Adventures of an Opera-Singing CEO

Sun block? Check. Rainy day board games? Check. Babysitter? Check. Many parents have started to bring a sitter with them on vacations such as spring break, but few know about the etiquette involved and what to pay a traveling sitter without breaking the bank. I explored this trend last week in a Sittercity feature on Thursday, March 13 on NBC’s morning talk show, In the Loop with iVillage.

In this segment, I talked about the fact that ten percent of Sittercity’s parents report that they’ve taken a sitter with them on vacation and another 40% stated that they’ve considered it but not tried it yet. When bringing a sitter with you on vacation this Spring Break, there are three main tips I have for you:

Remember the sitter’s sacrifice: When it comes to a trip like Spring Break, it’s different that a typical summer vacation trip. On Spring Break, your sitter only gets that one week, which you are asking her to sacrifice.

Remember that it’s not exactly a vacation for your sitter: The whole point of taking a sitter on the trip is so she can take on a lot of the grunt work. It’s hard to lounge by the pool when you have two toddlers in your lap.

What to pay: $120-200 per day is a good flat rate. If you’ll be bringing your live-in nanny with you, pay her the same weekly rate you pay when you’re all at home – even if she’ll be working fewer hours on vacation.

What else should you provide? Good question. Vacation sitting etiquette dictates that you should provide the following:

• The sitter’s plane ticket, and room and board
• All of her meals
• A small daily allowance of $50/day for transportation, lunch, etc. for the kids
• Her own room for some private time
• Some time off each day, around 2-3 hours to herself

Good luck, and remember…bringing a sitter with you should provide you time to have a romantic vacation with your loved one, but also time with the kids. Make sure to balance both and you’re sure to have a great time.