Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Nurseries

Find nursery advice from other Mumsnetters on our Nursery forum. For more guidance on early years development, sign up for Mumsnet Ages & Stages emails.

Flip

Original poster

Nursery etiquette - can I ask keyworker to babysit or is this bad?

19 replies

coveredinsnot · 08/02/2009 19:35

My son's keyworker at his nursery is lovely. I'd like her to babysit for us occasionally, and I'm sure she'd love the money as I know they don't get paid much there. But I feel that asking might put her in an awkward position - is this overstepping the boundaries? Is there a way to do this that wouldn't get her into trouble? Or am I wrong in thinking this might be problematic? Thoughts please!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

morningpaper · 08/02/2009 19:35

ask the nursery manager

ScorpiowithabigS · 08/02/2009 19:36

I have about 3 babysitters from my nursery!

Lilyloo · 08/02/2009 19:37

We always got babysitting jobs from nursery. Think its quite normal and a glad extra wage.

paolosgirl · 08/02/2009 19:37

No, happens all the time at DS's nursery. Best to check with the manager though, in case they have some policy or other.

ilovemydogandMrObama · 08/02/2009 19:39

Most nurseries have a policy on babysitting and hiring staff - i.e. you cannot hire any of their staff as a nanny for a specified period. Babysitting usually is OK, but the nursery may want to know.

bran · 08/02/2009 19:39

It was fairly common when my DS went to nursery for the nursery workers to do occasional babysitting. I asked DS's favorite carer if anyone at the nursery ever did babysitting and she said quite a few did.

Meglet · 08/02/2009 19:46

I never even thought about asking nursery staff to babysit, but I might do now! My DS would think all his Chistmas's had come at once!

soon2befamilyof4 · 08/02/2009 19:50

When I worked at a nursery, we would love it when parents would ask to babysit. BUT our manager wasn't techniqually meant to let us do it and said to us "do it if you want, but I don't want to know about it and it is not down to me if anything goes wrong".

So basically, it was fine but she didn't want the responsibility of saying it is ok. So I would ask the staff memeber first IMO.

Lilyloo · 08/02/2009 20:22

Agree with soon2be the sitting will take place out of work hours.
Therefore not up to nursery to dictate.
Just approach staff if they are uncomfortable about it am sure they will let you know.

Mummywannabe · 08/02/2009 20:54

Do be warned lots of nurseries have a no baby sitting policy. I cannot understand this at all as if i don't trust my staff enough outside of work then what the hell am i doing employing them! Parents poaching staff as nannies though is another story altogether!

purepurple · 09/02/2009 11:30

I work in a nursery and lots of the staff do babysitting. It helps to supplement the crap wage, and the parents konw they are getting someone who is professional. Personally, I don't do babysitting as I have my own family and spend too much time looking after other people's children as it is. But it won't hurt to ask her.

Original poster

coveredinsnot · 09/02/2009 18:52

Thanks for all your replies. I feel more confident about asking her now - just didn't want to put her in an awkward position.

What's the going rate for babysitters anyway?

OP posts:

cmotdibbler · 09/02/2009 18:53

The staff at DS's nursery babysit. In fact, rather wonderfully they will even take him home from nursery and then babysit if we know that it'll be a day when we won't be home in time for pickup time (usually if I'm away and DH has a late meeting).

Nursery do have a lock out on employing staff as nannies

PortAndLemon · 09/02/2009 18:57

It's fairly normal. We've had several babysitter's from DS's nursery (and on occasion they've done the same as cmot's).

The going rate here (SW London) is £8 an hour for qualified nursery staff.

PortAndLemon · 09/02/2009 20:40

babysitter's? babysitters [headkeyboardheadkeyboardheadkeyboard]

Jenf2306 · 10/02/2009 12:40

i would check with the manager.

when i worked in a nursery - about 8 years ago i babsat for a family and i still do now, even though i left the nursery ages ago and i have my own dd. i even nannied for them for a year.

KathrynAustin · 26/03/2009 09:58

We asked DS1's key worker if she did babysitting - giving her the option to say no, but she was happy to be asked and now babysits often for us - I would only ask her to babysit over the weekend though as I know she works Mon-Fri.

We also pay £8 hour and I feel comforted by the fact we have a trained first-aider (well you never know!) who our children love looking after them!

Most of my friends rely on nursery staff to babysit.....

TigerFeet · 26/03/2009 10:01

We had to sign a disclaimer at the nursery to say we understood that our arrangement with the nursery staff outside of nursery hours/premesis was in no way connected to the nursery. DD's carers still babysit occasionally even though she's at school - she loves having them come to visit. We pay £5/hr which I think is a bargain for a trained nursery nurse.

dilemma456 · 28/03/2009 18:17

Message withdrawn

Flip