throw any accusations around...Oh, how I wish I'd discovered mumsnet then

I digress: sleeping on the job - I say OK, so AIBU?

and find out where the fuse box is

blonde has lived and learnt

dozing is fine.

Although if I were paying £6 an hour I might have expected them to do some of my ironing as well

iron

NEVER

cat - i said the same thing at 19.34

if the bs doesnt hear you come in through the door and into the room - would they hear a crying child?

Ive pretty much up on babysitting as i got sick of a few particular parents coming in at 2am on a school night (after saying 'oh yes, we'll be home around 11), when i have to get up at 6am to start my days work... Sometimes it can be hard not to doze off and i agree, if youre going to be out v late you should probably expect it. Not so sure if youre only out til 10 tho!

Its always the ones who stay out far later than they tell you they will that count out your money to the very last 5p as well!

Question for you babystters out there.

Do you charge extra ph for the hours after say 1am?

I dont, but, have considered telling parents (those latecomers ) that I will start.

Never could tho, but, thought it might deter them

I never actually gave a rate either, but most parents felt they should give a bit more and I didn't turn it down.

I babysat a lot as a teenager, and as it was a school based babysitting circle set up weekday sittings were never later than 11pm (might even have been 10.30) with a drive/taxi home required. I wouldn't have been sleeping then, although I'm sure I dozed at times. At the weekend I quite often did sleepover type sittings, and the charge was higher for a late/non sleepover sitting, mainly because our parents didn't want us to be too tired to study. Those times I would usually be asleep before the parents came home. I'd have no problem with someone dozing but then my children have very very rarely woken up at night since they were pretty small. We haven't used a babysitter for a couple of years, but when we did and if they had nightmares they would have had no hesitation in waking up the babysitter, as she was a good friend of theirs.

I babysat for a friend as a favour when I was 6 months pg. Was expecting her back at ten, esp because at that point I was completely unable to stay awake beyond then (I miss that lovely pregnancy sleep...ahhh).

She got in at 11.30pm, when I had to be up at 6.30am. I was asleep and I didn't feel guilty!

And I didn't babysit for her again, either...