cost for babysitters

[faithinkarma]

Saturday, April 17, 2004

Montreal Gazette


Message to parents: If you want to play, you have to pay. In parts of Montreal, not only is a dependable babysitter hard to find, but she - sitters are almost always female - is able to command $10 and more an hour. That means a 14-year-old high schooler can earn more than a telemarketer or a salesclerk. In today's Weekend Life section, discover the new breed of babysitter.



After reading the above in this morning's paper, I am curious to know what the going rate is in different areas.

 

[kpgclark]

Two children, about $7 an hour.

 

[4greatboys]

I pay $5 an hour. I use either of my 2 oldest ds 16 and 14.

 

[dzneelvr]

My DD was getting between $25 and $30 for a 3-4 hour stint. I think that's a bit high, but I guess the couples are willing to pay for a night out!!
Around our area, teenagers are just so busy with all their activities, even on the weekends, that it is a scarcity of labor issue. It's TOUGH to find a responsible teen who isn't already in sports or school stuff on the weekends......And when she does have a night off, she really just wants to relax.

WDW on June 24

 

[CEDmom]

We don't get a sitter very often but when we do it's always one of the teachers at DD's school. Since we're getting a better trained sitter than the average neighborhood teenager I do pay a little more than what many neighbors pay. Usually $7-8 per hour.

 

[BruceTheShark]

We pay $10 an hour for either of our 2 sitters. Both are college students and cpr, first aid trained. That is for one child. We are in the suburbs of a major city.

 

[faithinkarma]

When I was a teenager, apparently in the dark ages, I made 25 cents an hour. 50 cents after midnight.

So for an hours pay I could buy a soda and a bag of chips.

I think today's sitters are better off.

 

[Microcell]

My sitter charges by the kid! It is $3.00 not potty trained and $2.00 for the one who is. That is by the hour. If her parents are home and my 5 year old is playing with her sister at their house she only charges me for the two year old.

 

[Otto's Doll]

I pay $5 per hour and I have 2 kids, 8 and 10 y/o. That seems to be the going rate around here. If I come home "between hours" (ex. 1.5 hours) I pay her for the full hours.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

My oldest ds 16 babysits 2 little boys occasionaly from church. One is adhd. I told him just take what they give you. They gave him $10 an hour. I asked if the adhd one was acting up and he said, no he was well behaved, so I told him he should try to give some of the money back., he tried but they said no. They have asked him several times again. I think the minimum here in the ny metro areas is at least $5.00 an hour for l kid.

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

I pay between 8-10 a hour for 3 children. My 9 and 7 year olds are extremely easy.

All of my sitter's mothers tell me that their daughters love to sit for us because we pay well. I don't know what the going rate is around here. I only use 16 year olds and up.

Lori

 

[Cruisin]

I know what you mean, faithinkarma, my aunt used to pay me .35 an hour and she would figure it out exactly.

Not everyone paid me like that, but my aunt was sooooo cheap!!!

I never had a set rate either, I just took what I was given.

Babysitting is much better paying job now.

 

[clh2]

Only 1 child at my house. We pay our sitter $5 per hour. We don't go out that often. Occasionally we need a sitter all day (i.e. on one of those annoying no-school days.) DD is 10.

DD's current favorite sitter is in 8th grade. This sitter will play absolutely every single board game in the house with DD. Occasionally they will bake cupcakes. They also do "girly stuff" like paint their nails.

This sitter is much more responsible than a 15 yr old and her 16 year old friend. If the 16 year old was the last sitter on earth - I wouldn't let her babysit my DD.

 

[GlennandAnn]

We pay DH's goddaughter (a cousin) $4 per hour for our 2 kids. She is the oldest of 5 kids and ultra-responsible. Also, they live close, so if anything happened and we weren't able to get home quick, her mom or dad could be over in a flash. This girl is sooo busywith her sports activities we can hardly get her over. I'm considering asking at the child care center at my gym if anyone there babysits. I'm sure I'll have to pay more per hour, but it will be worth it for DH and I to actually go out together!

Ann

 

[MOMTOMOOTOO]

We pay 12.00 for 3 kids. Needless to say we don't get out too often

When I babysat, I did it every Sat night for 3 kids from 7pm to 2am and got 5.00 which works out to 62 cents an hour!
Looking back on it, these people were not only cheap, but they must have been a bunch of drunks! Without fail they were home at 2:15 am and the bars in NJ close at 2:00 coincidence, I don't think so

 

[TalkisCheap]

I babysit a little girl usually twice a month for 3-4 hours and make about 20 for the whole night...I love babysitting for her so I wouldn't mind if they never paid me...

I have babysat with my best friend a couple times and made 15 for 1 1/2 hours(for each of us) for 2 little girls

My sister has made up to 20 an hour for 3 terribly behaved kids...I went with her once and 100 an hour wouldn't be worth going through babysitting their kids for the usual like 6 hours....they're TERRIBLE

-Caroline

 

[aprilgail2]

I pay a teenager about 10 an hour to watch my one child.

 

[kadaten]

Eight years ago I got $5/hour for the first kid, $1/each additional. Now, if it was night and they were pretty much in bed for most of the time I was there, I just charged the $5.

Just arranged for our first sitter (my kids are 3.5 and 1.5). We have old friends across the street who occasionally sit for free so we can grab dinner, but it's always after we've put the kids down and they go to bed early, so it's a pretty short evening.

Our new sitter is 18 (a bit young for me, a worrier, but she comes highly recommended by other worry-wart moms). When I asked her what she charges, she just says $1/kid/hour or whatever you feel like. By using this tactic, she rakes it in!! Parents think she's undercharging (which she is!! but she really enjoys it, and uses the time they're in bed to study) so they make it up to her by overpaying!!

I'll probably pay her $20 for an average weekend evening, $25 if we stay out late. If I decide I really love her, I'll bump it up so she'll take my jobs first! Good sitters are hard to find....that's why I got so much so many years ago!!

 

[KimRaye]

I've been paying the same babysitter $5/hr for my one DD and, when I thought about how many years that's been, I started TIPPING better rather than just increase her salary. Make sense? No, I guess not. Cheapskate that I am. Really, we RARELY use her now that DS is old enough to do the job but, sometimes DS is invited to something, like a wedding, where DD is not so, we hire Julie. I swear she'd do it for free for DD but, I'm not THAT cheap! LOL

 

[Nutsy]

Never paid for anyone to mind my kids.............When circumstances prevented them from attending the places we were invited to, a family member usually looked after them till we got back.