FEATURED: Babysitter Problem. WWYD?

Definitely get a new sitter.Even if its her bf that smokes it, you want your house and child smelling like it too? No

That would bother me.  I can't imagine it would be from what she said it was. 

I would be hesitant to hire her again.  I am not anti- pot but I am when you are around my children. 

Sorry!

Spilling an ashtray on one's purse would not make the house reek of pot. I'm fairly certain that ashes do not have the same smell as weed, even if they're ashes from a joint. It's possible her clothes or jacket could have smelled like it if she'd been around people smoking it, but you would have noticed that when she got there.  What's likely is that either he was toking it up before he got there and you smelled it on his clothes, or they both went outside or to his car and smoked. The smell can cling to clothing for awhile.

One way or another, she is lying to you. I would not trust her again, even if it was just on her boyfriend. 

I'd find a new sitter, too, and I wouldn't want a sitter's boyfriend around unless I knew and trusted him and specifically gave permission.

 there's a difference b/w the general smell of pot just existing and being smoked.

did she seems stoned? or would you even be able to tell? no matter how good people think they are hiding it i can still tell someone's  high. if she didnt seem stoned i'd simply tell her that the house smelled like pot and that you wanted to make sure she knew it's unacceptable to bring it into the house. but honestly i dont think i'd ever feel comfortable leaving her with my kids. everyone reacts differently to pot and different kinds of pot can affect you differently so there's no way to know if she's a functional pot head or if she got a hold of some dank that night. even habitual smokers are sometimes caught off guard by the effect of pot they've never smoked before. i'd also be worried by the obviously BS explination of the smell.

I had posted an answer that never seemed to come up. I wouldnt necessarily fire her either. It could just be that her boyfriend had brought over a bag and he had it in his pocket and they hadn't even smoked yet. I met one of my best friends this way (11 years ago). I had weed in my pocket and she walked in the room and said "Is it just me? I smell pot?" That just might be the bud in my pocket... became an inside joke, that we still laugh about on occasion.

I would however lay down the law. If you don't want her boyfriend around when she's working I'd let her know as well as let her know where you stand with pot smoking/being high around your kids. I used to smoke (obviously) and still do every once in a very great while but only when I'm not nor will I have any chance of being around my kids. They deserve better than having a stoned mama, my inattentiveness when I'm online is bad enough as it is. I have the same expectation of anyone who will be caring for my kids. I don't want pot (even its smell) anywhere near my kids, I don't bring it into my own house and I don't want a babysitter to do so either. Before you have the babysitter over again and even if you don't ever have her over again I would be sure to put out those expectations point blank.

All in the same unless I knew the babysitter was a pot smoker before hand I wouldnt have thought to say any of that ahead of time either. And if anything like this ever happens again, I would fire her on the spot.

I'm the odd one out here, but I wouldn't fire her yet. I'd give her another chance, but lay down rules.. Personally the boyfriend coming over wouldn't bother me. I don't know how I'd react to the smell of pot though. If she smelled when she first arrived, I wouldn't think anything of it or if she went to the back or front garden for a quick fag (not pot) I wouldn't care, but the fact that she smelled like pot afterwards bothers me. I'm not against smoking it, I was young and childless once, but in my house would bug me. 

However if you are uncomfortable with the boyfriend/friends/anyone coming over tell her and let her known she's not to smoke (anything) around or in your house. Or just find another one as the others suggested.. 

I agree with the others!  If she did not smell when she arrived at your house before you left, then something happened after you left!  

I smelled it as soon as I walked in the door. I waited to ask my husband if he smelled it too or if I was imagining things. He could smell it as well. Guess its time to find a new sitter. Ugh!

I would get a new sitter as well. I know I would never feel 100% safe with my kids around her again. I also wouldn't want my sitter to have her boyfriend at the house while watching my kids. I get that she is young and she has a life besides childcare and what she does in her time is on her, but I would not want that smell around my kids at all. I am sure she has more then one bag and If I was her I would have changed bags. Did you smell it when she got there last night or only after you got back because if it happened like she said , you would have smelled it before. 

I would certainly get a new sitter. I wouldn't trust her at all after that and would be very paranoid that her boyfriend was coming inside or that she was smoking if I ever left my kids with her again.

100% get a new sitter.  As others said, it's unlikely you'll ever feel comfortable with her watching your children again.  I'm a childcare professional and wouldn't dream of allowing someone who even smelt of smoke to watch my kids or work with kids (even from the clothes the kids will get at least 90% of the smoke).  There are plenty of people who are childcare qualified who will watch your children and you can feel happy with.

I would find a new sitter. I am a nanny/sitter and I wouldn't even dream of having my bf over. The only time he would come and be outside is if he was picking me up and I tell the parents ahead of time that he's coming to pick me up but won't be in the house. I can't imagine walking around smelling like pot if it happened the day before she couldve washed or switched purses. I wouldn't blame either of the families for firing me if I smelled like pot, or if they thought I smoked a cigarette in the house. Even if she didn't smoke in the house its very possible she smoked in the car with her boyfriend and came back in which means she not only left the kids alone in the house but was under the influence while you were paying her to be in charge of your children.

I'd go ahead and find a new sitter. There's no way to know she's telling the truth, and I'd rather be safe than sorry.