meal for babysitter

Forgive me for the possible denseness of this question, but what time are you eating? If she is not coming in until well after you've eaten then I would say no.

However, if she's there during the time when you'll be eating, then she is to be treated like all you other vendors who will be there during meal time (DJ, photog, etc).

She will be there when we are eating, but in a separate house (up the hill away from the party). Therefore I look at it as a typical babysitting job, where one would not expect a fancy meal. I wish the caterer offered something in-between.

Will she be there 4 hours or more? If yes, you should feed her. The decision to do so has nothing to do with the amount of work she does, but the fact that she is working during meal time and won't have an opportunity to eat for a while.

I think what I would do in this case then where she's not actually AT the reception, I'd ask her what her favorite thing is to eat and see if you can have something delivered (pizza, Chinese, Thai, etc).

Ugh okay. That's what I get for having a fancy wedding that I never wanted (my FH did).

@MnDex thank you for the idea.

You should provide a meal. How will the babysitter be able to eat a meal if she is babysitting during meal time? I look at it the same as if I had any sort of gathering at my home, a meeting, etc that was during a meal time, I would need to provide food. The people are present and otherwise would not have the opportunity to eat.

As someone who does babysit often, it is nice when a meal is provided especially during those hours when you are working. If it was during the day then that's a different story, but if she's going to be watching children during meal time then it's only right to feed her or at least provide something more than a snack.

What about Thai food? It would have to be microwaved since there is no delivery.

I had assumed the babysitter would eat at 6, before she arrives at 7 p.m., and that snacks would be okay. Things sure have changed since I was a babysitter in terms of expectations. Maybe I should get back into it lol.

If that's what she likes then Thai food is perfect, you can get some things and make sure it's there when she arrives, she'll appreciate the thought.

I used to babysit for this couple on their date nights every weekend and they made sure I ate while I was watching their girls. I got to their home around 7:30-8pm and was there for a few hours. I had so many things going on that I wouldn't eat before I got there so it was nice that they thought of that for me.

I guess usually when you babysit in someone's home other than yours for a few hours you sometimes expect there to be something to eat in case you do get hungry. I didn't expect a full course meal, but a meal nonetheless is a nice gesture.

If she has to be there at 7pm, I would expect her to use the hour from 6-7 for getting ready to leave and travel time.

I don't want to presume to know your budget or financial situation, but is trying to coordinate an alternative really worth the money you will be saving? I feel like just paying for the $80 meal would just be the simplest solution, you don't have to worry about having the other stuff ready (when you'll already have a million things to think about on your wedding day), and you won't have to stress out about whether you look cheap or not.

How long will she be babysitting? If she has to be there by 7 and is watching the kids until midnight or later, she'll be starving by the time she gets home!

Can you leave her $20 to get some pizza delivered?

Definitely provide her a meal - either whatever the kids are having or what you're feeding your vendors. Or feed her the full priced meal - she's helping you out! And, let her know you'll be providing her a meal so she can plan accordingly.

I used to baby sit a lot and I never expected food, no matter how long I baby sat. Since she won't be at the actual reception, it is like a regular baby sitting night. I would either schedule some food for her to be delivered, or just leave $20 on the counter like pizza, like others suggested.

A meal is fine but I don't think it has to be the meal that everyone else is eating....

Yup, feed her but not necessarily wedding food.

Get her a frozen pizza, some fruit, and some snacks and she'll be good to go (assuming there's an oven in the house).

Is she a teenager? If so, that's good enough.

Well, the kids will probably need to eat too? Or are they eating at the reception and THEN going with the sitter?

Yes, I'd feed her. Does the house have a kitchen? Could you leave her some pizza fixings or pasta and sauce or something easy she could make?

I'd just throw her extra money to order her own food.

Contact her and see if she would like you to provide a physical meal for her. She might have dietary restrictions. She might even prefer to eat before babysitting or she could be the type of person who brings their own meal, I would.