The parents I used to babysit for on Friday nights used to just buy a frozen pizza for me and the kids to share. It was a nice treat for the kids, easy for me to make and made me happy enough :)

So you're saying that you do all this and pay her for her time? Things have improved since I was a babysitting ... and that wasn't very long ago!

When I used to babysit, I loved the $20 and takeout menus, especially if the kids got to order what they wanted, too. They were excited, and I knew they would eat it because they picked it under the supervision of the parents. And as a poor high school kid, then a poor college kid, takeout was a luxury.

But I would not have turned up my nose at a hot calzone, either.

My office doesn't provide me with lunch and my babysitting jobs never provided me with dinner...when I arrived the kids were usually polishing off chicken nuggets and I'd better have eaten before or wanted some goldfish crackers. Nicer parents these days!

I never got fed when I was a sitter. There was always the casual "help yourself to whatever's in the kitchen" comment on their way out the door. But I never felt comfortable just taking what I wanted. It would have been nice to know there was something set aside specifically for you.

My middle/high school babysitting job, the parents always had food on hand for me. That included making sure they bought snacks for me and leaving me something to eat. Typically leftovers, but sometime a frozen pizza. I would usually just make myself pasta or as I got older I'd eat whatever I fed the kids. Sometimes they would plan dinner for the kids, sometimes I would wing it, but their pantry was always well stocked, which made finding food easy.

@whatyousay - I didn't start babysitting until after college, and I too was surpised that dinner always seems to be part of the deal. It also surprises me when it's something different from what the kids eat; granted, they go to bed really early, but potatoes and corn (or whatever) really would be fine with me.

I guess my love of the kitchen started showing early...when babysitters would come to tend me, my mom would always leave out a blue Kraft macaroni and cheese box for them to make for dinner for both of us (the sitter and I). But after watching babysitter after babysitter boil the water over when making the noodles, I just started cooking it myself while the babysitter sat at the counter and watched. I'd never buy Kraft these days, but I sure loved those mac n' cheese nights when I was young!

I've been babysitting for over 10 years now, and I've never expected a meal along with my pay. It would definitely be a nice touch, though. Occasionally I made dinner for the kids, and when that happened I would eat with them, but usually they were fed before I arrived, and I was expected to have eaten ahead of time as well. I usually got the "help yourself," but on the rare occasion that I actually ate at a babysitting job I would hunt down the most plentiful snack available--heaven forbid I should eat someone's last yogurt or granola bar!

I am not sure why food is included at all? I can understand "help yourself to some snacks" or sharing the kids dinner but a special meal just for them? I can see this if they were a family member but not otherwise. No one ever fed me when I babysat and I certainly don't think it is part of the job title.

I haven't babysat since high school, but I feel like this depended on whether I was coming early enough to eat with the kids.

If I was arriving early (5ish), parents would mention that we were supposed to order a pizza or that there was a casserole for us all in the oven.

If I was arriving later (7ish), I could usually assume that the kids would have already eaten, but I think the parents still always made sure to mention it.

Having been babysitting for nearly...oh, gosh, almost 20 years now (so OLD!), I found that most of my "regulars" would feed me - they liked me, and always ordered extra take-out, put an extra potato in the oven, whatever. It was always appreciated (although to this day I usually eat before I go over - never know how the kids are going to be), but never expected.

And echoing @BECSTER.HENRICH - always snacked from whatever was a) open and b) nearly full. I lived in fear of eating something being saved for an occasion or finishing off whatever it was - didn't even like it when the kids would do it!

I am going to file this away. We do try to leave something for our babysitter, but it stresses me out because I'm always rushing to get ready to leave (and part of the perk of going out is that I'm NOT supposed to be cooking that night)...and then she always leaves a pile of dishes in the sink, which I don't understand, since I never would have done that back in my day. But we'll keep having her since she lives just down the block. *sigh*

Since I'm a college student I babysit quite regularly. I never expect to be fed so I always bring my dinner with me. Parents usually always tell me to help myself to anything I want. Most of the time kitchens are stocked with food products, so there's nothing to entice me anyway..

I meant processed food ;-)

When my kids were small I often needed a babysitter so that I could go out for dinner. The last thing I wanted to do was to cook for someone else before I went out!

I'm not sure I would feed the sitter unless they are there for a period of time that firmly spans the dinner hour and the plan is for them to have dinner with the kids, in which case I feel like a frozen pizza is completely sufficient. I'm not sure I would go out of my way to hurry and get a dinner ready in advance, especially since I think of babysitters as being there either so you can have a night off, or because you have to do something unpleasant (homeowners association meeting, business dinner, etc.), and for both of those I don't want to have to focus on throwing something together before I get out the door.

I think I'd stick with the take-out menus. Or else make extra of whatever you might expect the sitter to feed the kids. The last thing you want to do is give somebody a pork chop only to find out they went vegan three days ago.

I don't use babysitters now, but I always used to cook a regular, full meal - no different than if I was going to eat at home. It was a pain, but just because I was going out didn't mean the kids and their sitter suddenly didn't need to eat. I remember being very late meeting friends one time because I was cooking roast chicken, which I don't recommend. Stick to something quick and easy, like pasta with sauce, or steak and salad.

I might add that I my sitters were always adults whom I knew well, if not family members - not teenagers - and they wouldn't have appreciated me asking them to order pizza.

I'm kind of shocked by the comments implying that feeding the sitter is some kind of fancy new imposition. I always leave dinner, and instructions, and where to find the hot sauce if this chili is too bland for you (it was cooked for a toddler's palate, after all). I expect her to feed my child--of course I'm going to feed her too! Why would I want the person caring for my child to be hungry (and therefore, cranky)?

cmcinnyc - I was suprised that the author was saying that dinner was expected for babysitters, because my mom never left my babysitters dinner and I never got dinners when I babysat, but I think that's because the babysitting always started AFTER dinner time. I agree that it seems normal to leave food if they'll be eating with the kid, but I'd never think to leave dinner if it was outside of normal dinner time.

Every family I have EVER worked for provided take-out menus or a prepared meal, and plentiful snacks. It was a great perk to an otherwise messy job (i.e. fevers, split lips, screaming, crying, hitting, pinching, and endless baby einstein videos).

When I babysat while in high school I was already skilled in the kitchen and when parents found that out they were thrilled to not be leaving money for takeout. And the kids had a blast cooking with me. I'd love to find a babysitter these days that is willing to do that.

My almost 14 yr old baby sits and one of the things she ALWAYS does is leave the house cleaner than when she got there.

I've been babysitting for over 6 years. Almost every time I babysit, it is usually starting at 3 pm and usually overnight, so it is awesome when they do leave me something to eat, be it leftovers, a bag of popcorn, frozen pizza, etc. I do babysit for a person who is one of my best friends, so I do tend to make myself comfortable at her place and help myself to whatever she says is okay.

And I also want to echo @minuet42 and @becster.henrich. I usually don't eat something if it is the last thing there.