If your child babysitter, do you meet the parents?

[WishboneDawn]

Just curious. My daughter had her first babysitting job outside the extended family this weekend but before she went my husband and I went and visited the parents for a half hour or so. I'd met the mom for a few minutes another time but not the father and my husband wanted to meet them and see the house. So I let them know that we wanted to get together before my daughter babysat for them and we had a nice visit. The mom and I are probably going to get together for coffee someone soon.

 

Does anyone else insist on this? We are generally pretty laid back parents but this was a given with us for whatever reason. I don't remember it happening with my parents.

[Catwoman]

My ds13 doesn't babysit, but if he did, I wouldn't let him sit for strangers. I would definitely want to meet them first -- and if I'm going to be honest here, I would have to admit that I probably wouldn't let him sit for any family we didn't already know very well.

 

I know that probably sounds terribly overprotective, but it is what it is.

[Desert Strawberry]

I occasionally babysat for neighbors from age 11. My mom knew them and made the arrangements. At 16, I started babysitting on my own and making my own arrangements. My mom never met the families that I worked for. 

[Catwoman]

I occasionally babysat for neighbors from age 11. My mom knew them and made the arrangements. At 16, I started babysitting on my own and making my own arrangements. My mom never met the families that I worked for.

I think that sounds very reasonable.

[bettyandbob]

dd has done very little babysitting (she's too busy and makes money pet sitting/dog walking and now lifeguarding). When she has babysat I've gone with her to visit the family before the first job. I've been with her to see the home and hear what the parent expects. Then dd and the parent set up the time of the first job. These have been families who we already knew a little bit from the neighborhood and neighborhood activities like swim team. 

[WishboneDawn]

I occasionally babysat for neighbors from age 11. My mom knew them and made the arrangements. At 16, I started babysitting on my own and making my own arrangements. My mom never met the families that I worked for.

My daughter's 15 right now. I wonder if we would have insisted in another year?

[SpecialClassical]

I think that is perfectly appropriate and it is good for your daughter to have your support.

[2squared]

I prefer my daughter to babysit at our house, particularly since she's young and just getting started babysitting.  We have toys and other kids to play with, and so often parents like to have a night "out" in their own home.

 

To answer the original question, yes I meet the parents and kids before she babysits.  At some point I won't need to, but I don't know when that will be yet.

[Desert Strawberry]

I mostly stayed at my own home before I was 16. I did it a lot at 11 and 12, rarely for a few years, then often at 16. It was my main source of income through high school and college.

 

My parents were very firm on the 16 deadline. My friends were working a great deal at younger ages, but I was not allowed. I was only allowed weekends until the end of my senior year. I was 17.

 

I was offered an almost full-time gig at 14 but my mother declined for me. She thought I was too young to work that much. I would have accepted, because I loved the baby , but I deferred to my mom. It was a lot of responsibility. I would have essentially been raising him. 

 

I did pet sitting from age 9. I had more of that in the down time when I was babysitting less. My mom arranged that, too. We managed an apartment building, so she had the hook up, and put us to work :)

[Joanne]

My daughter has always sat for already known families.

 

I think that meeting the parents and seeing the setting is reasonable.

But I don't necessarily think *not* doing so is bad parenting.

[nd293]

I can't imagine dd babysitting with complete strangers simply because I'd assume there would be a word-of-mouth reference. At the moment she just babysits for two amilies at school (it's a small school with kids from 3-18yrs). Word-of-mouth coupled with me dropping her off and meeting the parents at the door would probably be enough for me. I would definitely not let strangers collect her or drop her at home, word-of-mouth or not.

 

One of the families dd has babysat for did show me around the house and tell me there were no guns on the property. I was glad to know it, but then spent the rest of the day wondering how often she is in houses where there ARE guns, a rather disturbing thought for me!