A mother from Missouri has devised a plan to improve her date nights with her spouse. She left a note for her babysitter offering additional income options by completing basic household duties, which went viral online.
A mother offered her babysitter an opportunity to earn extra money.
Katrina Ivan, a science teacher, drew attention after sharing a list she supplied to her babysitter on TikTok, which received over 1.5 million views.
The message to the babysitter, a high school senior who Katrina had known for four years, was clear: “You are welcome to hang out and watch TV all night, but if you want to make some extra money, these jobs are available.”
Upon seeing the list, the babysitter quickly took the initiative, beginning to clean the windows a mere 10 minutes after Katrina and her spouse had left. Katrina, observing the babysitter’s prompt action through her Ring camera, realized her strategy was effective. “She was like, ‘Heck ya!’ and got to work right away,” Katrina shared. “I left all the supplies out for her so she didn’t have to feel weird hunting around for things.”
Ivan’s idea has received mixed reactions.
At the conclusion of Ivan’s TikTok video, she invited viewers to share their thoughts on her chore list concept:
“I think this is great. especially your saying pick and choose if you want to do some or all or none. I would have loved the list to know how to help.”
“I think $10 is too cheap for some of these tasks considering the amount of work/size of the mess.”
“Hey! As a teenager who babysits, I think these prices are totally reasonable. There’s a few that might need to be a little more, but it looks good!”
“THIS IS SUCH A GOOD IDEA as a babysitter I always would clean random things but wasn’t sure if they wanted me to, so having a list w/$ is so smart!!”
“As a babysitter/nanny I would 100% do this! So sweet of you to offer extra money! It’s a win-win for you both!”
“I nannied for years as a teenager and I would’ve loved this! It gives the OPTION for extra money while helping you a little more too!”
Ivan argues that the payment rates she recommended to her high school senior babysitter are consistent with the prevailing standards in their rural Missouri community, where the cost of living is rather low.
“The cost of living here is pretty cheap,” she says.
Ivan and her husband each work two jobs to support themselves, but they frequently get behind on domestic tasks, leaving them feeling stressed and ashamed.
