"Babysitting at my house" help: should I give the kid our food or should he pack his own?

Question

Ok. So I'm babysitting this kid right. My family and I are filipino (asian) and I'm babysitting an American (white) kid. *Don't get me wrong I'm not racist.*
I just wanna know what to feed him. My grandma seems to be a babysitting expert because she tells me all the time that the kids we babysit are supposed to bring their own food. I say otherwise. I say it's ok to feed him our food but now I have a different mindset. He eats ALOT. I think he finishd our huge bag of chips we bought from a wholesale club. Now he wants some of our snacks that me and my brother eats, he opens the pantry like it's his house, also the fridge. I'm usually a nice person, but it's hard to say yes and no. Like I don't know when's the right time to say 'no, you can't eat that.' Keep in mind, he's here from 2:45pm to 5:00pm. What should I do? Is it right that I should keep feeding him our food or should I consult his mother in bringing him snacks (I talked to the kid and he said his mom don't pack snacks.

The reason is, I know this may sound selfish, but there are some snacks that I like and my brother too. No offense but I don't want most of it to be eaten by him. I don't kno what to say to you people. Yeah ok I'm jealous when it comes to MY snacks but there has to be a limit somewhere as to what he can eat. I just don't know where the boundary lines are drawn.

I get paid $60 a week and the boy's a 5th grader.

I know this is late and all but when I do talk to the mother, is this any kind of insult at all? I feel kind of mean saying he can't eat our food.

Answer 1

I think it would be best if you had his mother bring him his own food. Even if she doesn't pack him snacks, make him eat all of what she packed before giving him something out of your pantry. Maybe he'll get full off of what his mother made for him.
And I'm guessing you don't make huge bucks (only saying cause I was a babysitter at one point) so it's not like she can't afford to pack his own lunch. And I'm sure your parents don't like the fact they have to spend extra so this kid can have snacks!

Just tell her something like, "I think it would be a good idea if you could pack him an extra lunch for when he gets here. I've noticed a lot lately that he's really hungry around this time, and dinner isn't usually ready, and we don't want to resort to filling him up with sugary foods and whatnot."

Hope this helped! ♥

Answer 2

If he's at your house, you should be sharing your snacks. However, if you are babysitting, it's up to you to know and set boundaries. No, he cannot eat a bag of chips. You can give him a portion, same as your brother and yourself (or smaller, considering HE'S smaller).

Here's what you can do: Set a snack time. The same time everyday. Say, 3:00. This can be a relatively "large" snack. A piece of fruit with some chips and a drink; a sandwich and a drink; string cheese, crackers, grapes....you get the idea. If he doesn't eat it, save it for later. If he does eat it and gets hungry again later (say around 4:30-ish) give him a small, healthy snack. Just a piece of fruit, or one string cheese; a glass of water or milk (not juice). If he hasn't eaten his snack, tell him that's what he can have...what's left, nothing else.

If my child came home at 5:00, I would figure on eating around 5:30 or 6:00; if his appetite was spoiled I would be upset, wondering what he had eaten all day. YOU are the babysitter, it is YOUR responsibility to tell this kid what (and when, to a point) he can and can't eat.

What does your ethnicity have to do with anything?

Answer 3

Well you really don't have him very long each day. So I would say yes feed him an after school snack. But only 1, also ask his mom to pack snacks to. that way there is plenty to go around. there is nothing wrong with the mom bringing snacks for the three of you once or twice a week. if she disagrees with that tell her you may have to charge a little extra to cover snacks then. I'm sure she won't have a problem supplying snacks then:)

Answer 4

There are a couple of ways this can be done. When I was little one sitter asked us to bring our own snacks or a least some kind of snack and then we would all share. If its the amount he is eating then you can put a limit on him, which it sounds like he needs. Even if his mom sent a bag of chips he doesn't need to eat them in one day. Most kids will test limits and sounds like he is doing this with you. You can tell him that after school he can have one snack and you can give him 2 or 3 choices for that day if you want. After that he can drink water and if he feels like he needs more then you can discuss this with him mom and if she thinks he needs more she can provide it. Hope this helps!

Answer 5

This is something that needed to be discussed PRIOR to setting up the Babysitting arrangement for each weekday.

As an aside, this Long Term Single Parent did have her children in afterschool care, and what I would do is to fix two bags for their daytime needs ... one was for their lunch, and the other had their favorite snacks in it (along with their juices/water bottles).

I was a bit put off by the comment that can be interpreted as racist ... and that is something that does need to be pointed out (why mention the race of the child anyway?)



Addendum: This is NOT an insult ... in any daycare situation, food is EXTRA and added to the cost of the daycare fees for the week.

Answer 6

You may want to explain to the mother that it is costing your family money. Explain that you do not mind if he has a little snack but he has a pretty good appetite and it would really help if she would give you some extra money each week to compensate for the after school snacks. If she is not happy with that then I wouldn't do it because babysitting is a big responsibility and you need to make money rather than spend it.

Answer 7

You shouldn't make him bring his own food..You should however, put the foods you don't want him to have away somewhere...Tell him no more going places by himself, if he wants a snack, YOU will see what there is, and get it for him...Blame your mother or something, say she said no more going into the fridge or pantry....

Answer 8

I would talk with the boy's Mom, and ask her if she wants him eating all that much before dinner. That could be the reason he says she doesn't pack snacks,maybe she doesn't want him having to much before dinner, and if she says that A SNACK is OK,then I would kindly ask her to bring what ever it is he is allowed to have.If it means keeping you as a babysitter for her son,I'm sure she will see your point and breakdown and bring his snacks,whatever she allows. GOOD LUCK

Answer 9

Usually, "food" is extra at every day care/babysitting job I've ever heard of....you can mention that to his mother--"If we provide the snacks, it will be this much extra a week, but you can brown bag him something and there will be no extra cost".

Answer 10

Bring his own snacks!! DAMN near grown and a boy he eats too MUCH talk to his mother and soon b4 he eat you out of house and home