Working Mom Gives Her Babysitter A Chore List She Can Complete For Extra Cash
Although the prices are low, it doesn't impact the agreed-upon childcare fee.
LightFieldStudios, Kiki Nunchi, Soulmemoria / CanvaPro Having and taking care of kids is a full-time job. So, having a full-time job on top of childrearing is no easy feat. However, it’s the reality of many working families today. They’re balancing the responsibilities of their jobs, their families, and their well-being.
It all adds up, and sometimes something's gotta give. For content creator, teacher, and business owner Katrina Ivan, it was the household chores that fell by the wayside.
She had a babysitter who helped out with the kids, so Ivan decided to test out a new multi-tasking arrangement. She left the sitter an optional chore list offering additional pay per task, hoping it would help them both out.
The working mom left an optional chore list for her babysitter, in case she wanted to make a little extra money.
“You are more than welcome to hang out and watch T.V. all night,” the mom wrote in her note to the babysitter, “but if you want to make some extra money, these jobs are up for grabs.”
Photo: @kivankc / TikTok
Ivan defined certain prices she’d be willing to pay the babysitter based on the task completed. These prices would be in addition to the already agreed-upon babysitting rate.
Many viewers thought it was a great idea but offered alternate pricing options.
“I think it’s a great idea,” one commenter added, “Sometimes it’s boring to sit and watch television. It will give her something to do while making more money.”
Although many comments applauded the mom for her chore list, some thought the prices she included were not fair. “These are 1990 prices,” one commenter wrote.
Desperate to ensure fairness and appropriate pay for her babysitter, the mother responded to several comments asking for advice. She was paying her babysitter $18.75 per hour “while her child was sleeping,” which was already higher than the national average of a little over $15 per hour for babysitting.
Initially labeled as $3, the mom upped the vacuuming price to $10 after a commenter called it “way too low.”
Ivan's prices and optional chore list were fair considering some of the horror stories shared by babysitters on social media.
TikTok is home to many debates, horror stories, and hilarious interactions from babysitters across the nation. TikToker and babysitter Chloe, for example, shared her “worst babysitting story” that had her rethinking her chosen profession.
“I wish this family all the best, just not with me in the future,” she admitted. While she described the horror of misbehaving kids, Ivan's optional chore list, while the kids slept, was likely a dream gig.
Sadly, some parents go as far as to not pay their babysitters at all.
Whether it was ghosting Venmo requests or simply refusing to pay, some sitters had horror stories that were way worse than Ivan's $3 vacuuming chore.
So, while some comments called Ivan's chore list “inappropriate,” others found it innovative. And really, as long as it left the decision up to the babysitter, it was a pretty sweet deal.
Like the TikToker above described, there could be worse things.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a news and entertainment writer at YourTango focusing on pop culture and human interest stories.