How much do you pay your Babysitters?

[lecach]

We pay our sitter $10 per hour for our one child - he's 2 1/2. BUT she is one of his daycare teachers, he loves her, and she is certified in CPR, etc. Most of the time we have family available. But when we don't we feel safe about having his teacher do it. Plus we don't really know anyone else around here - no teenagers in our neighborhood or anyone else.

All the teachers at his school that babysit charge this amount.

 

[kkc_mom]

WOW! This is why we never go out!(unless we are visiting Grammy) I am a licensed child care provider and only charge $5 an hour. (My full time children rates break down to 2.50 an hour) I can not even imagine paying a teenager more than I make!

 

[murcor]

I think a sitter for the day/week while you are at work is different than paying a sitter for a few hours when you go out.

I pay my in home sitter $50.00/day from 8:15 - 5:00pm
2 kids ages 7 & 6

We have had her since the youngest was 6 months old.

When they are in school and she works part days it is a min of $150.00/week
Also, in the winter when I have my extra days off...it is still min of $150.00/week

When the kids get abit older I may consider a teen or college student but for now our current sitter can take them to all their swimming lessons, any extra curricular school activities, friends house etc.

 

[mom2aredhead]

I have 2 regular sitters that we use for occasional nights out - one is 18 and leaving for college soon, the other is 15 (they're sisters)
For us it depends - sometimes they come together, just to keep each other company - their choice, and fine with me, but I'm not paying both of them. It also depends if my son was awake or asleep, if they have to feed him or not, and how long they were there. They've never complained and always say yes when I ask them, so I assume it's OK with them. I guess it ends up averaging about $8-$10 per hour, but if we go to a late movie and they come over at say 9:00, and my son is already fed, bathed, and sound asleep, I'm not going to pay them $10.00/hour to sit in my hosue, watch my TV and use my computer, KWIM? So my answer is that it varies.
My sister who lives in Atlanta is one of those "the more money you pay the better it must be" type of people (You know, the Prada toting, Bugaboo pushing, Volvo driving people?) - her daughter goes to Montessori school (of course) during the day, but if she needs a sitter nights/weekends, she has 2 people that she alternates using regularly and pays her $15-$18/hour for her 1 child - and most of the time they have to sneak out when she's sleeping because otherwise she'll throw the mother-of-all-tantrums. But these sitters have master's degrees and are certified teachers - which is very important to my sleeping niece who doesn't even realize that her parents went out. To each his own.

 

[Princess Roo]

When I started hiring a sitter I asked around the neighborhood to find out what others were paying their sitters. I have also found that a sitter is more willing to tell me the "range that other people pay her" rather than what "she charges". Here it runs (for one child) ~$8-10/ hour for middle/highschoolers depending on experience and if they drive and then $10-12/hour for college/adult sitters. Then ~$1/hour extra per additional child. I tend to pay a little more if my child is awake the whole time they are there and a little less if they are asleep most of the time. I guess if my kid was a handful, I'd pay more to make sure the sitter kept coming back!

I was SHOCKED by the way. Sitters in my hometown still consider themselves lucky at $5 per hour for 2 or 3 kids. I sat 12 years ago for $2/ hour for 3 kids!

My next-door neighbor and I swap some sitting where I'll stay over there while she and her husband go out and then we'll swap some other night. We usually do it after the kids go to bed, and we're comfortable in each others houses from so many playdates so it's a piece of cake and still lets us get out for a late dinner or shopping. And FREE!

 

[abcboys]

I'm always shocked at what some people pay their babysitters. $10/hour!!! Good grief, that sounds like a lot to me. Around here its around $2-3/hour or more for mulitiple children. I don't think any teenager would find a job around here charging $10/hour. I would love to work for some of you.

OP...your amount sounds fine to me. Of course that's where I live.

 

[daisyduck123]

Around here its around $2-3/hour or more for mulitiple children. I don't think any teenager would find a job around here charging $10/hour. I would love to work for some of you.

Wow! I was getting paid almost that much back in 1980!...price sure does vary from area to area.

 

[mickey2minnie1]

We live in MD and I pay 7 an hour for my three kids. They are very easy 4, 7, and 10 years. I was told 5 for 1st and add a dollar for each by a neighbor. I know their mom really well and have told her to tell me if they ever think they want to bail due to not receiving enough. The girls tell me whatever I want to give. That is what I can afford at this point.

 

[runswithscissors]

I pay $10 an hour to the babysitter to watch our 4-year old son when we go out.

I pay $1200 a month to our nanny to watch him Monday through Friday while I'm at work.

We live in Southeast PA.

 

[kltruck]

We pay $10/hr for our college-aged babysitter for 3 kids: ds15mo, ds3, dd 4.

 

[maxtomsmom]

I looked and looked for a thread already on this subject and I couldn't find one, so I am putting the question out there again: How much do you pay your babysitter? And for how many kids and what are their ages?? We are luck enough to have a few key babysitters and I am not new at the whole babysitter thing, but i still get baffled and stressed out about what to pay them! Is it enough or am I over paying them??

I am all for paying our babysitter well, as I want them to come back, and want to come back, and not feel like they are getting jipped. Our boys are 8 1/2 (verry self sufficient), 4 (sometimes a handful) and 9 1/2 months. Our children are well behaved for the most part; they have good manners are not rambunctious, and are not terrors. Our DS4 is a typical 4 year old, a tiny bit full of hell but has a heart of gold; listens well and doesn't push the rules! Our 8 year old is very responcipal and super helpful with the baby. DS9mo is the most work, but takes naps and goes to be early....

Here is the math: I picked her up at 10:30 and left for work at 11 - I got home at 4 and had her home by 4:15 - I paid her $35. Just under $6 per hour.... for 3 kids... $2 per kid per hour. Am I over paying? Underpaying? Far off the norm or right on?? What do you pay your sitters?

If my memory serves me correctly, but I remember you had a post to help name your baby. Wow he's already 9 mos. Time does fly by.

 

[maxtomsmom]

I live outside NYC and I pay my sitters usually 12 -15 an hour depending on whether I have to go pick them up, if the kids are sleeping etc. I have a 2 yr old and a 5yr old. That's the going rate around here. It stinks as it gets really pricey to go out.

We also live right outside of NYC and we pay our sitter $12 an hour. I actually have a sitter for when I work, a different one for the weekend and another for the rare nights out. She gets $12 an hour regardless how many children she is watching. She mainly watches DS3, but sometimes will watch DS6 if he is home and he sometimes has one or two friends over. We agreed that this is the flat rate. She is very reliable, extremely flexible as I am a therapist and have cancellations, make-up sessions, schedule changes, etc. We're in the process of moving and we have a mother's helper, a 14 year old, who comes to watch and play with the boys and she gets $5 an hour. On the rare occasion we do go out we have yet another sitter( we like to spread the wealth ) She gets $10 an hour. We use a different sitter at night as my day sitter is married and needs to go home.

 

[grumpyvet]

Cost of living here is high. I pay $10-$11 an hour for someone to watch my dd7. Kind of keeps us home!!

 

[ParrotBill]

Upstate NY Rochester Area.. Once child age 7. $5 per hour rounded up to next hour or adding an hour if too close to the next hour.

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

We are at the Jersey shore. When we used a sitter (about 3 years ago), we paid $7 or $8 an hour for two pre-teen kids.

 

[Lurker Geoff]

We have 4 kids... 8,7,5,4 and we pay our college help $12/hour and our high school help $8/hour.

At first I thought my wife offered too much (with the $12/hour), but we posted our rates in a help wanted ad through Michigan State University's school newspaper looking for a child development major and we got such great babysitters it was well worth it.

 

[Grendalynn]

I have 2 regular sitters that we use for occasional nights out - one is 18 and leaving for college soon, the other is 15 (they're sisters)
For us it depends - sometimes they come together, just to keep each other company - their choice, and fine with me, but I'm not paying both of them. It also depends if my son was awake or asleep, if they have to feed him or not, and how long they were there. They've never complained and always say yes when I ask them, so I assume it's OK with them. I guess it ends up averaging about $8-$10 per hour, but if we go to a late movie and they come over at say 9:00, and my son is already fed, bathed, and sound asleep, I'm not going to pay them $10.00/hour to sit in my hosue, watch my TV and use my computer, KWIM? So my answer is that it varies.
My sister who lives in Atlanta is one of those "the more money you pay the better it must be" type of people (You know, the Prada toting, Bugaboo pushing, Volvo driving people?) - her daughter goes to Montessori school (of course) during the day, but if she needs a sitter nights/weekends, she has 2 people that she alternates using regularly and pays her $15-$18/hour for her 1 child - and most of the time they have to sneak out when she's sleeping because otherwise she'll throw the mother-of-all-tantrums. But these sitters have master's degrees and are certified teachers - which is very important to my sleeping niece who doesn't even realize that her parents went out. To each his own.

i think I know her - Oh no - that;s MY sister inlaw that I am thinking about...

 

[Grendalynn]

If my memory serves me correctly, but I remember you had a post to help name your baby. Wow he's already 9 mos. Time does fly by.

I sure did!! He is growing soo fast!! Crawling and into EVERYTHING!! And has a liking for cat food... I also posted a thread about being addicted to The Dis... Which has over 17 pages of responces!! So I am clearly not alone... So funny - just goes to show how much I "rely" on everyones input, feedback and 2 cents worth here! Its a great way to be open and honest and not be/feel judged. Well, most of the time atleast! I think the info I get here from some of the questions and ideas that i post gives me an open, objective view that I might not get form my friends and family. !! And I can heck in with others who might be having the same issues with their kids, husband, families, work, heck - even what they are haviung for dinner.... That's why I love The Dis!! And I love these little emoticons!!

 

[brooklynheights]

my niece gets at $16 dollars a hour or more the last family she sat for she said if they want her again it would be double kids were out of control 2 kids still in diapers and they were in school no health issues with them parents just too lazy to train them and they have 3 nannys people pay others to do the job they won't do she crossed them off her list