Hiring Mom To Babysit
By Amy E. Feldman
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Actress Mischa Barton fired and sued her former manager, also known as her mother. That must have been an easy conversation: Thanks for getting me that prom dress, Mom. You're a greedy stage mother, posing as a talent manager. See you at Thanksgiving!
While most parents don't make millions off their kids, many do wind up working for their children as caregivers for their grandkids. And while they do it for the love, they also often do it for pay.
If you are considering hiring your mother as babysitter for your child, you may be your parents' child but you are about to step into the role as her employer. It is much easier to arrange in a business-like manner the terms and conditions of employment like salary, sick days, paid or unpaid vacation days and the like up front, rather than when she's looking for a raise and you're ready to put her on probation.
And, set a term when the job will end or will be reassessed so it doesn't look like a termination or end with hard feelings. It may, in fact, be helpful to go through the personnel handbook you were given by your office to remind you of all the issues and rules so that you can discuss them before they become problems and prevent you from acting like you love each other.