Baby Sitter Payment Question

Go back and ask for cash instead of check? No I would not do that. You're asking to majorly inconvenience that family to ask that they go out to an ATM and then somehow make the change to figure your DD's exact payment in cash. Sure it would be easier for your DD if they had planned ahead to have the right amount of cash on hand. But if not, I would just go down to the bank, and cash the check for her. You can sign it "parent of minor" and your bank should give you the cash, no problem. Your DD doesn't have to have an account. Give the family a break and make it easy for them to want to call your DD to sit for them again.

It is nicer to be paid in cash, but the children indeed often are paid with checks. Money is money. I would just have your daughter sign the check, give her the cash, then go cash it myself at the bank (or cash it at the bank and then give her the money). Let her come with you.

Early on, my kids had bank accounts. One loved saving money. One never did until she was an adult. The one who saved eventually had enough money saved up (by 13) to invest in a bank CD (it had higher interest at the time - not like now). Her goal was to eventually have enough to buy a car after high school. That dream took longer than expected, but she did eventually buy herself a little car.

I am all in favor of using this as a teachable opportunity.

Cash or check? I paid by check. Take the check to your bank and cash it. I would not contact the family and request cash. She got paid.

I am lucky in that I have rarely had to hire someone to watch my kids in the evenings or weekends (they go to daycare during the weekdays). I have one girl who watches our kiddos when the day care is on vacation. I called her mom ahead of time and asked if there was a preference....cash versus check. She said check was fine, so if I don't have cash, I pay via check. Could you set up a savings account for your daughter? Might be a good time to start having her save part and spend part! :). If not. Just cash it for her.

I try to pay with cash most of the time, but sometimes I forget to make arrangements and find myself at home with no cash. Then I write a check. So far, I've never heard a complaint. I'm sure it's a little inconvenient, but they could go to any location of my bank and cash it.

I guess this situation is a reflection of our current culture. No one ever has cash anymore. We all use cards for everything, and the need for cash is so unusual that many people forget they every need it. To pay a sitter with cash, you have to add making a trip to the ATM to your to-do list on the night you are out.

As far as contacting the family, I guess that's fine, but it seems easier to go to one of their bank locations and just cash it. Do they have a bank that is only located in a remote part of town? It might go over better if you could go ahead and cash this check and then mention to them that your daughter had planned to use the money immediately, and the check was a challenge for her. Then you could request that the future payments are in cash.