What to pay a baby sitter?

[mks18412]

What is the average pay for a baby sitter? My kids are 10 yr old dd and 2 yr old ds. My son is partially potty trained if this makes a difference. I do NOT want them to do any cleaning just watch the kids while me and dh go out to dinner. I live in GA.

 

[ArmyWife7]

I live in South MS and pay $10 per hour for 2 kids (3 and 5).

 

[North of Mouse]

What is the average pay for a baby sitter? My kids are 10 yr old dd and 2 yr old ds. My son is partially potty trained if this makes a difference. I do NOT want them to do any cleaning just watch the kids while me and dh go out to dinner. I live in GA.

It varies greatly according to where you live. See you are in GA. I would ask around your friends/neighbors and see what the going rate would be.

 

[nchulka]

I'd pay the 10 year old 2.00 an hour to watch the 2 year old

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

I pay $10/hr for my 2 kids and have for awhile (since they were probably 3 and 7, now they're 7 and 10). We're in Northwest Florida. I would imagine you'd pay about the same.

 

[twinboysmom]

I pay $10 per hour. I am in Mississippi, not too different.

 

[twinboysmom]

I'd pay the 10 year old 2.00 an hour to watch the 2 year old

I would like to think that this is a joke (she said dinner time, not a quick trip to pick up a thing of milk during mid afternoon) but from your previous posting history I am really afraid this suggestion is for real.

 

[Disney Commando]

we live in NJ, I have a 7yr old son, his babysitter is 17, I pay her $10hr plus get them a pizza for dinner, she never gave us a fee, that's what I came up with, but it must be alright, since she will actually cancel her plans to babysit We often go to Gift Auctions that last 4-6hrs, so it's a pretty decent pay day for her, I've won Disney Park Hoppers a few times at these gift auctions plus other great prizes, so what I pay the baby sitter is nothing compared to our payoff sometimes, hey sometimes we even give her parts of some prizes that we will not use

 

[Maddies Mama]

I live in South MS and pay $10 per hour for 2 kids (3 and 5).

I'm in south MS as well and pay the same... $5 per hr per child.

 

[yellowjacketfan]

My dd had a few families she sat for before she went away to school, all paid her $10 per hour, usually 2 kids each, various ages. This was in GA as well. No cleaning. Hope this helps!

 

[pocomom]

I would like to think that this is a joke (she said dinner time, not a quick trip to pick up a thing of milk during mid afternoon) but from your previous posting history I am really afraid this suggestion is for real.

I think in many states it would be illegal to leave a 10 year old in charge...most require a child to be 12 before watching any other kids.
My dd is 111/2 and will "babysit" when another parent is home but working in the office, or for a very quick trip to the store, nothing over an hour, after dark, and even then it is normally when the little one (3) is still sleeping or at his nap etc. She is an unusually responsible kid, and has taken the American Red Cross babysitting class and a First Aid class, has a cell phone. Our rule for family babysitting is I pay the same price I would another sitter if it is for fun for Dh and I, (like when we eventually go to dinner) but if it is a family chore such as the kids didn't want to go to the store, or another kid's doctor appt I don't pay. (except sometimes I do just because)
We get another sitter for dinner's out etc and here we pay about 9 an hour plus rounding up for tip (and because we normally have to hit the atm on the way home) for 3 kids. Nothing extra, just hanging with the kids and then watching tv once they are asleep.

 

[danielle79]

Not only is it illegal to leave a ten year old in charge of a 2 year old it is extremely unfair. I am 8 years older than my brother and I felt like I was born to be his babysitter, I many times had to cancel my plans as a teen to watch my bro or bring him along. I love my brother to death, in fact I felt extremely guilty moving out at 18 and leaving him there "on his own", but I felt a lot of resentment towards my parents. I was usually watching him so they could go out and entertain themselves not go to work. Now as a parent I hardly ever ask my teen to watch her sisters unless I am stuck at work, usually I pay the neighbor girl about $8 an hour for a 7 and 8 year old. Sometimes she just gets them off the bus and stays for about 20 minutes until my husband gets home and I still pay her $5.

 

[mjkacmom]

I think $10 an hour is standard. I only pay my teens $5 an hour, since they are in the comfort of their own homes.

 

[nchulka]

Not only is it illegal to leave a ten year old in charge of a 2 year old it is extremely unfair. I am 8 years older than my brother and I felt like I was born to be his babysitter, I many times had to cancel my plans as a teen to watch my bro or bring him along. I love my brother to death, in fact I felt extremely guilty moving out at 18 and leaving him there "on his own", but I felt a lot of resentment towards my parents. I was usually watching him so they could go out and entertain themselves not go to work. Now as a parent I hardly ever ask my teen to watch her sisters unless I am stuck at work, usually I pay the neighbor girl about $8 an hour for a 7 and 8 year old. Sometimes she just gets them off the bus and stays for about 20 minutes until my husband gets home and I still pay her $5.

This isn't the same situation at all. This is not parents making their older child change plans to babysit the younger sibling. Sorry that happened to you, that was not very considerate of you parents to do that to you on a regular basis. This appears to be parents who rarely go out, due to the fact that she is asking how much to pay a sitter. The 10 year old is going to be at home anyway, she doesn't have plans with friends she is going to have to cancel to babysit. The options are pay a babysitter for the 2 kids or let the older child babysit the younger one. One option would be humiliating to the 10 year old (and I do have a 10 year old!), the other option would be empowering to her. I don't know of any 10 year old who would not be embarrassed to death to have a babysitter. I have a 9 & 10 year old and both of them would think I was nuts if I tried to hire a sitter for them! If your children that age are not capable of caring for themselves you are doing something seriously wrong! This once again highlights to problem of parents treating their children like babies far too long. Ask your grandparents generation if a 10 year old should be capable of caring for a 2 year old for a couple of hours. This is a 2 year old not a 2 month old and the parents are going to be gone a couple of hours not a couple of days! And no it is not illegal! There are only 2 states that have any law at all regarding what age children need to be to stay home alone and even in those 2 laws there is lots of wiggle room.

 

[Kellydelly]

I might pay a teen sitter $7 an hour, I would pay an adult (18 yrs +) $10 an hour. I don't feel that teen babysitters should make more than minimum wage, it is a pretty cushy gig, usually .

 

[pocomom]

This isn't the same situation at all. This is not parents making their older child change plans to babysit the younger sibling. Sorry that happened to you, that was not very considerate of you parents to do that to you on a regular basis. This appears to be parents who rarely go out, due to the fact that she is asking how much to pay a sitter. The 10 year old is going to be at home anyway, she doesn't have plans with friends she is going to have to cancel to babysit. The options are pay a babysitter for the 2 kids or let the older child babysit the younger one. One option would be humiliating to the 10 year old (and I do have a 10 year old!), the other option would be empowering to her. I don't know of any 10 year old who would not be embarrassed to death to have a babysitter. I have a 9 & 10 year old and both of them would think I was nuts if I tried to hire a sitter for them! If your children that age are not capable of caring for themselves you are doing something seriously wrong! This once again highlights to problem of parents treating their children like babies far too long. Ask your grandparents generation if a 10 year old should be capable of caring for a 2 year old for a couple of hours. This is a 2 year old not a 2 month old and the parents are going to be gone a couple of hours not a couple of days! And no it is not illegal! There are only 2 states that have any law at all regarding what age children need to be to stay home alone and even in those 2 laws there is lots of wiggle room.

My grandparents also though it was ok to smoke, to give the kids alcohol and beat the kids when they were "bad". In fact, they would leave 4 kids under the age of 4 home alone to go out to the bar.
Being able to care for themselves at 10 is entirely different then being able to care for a 2 year old too. And my child is not humilated by having a sitter, she knows it is not for her, but her siblings.

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

This isn't the same situation at all. This is not parents making their older child change plans to babysit the younger sibling. Sorry that happened to you, that was not very considerate of you parents to do that to you on a regular basis. This appears to be parents who rarely go out, due to the fact that she is asking how much to pay a sitter. The 10 year old is going to be at home anyway, she doesn't have plans with friends she is going to have to cancel to babysit. The options are pay a babysitter for the 2 kids or let the older child babysit the younger one. One option would be humiliating to the 10 year old (and I do have a 10 year old!), the other option would be empowering to her. I don't know of any 10 year old who would not be embarrassed to death to have a babysitter. I have a 9 & 10 year old and both of them would think I was nuts if I tried to hire a sitter for them! If your children that age are not capable of caring for themselves you are doing something seriously wrong! This once again highlights to problem of parents treating their children like babies far too long. Ask your grandparents generation if a 10 year old should be capable of caring for a 2 year old for a couple of hours. This is a 2 year old not a 2 month old and the parents are going to be gone a couple of hours not a couple of days! And no it is not illegal! There are only 2 states that have any law at all regarding what age children need to be to stay home alone and even in those 2 laws there is lots of wiggle room.

In your example of a 9 and 10 year old staying home alone is perfectly legal where I live in MD. But the OP stated she has a 10 and 2 year old. This is different. In my state this is not allowed. A child must be 13 to watch anyone younger than 8.

I pay my sitters between 8-15 an hour depending on their experience.

 

[mjkacmom]

This isn't the same situation at all. This is not parents making their older child change plans to babysit the younger sibling. Sorry that happened to you, that was not very considerate of you parents to do that to you on a regular basis. This appears to be parents who rarely go out, due to the fact that she is asking how much to pay a sitter. The 10 year old is going to be at home anyway, she doesn't have plans with friends she is going to have to cancel to babysit. The options are pay a babysitter for the 2 kids or let the older child babysit the younger one. One option would be humiliating to the 10 year old (and I do have a 10 year old!), the other option would be empowering to her. I don't know of any 10 year old who would not be embarrassed to death to have a babysitter. I have a 9 & 10 year old and both of them would think I was nuts if I tried to hire a sitter for them! If your children that age are not capable of caring for themselves you are doing something seriously wrong! This once again highlights to problem of parents treating their children like babies far too long. Ask your grandparents generation if a 10 year old should be capable of caring for a 2 year old for a couple of hours. This is a 2 year old not a 2 month old and the parents are going to be gone a couple of hours not a couple of days! And no it is not illegal! There are only 2 states that have any law at all regarding what age children need to be to stay home alone and even in those 2 laws there is lots of wiggle room.

I agree that most 10 year olds are fine being home alone (I know mine are). However, I don't think they're old enough to watch a 2 year old. Would I leave a 10 and 7 year old home alone for an hour or so? Probably. However, I think 2 year olds are pretty reckless creatures. Most of mine have covered the walls with marker, cut their hair, swallowed coins, dumped the contents of the fridge on the floor, all while I have been in charge.

 

[pocomom]

I agree that most 10 year olds are fine being home alone (I know mine are). However, I don't think they're old enough to watch a 2 year old. Would I leave a 10 and 7 year old home alone for an hour or so? Probably. However, I think 2 year olds are pretty reckless creatures. Most of mine have covered the walls with marker, cut their hair, swallowed coins, dumped the contents of the fridge on the floor, all while I have been in charge.

lol, good point! One of mine cut the whiskers off the cat while I was in the room with her, and I had put the scissors away in a child locked drawer! I can't imagine what they could potentially get into with a 10 year old watching them.... plus the physical aspect... can a 10 year old physically handle a 2 year old for several hours if they are crying, screaming, throwing tantrums etc? And is it fair to them? Plus all the less likely, but still could happen, saftey issues...

 

[DisneyEater]

we live in NJ, I have a 7yr old son, his babysitter is 17, I pay her $10hr plus get them a pizza for dinner, she never gave us a fee, that's what I came up with, but it must be alright, since she will actually cancel her plans to babysit We often go to Gift Auctions that last 4-6hrs, so it's a pretty decent pay day for her, I've won Disney Park Hoppers a few times at these gift auctions plus other great prizes, so what I pay the baby sitter is nothing compared to our payoff sometimes, hey sometimes we even give her parts of some prizes that we will not use

So....what is a gift auction?