babysitter etiquette - cancellation fee?

[kristine_elen]

We've hired a babysitter for tomorrow night but now it looks like we're all sick and so my husband and I won't be able to go out. I feel bad cancelling on the sitter (whom we've only hired once before). Should I offer her a cancellation fee, or is this just the way the cookie crumbles? The world of sitters is new to us.
Thanks.
EDITED TO ADD: I just talked to her and offered her the $20, saying I felt bad cancelling last minute after booking her so long ago. She declined the money and said no one else had asked her for that night anyway and that maybe she would have taken it if she'd turned down another job. I thought that seemed fair. Made me like her even more (she's older; maybe early 30s -- though still younger than me!).

[khakismom]

I've never had to cancel on a babysitter yet, but I sure remember people cancelling on me when I was a kid babysitting. I never got a cancellation fee. And I don't think I would offer one to a sitter if I had to cancel, esp. if I was sick.

Why not book the sitter for another night? That way, you're still using them, just not for that night. And if you are sick, it can't be helped. I'm sure he/she will understand. :)

[gravymommy3]

Is this a sitter you are likely to use in the future? And how long have you had her reserved? If you want to keep her, I would offer to pay her for two hours. She may or may not accept the offer but you have created goodwill by making it. Also, if you have had her booked for a long time, chances are she has turned down another job in the meantime. I know I for one am not rolling in the dough, but I personally would make the offer. Good sitters are hard to find.

[kristine_elen]

We secured her about three weeks ago (a pretty long time). I do want to use her in the future, in fact, she's the only sitter we know of at this point. I was thinking of offering $20 (she charges $10/hour).

[cdlamis]

I agree with Maureen. As a teen, I never got $ for cancellations. I like the idea of booking her for another time though.

I work for a professional nanny agency and our cancellation policy is 24 hours in advance- which you are doing.

Daniella
Mom to Julia 6-13-02
http://www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=67b0de21b35d0802848f *December pictures

[kransden]

ITA, good sitters are hard to find. Since it is so last minute, I would offer two hours pay too.

Karin and Katie 10/24/02

[cdlamis]

I just read your second post. $10/hr?? Wow! How old is she? Where do you live? Maybe I am lucky- the 15 year old next door charges $3/hr which I know is low.

$10/hour is how much I charge working through the agency and I work primarily at upscale resorts.

Daniella
Mom to Julia 6-13-02
http://www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=67b0de21b35d0802848f *December pictures

[kristine_elen]

I live in Maryland. I think she's around 30. She's an artist who babysits to supplement her income. My neighbor has a college-aged sitter who also charges $10/hour. I guess if I hired a teenager it might be less, I don't know. We've actually been lucky in that our parents have visited often enough that they let us go out on "dates" so we've never had to hire a sitter before, except for one afternoon when I had a project due. But I must say, at $10/hour tax free, I have considered doing some sitting myself!

[gravymommy3]

I pay the lady down the street (who is a dear friend, but still needs money like the rest of us) $10 an hour for three wonderful (yeah, right) kids.

I recently had to use the 13 or 14 year old that lives behind us (DH had a photo shoot and needed my help and the kids are not conducive to taking pictures) and I also paid her $10/hr. I use to hate it when I got paid less due to age when I sat. She did a great job and will be eager to sit again, so I guess it was worth it.

[emilyf]

I don't know about the cancellation-if we didn't have plans with family I might've hired her myself though! But I will say that we pay our sitter 10$/hour also-I think it is the going rate around here.
Emily \r\nmom of Charlie born 11/02

[Sarah1]

Kristine--

I'm glad you resolved the situation!

I just wanted to chime in since we use babysitters a lot. The only time I offered $$ was when I cancelled on one babysitter twice in the same week--both times with pretty short notice--and I felt really bad about it. I wrote her a check because I wanted her to know that I valued her time, even though she said it was OK. I felt like she deserved it. Maybe I'm crazy.

On the other hand, I've canceled a couple of times on sitters the day before or day of when I/we were sick, and didn't offer them any $$. People get sick, and that's just the way it is. And one time a sitter canceled on us because she was sick. So, it goes both ways.

[kijip]

$3 hour is less than I got as a teen 12 years ago. Where do you live? I need to move!

$10 or so is the going rate here in Seattle. But I never hire sitters- I just trade with other parents and take advantage of the friends who I help (with taxes and moving and such).