Getting a babysitter for the kids at the reception

hipannie

Hi everyone,

due to the fact that there are so many young nieces and nephews between me and my FH (8 in total), we decided to get 2 babysitters to entertain the kids and keep them busy and happy. we will be paying the babysitters an hourly wage and giving them money for gas to get to and from the reception.

we were planning on hiring an ECE student (heck, if i could i would call The Babysitter's Club) as suppose to going through a babysitting company since the parents are pretty much right around the corner.

my question is, is it inapproporiate for me to ask the sitters to come after dinner? if they come for dinner, that's 2 more people we have to add to our guestlist and we will also have to pay them so this is all added expenses. it would end up costing me about $500 for 2 sitters for 5 hours as suppose to about $250

also, if anyone has any suggestions on the type of person i can get to watch the kids, that would be great such as, ECE student or self-employed nanny etc. i need someone who is good at child minding yet can entertain the kids.

thanks!!

Jewel224

Definitely an ECE student - you can always check out the local college - they should be able to recommend one.  Where abouts is the venue? 

About the having them come after dinner - I would suggest you have them there throughout dinner to have the little ones get use to their presence.  Also keep in mind, not everyone that is bringing children will want some stranger to look after their children so they may not make use of this service.  To keep your costs down, I would suggest having one sitter?  You may also want to consider checking with those with children to see if they will be using this service.  It may give you a better idea of whether you need one or two sitters.

hipannie

my venuse is at the Royal Ambassador in Caledon. if i bring the sitter to the dinner, is she now considered a vendor and i will have to pay for her meal? maybe i will ask the hall to see if they will allow her to watch the kids if there is a kid's table but she's not eating.

i figured 2 sitters in case one of them need to use the washroom lol. there will be 7 children ages 2-8 years. i figured the ratio of babysitter to children is 4:1. 4 of the kids belong to my sister and she is begging for a sitter and i think the other parents would appreciate it.

petite+engineer

You could also ask the teenage children of one of your guests (who wouldn't normally attend) to babysit. I used to do this for my parents friends at their parties. At least you'd be hiring someone you are familiar with, and the other parents might be more comfortable.

Honestly I'd be kinda annoyed if I was expected to watch a group of kids eat and I wasn't allowed to eat any of it.

Jewel224

And yes, your sitter is considered a vendor, because she/he certainly isn't a guest if they have a job to do for the night of the wedding.

I agree with Petite though - it would be rude to bring in a vendor and not offer them a meal.  You should consider their needs as well - they will have to deal with 4-8 children and they need their energy.  Especially since there really isn't a fast food place around the Royal Ambassdor.  Nearest restaurant will be 15-20 minutes away.

naomikb

I would feed the sitters but not include them in the bar, which should bring your price down.

For 8 kids I would definitely have 2 sitters.

Do any of the nieces/nephews live nearby?  If so you could hire their regular babysitter which will make it easier to find someone reliable (parents' recommendation) and some of the kids will already be familiar with them.

estimi

There's a company called Little Party Goers that provide games etc area for kids, great and covered with liability insurance. The problems with just hiring 2 babysitters is how many of them are there to take care of how many kids, and in an open area with adults walking around? And are they familiar with the kids? Maybe you can ask those parents who are coming w kids for their recommendations. Good luck

JennLax

I'm not sure of their prices, but in a planning book they were giving out at the bridal show there were two special event babysitting companies:

Loving Care - www.lovingcare4u.com
Babysitting Angels Inc - www.babysittingangels.com