Husband and I are going away for a week... how much to pay the babysitter?

[LondonLisa]

My husband and I will be going on our first holiday away from our 22-month-old daughter. We have someone from her nursery staying with her for the 7 days we are away. This will mean the sitter will take our daughter home from nursery (6-ish) and stay all night and bring her to nursery the next day. Repeat. This will also overlap 2 weekends.
Any idea what fair pay would be? I don't want to skimp but I also don't want to be... ostentatious, if that makes sense.
We usually pay this sitter £8/hr if that helps.
Any suggestions are appreciated.

I think the OP has been given a really hard time on this thread. Nobody would think it acceptable be so harsh on a woman because she chose to go out to work, and leave her child for 10 hours every day. (And people who don't need the money do this)

Lots and lots of people go off and leave their children for a week or so. I also think it's more common in cities, where there are more people who can afford to do so, or who are more used to leaving their DC's with the nanny.

The OP has said her DC knows this carer well.

For what it's worth, I would probably pay upto £1000 for 10 days care.

op is crazy and mean imo
hope this is a wind up

Nursery day in day out is much, much harder on babies and toddlers than the odd holiday away from parents.

ohhh bonsoir, you are entering dangerous territory there.

No, most children get to see their parents each day when they are in nursery. Hardly the same as parents going on tehir holidays for 10 days.

Bonsoir is saying what most people don't' dare to.

LOL I quite like dangerous territory! I do believe what I say, though, through and through. Nursery day in day out (5 long days a week) is very institutionalising, whereas the odd 10 day or two week change in routine/carer can be quite enriching. It's the tedium, routine and anonymity of nursery care that is so sad. Babies thrive on one-to-one and variety!

No, she's justifying a choice she made and the op is because otherwise she's have to consider that leaving a child this age for so long is shit.

"enriching". No, you mean it was a fantastic break for you to be away from your dd and you told yourself you were doing it for her benefit.

how is it that you know that the OP doesn't currently leave the child in nursery day in day out anyway, lynette? according to the OP, the woman knows her child very well...

and i think that most people agree with anna, tbh, and are doing what works rather than what they'd prefer.

Have not read whole thread but our nanny used to charge her ex bosses £250 for a weekend looking after their Dcs so I guess 3 or 4 times that much?

x-post with anna, lol. what she just said is barking, imo. that a PARENT should leaven the tedium of 9-5 care by abandoning their child altogether to keep them on their toes is just hilarious.

How do you know that Bonsoir? Do you have a child in nursery that you have asked? Do you know lots of kids that sit and cry endlessly at nursery?

DD loves her 3 days at nursery and god forbid I still see her, play with her, eat with her, talk to her, get her up, put her to bed and so on and so forth on nursery days.... its not like I am on holiday on nursery days....

EXPATINSCOTLAND yes, I know I'm shouting. I know it's a bit rude. But I want to know about this taco bell... and it sounds like someone else does, too sorry for the hijack but this will only take a second.

3 days at nursery is not the same as 5 days - 3 days at nursery and 4 days with Mummy/Daddy is a lot less institutionalising than 5 days out of 7 (especially if both parents are working and need to do chores and errands at the weekend).

Adults get institutionalised in their workplace (big time). Why wouldn't babies/toddlers?

'Expat - there's a taco bell on the base?'

There is! There is a Taco Bell on a US base in England.

Gimme two secs I can find out exactly where, because I found out from other immigrants who wanted to go, but they are not military, so no joy.

Fuck!

I'd drive hundreds of miles to make a run for the border! :O

Well everyone and every place is different. My DDs feet don't touch the ground at nursery, they have garden time, ballet lessons, swimming lessons, library time, jumping jacks, free-play, drawing, painting, cooking - she does not have time to get bored or remotely institutionalised!

Mildenhall Air Base.

Where's that?

I want to write my senator, may I get a pass to get on Mildenhall Air Base?

I'm presuming the OP leaves her child at nursery 8-6 5 days a week.

Maybe you should rethink your post... that kind of structured activity and entertainment all day is exactly what I mean by "institutionalised"!

Being institutionalized and being unhappy are two completely different things, BlueBummedFly.

LOL i pay good money to my nursery institution to have staff ignore them.tedium, routine and anonymity doesn't come cheap days these you know

well if that's the case then all the more reason to take her on holiday as well. even if she has been to four european cities etc etc hem hem.

Find you a good nounou, LL, from Algeria or Tunisia.

That way, when you come back, the child will speak French, too.

Well, of a sort .

She will take la petite to the park, as well, and ditch her to chat away with her pals, teach her discipline, etc.

We all have our own understanding of the term, you commented that:

'It's the tedium, routine and anonymity of nursery care that is so sad. Babies thrive on one-to-one and variety!'

DD is not bored, her careers are kind and lovely and not anonymous in the least and she does get one to one, they all do, they have high enough ratios in the room that each and every child gets one-to-one during the day to do something they choose.

Anyhow, pointless argument. I am not the perfect mother you are obviously!! Enjoy your piousness, however, I have NEVER left my child for 11 days whilst I go off and enjoy myself skiing, I personally would have taken her with me.

Right, so mad now I need to go for a run.