How much do you pay babysitters?

[MickeyHereWeCome!]

Just this afternoon, I was sent a community e-mail from a new babysitter trying to get some business. I e-mailed her with some questions, one being her rates. We have four children (8, 5, 2, and almost 1). This girl (15) wanted a minimum of $5 per child per hour. There is no way we could afford $20/hour! That would be a good $100 for a decent evening out (and she is within walking distance...so no cost for gas etc.)

We've been very lucky finding sitters who charge between $8 and $10 for all four. We usually tip a little beyond that, too, and have never had problems getting sitters to come back and watch our kids. Our favorite sitter charged only $3 for kid #1, $5 for 2, and so on. What will I do when she goes to college in a year?

I'm still in shock over the $20/ hour.

 

[3js13]

We have our niece 19 babysit our 3 dd 5months, 3, & 9. We normally pay a straight rate of $50 no matter how long we are out. She normally feeds the girls, gets them ready for bed. As well as playing with them.

 

[beattyfamily]

Around here (and also mentioned on the 'Today' Show) it's $10 - $13 for a teenager, and even more for an older, more experienced babysitter.

We pay our college student babysitter $15. to watch our two girls.

 

[kkaisu]

I think it depends on the area. We are in Iowa, my DD14 babysits two girls ages 9 and 7 and charges $6.00 an hour. She also babysits a 2 (diapers) and 4 year old and charges $8.00 an hour. Plus extra for more kids. Sometimes she babysits all 4 of the kids and charges $10.00 an hour.

My sister lives in Madison and they have a 5 and 2 year old(potty trained) and pay $10.00 an hour.

 

[tacomaranch]

Thank God I live in small rural town of Wyoming! $2.50 an hour plus soda and a movie!

That is for a Jr. or Sr. High school girl! It is wonderful.

 

[Ella's Mom]

I have a 2 year old and I pay my college-age sitter $6.00 per hour (and round up). She's happy with that. She never tells me "No". I think it really depends on where you live and how much your sitter could make at another job (hostess, clothing store, etc....). I'll also give her a nice gift for holidays and birthday.

 

[bean]

We live in the DC area and generally pay $12 an hour for our two girls.

 

[holden]

We live in the suburbs of Philly and pay $10/hr for our 3yo.

 

[ladyelle]

I pay about $10.00 per hour plus tip for five children.

 

[Chloesmom]

I have a full time nanny that i pay $310 a week. My DD is her only child that she watches and she takes her all over and will even stay the night. During the summer they go to the zoo, Aquarium, parks, plays, etc. Its the best thing I ever did. The girl is fantastic.. she is trained in CPR and first aid. DD is diabetic so the nanny has completed the same education I did. She has watched mt DD for 4 years now so they are close.. like family.

 

[RN01]

I live in a small town in Southern IL and I pay my weekend babysitter $3/ hour for one kid and $4/ hour for 2 kids. That's paying a 13 year old teenager. I only make $13/ hour working as a nurse so it seems silly to pay a teenage babysitter $10/ hour to babysit.

 

[Mariposa]

I only use my sister as a sitter, but I usually give her $20 to keep DD for the evening.. and no, it's not out of kindness, she actually charges me.. and she's an adult... and pregnant herself.. and she borrows money from me constantly. But that's another post.

Anyhoo.. around here I'd offer $5 or $6 an hour for one kid. Many, many places here pay $6.15/hour, so I can't see paying much more than that for someone who will most likely sit on my couch, watch my TV, eat a meal I cooked or paid for, and make sure DD doesn't burn down the house.

 

[wendylovesdisney]

How about when you take the neighbor girl from across the street with you to a toddler swim class (I have 2 kids so I need another set of hands)? I am not sure what to pay... I paid 100.00 for for both kids to be in the swim class to begin with and then we hang around and swim for about another hour or so. I usually take my Mom to help but she is going out of town.

-Wendy

 

[kydisneyfans]

I live in a small town in Southern IL and I pay my weekend babysitter $3/ hour for one kid and $4/ hour for 2 kids. That's paying a 13 year old teenager. I only make $13/ hour working as a nurse so it seems silly to pay a teenage babysitter $10/ hour to babysit.

We pay a SAHM $3.00 per hour part time, 2.50 hr full time during working hours. We trade kids for the weekends for a night out.

Day care rates, stay at home moms, and after school programs are all in the $2.50 per hour range here. I also cannot see paying someone $10.00 an hour tax free when I am earning $13.50 an hour myself. It's amazing to read the cost of living differences in this country.

 

[NeedaVacation03]

I have figured out by reading these posts why I hardly ever hire a babysitter! As a SAHM, I could never justify $10 an hour or more for a sitter. I think babysitters are very important, as I have done that work myself, but I could not come up with that kindof money. I have tried babysitting from home and I can not find parents who want to pay more than $20 a day for a 10 hr day. Then they are still late coming to pick up. I have the greatest respect for anyone who can do this day in and day out.
I am a volunteer high school minister, who deals with teens all the time and I have a hard time motivating them to do anything but watch tv. My 9 year old ends up doing most of the work. It is crazy. You are right though, college students are great. Students that work in childcare( daycares, preschools etc.) are wonderful and on special occassions I would pay them $10 an hour.
I guess I will be relaying on family for a long, long time.Thank God for family, who will stay because they love them and a free dinner doesn't hurt either

 

[jenbarnwell]

We also pay $10 an hour for dd (5) and DS (2 1/2)!! And if the sitter only watches for an hour, I give her $20 automatically, but she is the best babysitter in the world!!

 

[Angela&Kayla]

Thank goodness I don't have to pay a sitter $10 an hour for my DD7! I'd never leave her with one if I did!

I pay very generously in the area in which I live, at $5 an hour!!

 

[Karrie Davis]

WOW! Well we are in Denver and the going rate around here is $5 an hour plus $1 extra per child (HS age). I have a 2 year old and the first ime my sitter baby sat for us I paid $5 and hour and her Mom called me and said my son was too easy and not to pay her more then $4.00 and hour next time. Now I can't pay that little!. If I was to hire from a sevice it is $10.00 per hour w/ a 4 hour minimum, and the drop in play center charges $8 an hour unless you pre buy a lot of time. The drop in center will only be $7.00 and hour once he turns 3. Each of the 2nd one do charge more per child but I am not sure how much, but not double!.

HS kids here, and this is a bigger metra area, are making between $6 - $8 an hour in real jobs. Not that I think kids is not a real job but you do get to have more freedom and even some fun babysitting. My son is in bed at 8:30 and the sitter gets to eat food, watch my big screen, pick from my husbabds 1000's of movies and 1000,s of cd,s while they hang out. My sitter likes to read, she is so sweet but moving in a few weeks but we have a whole list from our freinds (that have ilder kids, we started later) or from our Church.

I do use the service during the day when I have photo sessions because I am gone about 3 hours (I am a photographer).

 

[FSUDisneyGirl]

I babysat for 2 families (in south Florida) throughout high school and some of college- until about 2004. I was payed:

$9-10 per hour for the family with 3 kids (about 2-10 years old), but this family had a lot of money and the kids were quite spoiled and difficult. i would watch these kids all the time, and i didn't feel bad taking the money...because i knew they had it to spend, and i needed it for college!

$6-8 per hour for a family of 4-5 kids, but they had less money and the kids were fun and easy! i would have watched them for free!

after reading this thread, it's amazing how many factors go into determining how much sitters are paid! but when i am a parent, i think that a lot of that will depend on how much the sitter does...doing arts and crafts and playing with the kids is worth a lot more than watching a movie all night!

 

[brandylouwho]

I live near Appleton, WI and pay about $5 per hour, I may add a little extra sometimes (for 3.5 hrs I still pay $20). Money doesn't go as far as it used to...$20 today doesn't buy much and I really want to keep my good babysitter. It was hard enough to find her in the first place.

The cost of living here is very middle of the road...less expensive than Madison or Milwaukee...but more than the rest of rural Wisconsin.

I have one daughter, who is 2.5 and EASY. She likes playing with the "big girl" babysitter. If/when I have 2 kids...I will probably pay more like $7 per hour...maybe even more if one of the kids is rambunctious (or even naughty).