[bradleyland]

"which are typically professional care givers"

There's nothing sensational about calling that bill ridiculous. Not everyone who is over 18 and watches children on occasion for money is a professional care giver. Most of my friends have a 20-something friend that will watch their kids for them on date-night. They prefer the 20-something friend to a much younger babysitter because of maturity and responsibility. This person has a day-job, but they don't mind watching their friends' kids from time to time.

[jinushaun]

Your friends ask you for money to watch your kids? Wow.

[Hyena]

It's perfectly acceptable. In my experience, it's better to exchange money for labor in certain cases because it helps to define an activity away from the friendship and so prevents it from becoming precedential.

[zackbelow]

can you imagine getting sued by the babysitter? "HEY MAN I WANT MY 2 HOUR BREAK AND I WANT BENEFITS. ALL OF THEM. PWNED."

[bradleyland]

I don't have kids, but if I asked someone to take time out of their life to watch my children, I would insist that they receive something in exchange.