Working as a babysitter is tough. Not only do you have to take care of the kids, but you also have to be mindful of any requests from parents to maintain a good reputation. One issue that babysitters face is that many of them aren’t paid as much as they’d like for their efforts. So, the chance to up their earnings is usually appreciated.
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Kansas City-based mom, teacher, and small business owner Katrina Ivan, who is known as @kivankc on TikTok, has recently gone viral after giving her babysitter a list of chores that she was free to tackle (or ignore!) for some extra cash. However, the idea divided the internet. Scroll down to see why. Bored Panda has reached out to Katrina via email, and we’ll update the article as soon as we hear back from her.
Meanwhile, Bored Panda reached out to parenting blogger Samantha Scroggin, the founder of 'Walking Outside in Slippers,' for comment. Read on for her thoughts about the babysitter chore list idea, plus her advice for fun date nights for parents.
Mom Katrina recently shared her idea of giving the babysitter a list of optional chores for extra cash
Image credits: kivankc
Image credits: kivankc
She started a fiery discussion on TikTok and elsewhere on the internet
Image credits: kivankc
Image credits: kivankc
Image credits: kivankc
One thing that we have to stress very clearly is that the mom did not pressure the high school senior to do the chores.
Katrina mentioned in her note that it was up to the babysitter whether she spent the evening relaxing or doing the housework for some extra money. The teenager also had the right to choose which chores (if any) she wanted to do.
At the time of writing, mom Katrina’s initial TikTok post has a massive 1.5 million views on TikTok. Meanwhile, her follow-up minute-long clip got an additional 392.9k views.
Her posts were also picked up by a whole bunch of media outlets as the story continued to go viral. Many folks didn’t know what the big problem was and thought the chore list was a neat idea. Some internet users even pointed out that they would have loved opportunities like this when they were younger.
However, not everyone was on board with this. The main issue was with the remuneration. Some people thought that the amount of money offered to the babysitter was too low for the amount of work she had to do.
But, as Katrina mentioned in a short follow-up video dedicated to her critics, the teen babysitter was very grateful for the opportunity.
So, while we can all debate whether the exact amounts of money offered fit the time spent on chores, it seems like things worked out well for everyone in this particular case. Not to mention, nobody is forcing anyone to pick up the extra housework.
The mom later posted a follow-up video where she addressed some of the concerns that people had
We asked parenting blogger Samantha, from 'Walking Outside in Slippers,' for her thoughts on creating a list of optional chores for babysitters.
"I think offering babysitters the option of taking on housework for additional pay is a great idea, and I wish I thought of it myself," she told Bored Panda in an email.
"I suppose it could be an awkward topic to broach, but maybe it's something you lay out right out of the gate, with the choice obviously completely up to them," Samantha said.
"I remember babysitting as a teenager with lots of extra time after the kids went to bed, and I certainly could have done some dishes or mopped a floor while watching MTV. Especially with extra money in it for me. "
Samantha was also kind enough to share her opinion on parents taking time off and going out. According to her, even short dates can be a welcome break that'll reenergize couples.
"It's amazing how now that alone time is so rare for us parents, doing just about anything alone is a blast," she told Bored Panda.
"A trip to Target without kids? Count me in! But I think a dinner date is always a safe bet as it gives you time and space to talk and catch up with each other," she said.
"Just a few hours with a babysitter handling the kids can do wonders for helping a couple reconnect, in my experience."
Sean Lacey, the general manager of Child Care at Care.com, explained to ‘Parents’ how best to talk to one’s babysitter about doing extra work. Having a proactive conversation beforehand can be a huge help.
In short, there needs to be clarity about everything. From what the parents expect the babysitter to do and by what time everything should be done to how much the sitter will be paid.
It also helps if it’s made clear which chores are just for the child and which ones are for the entire family. It’s also vital that everyone’s on the same page: these chores are optional, and nobody is obligated to take them on.
According to Care.com, back in 2023, 41% of parents posted jobs that included the option to do some light housekeeping.
It’s understandable why some parents might ask their babysitters to take on some additional housework tasks. Being a parent can be overwhelming and exhausting. And, if we’re honest, it sometimes feels like all you do is clean up after the family all day, every day.
One thing that helps is that both parents have an honest conversation about dividing up the chores among themselves in a fair way. For instance, one of them might ask the other to pitch in a bit more often. Or they might split the chores according to who enjoys doing what more.
On top of that, the parents can involve their kids in the entire clean-up process. Not only does this speed everything up, but the munchkins also learn about the importance of cleaning up after themselves. It’s a valuable lesson and gets them in the habit of helping out the family.
If things get really messy at home and if your finances permit it, there is absolutely no shame in hiring a housekeeper to come in from time to time.
Meanwhile, don’t forget that parents aren’t just parents—they’re people who need their free time, too. Nobody should feel guilty about hiring a babysitter so that they can go on a well-deserved date night!
Some internet users questioned the amount of money the babysitter was offered
Meanwhile, other internet users were big fans of the extra chore list idea. Here's what they said
