How much do you pay your teen babysitter?

[shelly3girls]

If I needed one of our sitters I would work out a daily rate instead of hourly. I definitely pay our sitters at least $10/hr but that is different b/c they are older and only come for a couple of hours. In your situation I would have thought $50/day was fair. If I was desperate I would have paid $75 but probably would not ask the girl to babysit again.

 

[peeb]

My daughter is 15 and sits once or twice a week for a family with 2 kids when the mom works. Its 8:30 to 4:30 and she gets $7 an hour. The mom set the rate, not my daughter.

I know some people replied that daytime should be less than night, but keep in mind the kids are awake ALL day and a lot of times at night my daughter feels bad for getting paid to watch tv while the kids are sleeping.

marjie

 

[WindyCityDisney]

The way she went about it was I'm a SAHM and she didn't want to start another month at the daycare so I should be able to do it last minute.

DD went over an talked to her and told her what she charges an hour and how much it would be, she said "great". It wasn't till yesterday morning she brought up to dd how expensive it was. I told dd it was up to her if she wants to lower her rate in hopes of babysitting again.

Personally, that doesn't sound like a family for whom she'd want to babysit again. I hate that type of 'take advantage' lookout.

My DH is a SAHD and you would not believe the folks that "assume" he would just love to have another few (as many as 4 in one family) kids around the house. Especially this summer, there are a couple of regular "friends" that called -- not really asking for help but more of an "can Susie have a playdate with your daughter tomorrow" and when we ask about times, it's a long silence and then "well, I can drop her off before work and pick her up after 5 or so" -- this isn't a playdate, people, it's daycare!! The total attitutde was it would be no big deal.

We do have a couple of friends that (1) have asked and (2) have offered compensation or we knew of a family situation and DH offered. When this happens, DH almost always says yes and tries to refuse the $$ -- most of the time it's pushed on him (and gratefully accepted).

But it's the expectation not the request that just galls me! And DH doesn't just let the kids play in the backyard or whatever -- they're always at the zoo or the pool or libarary (usually whatever is free that day because by the way, this is our choice to NOT have two incomes).

Sorry to hijack your thread, OP, but this hit a sore spot. I HATE HATE HATE this assumption that because we made the choice for SAHD that we should become the neighborhood daycare for those with two incomes!

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

My teenage babysitter who has since grown up and moved away, charged 7.00/hr for first child, 10.00/hr for 2.

She was 16, red cross certified and so good we had to book her weeks in advance.

Now our DS12 watches DD8 and we give him 4.00/hr and we usually aren't gone more than 3 hours.

He's done well so far and we are thinking of having him take the red cross babysitting class if he wants.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I HATE HATE HATE this assumption that because we made the choice for SAHD that we should become the neighborhood daycare for those with two incomes!

I'm with ya there. I'm a Mom whose home in the afternoons and the first year I was home, one Mom would have her kids come to my house for playdates and then leave her house.

I didn't even know she was doing it until the day the kids came over when my kids and I were on our way out. The older boy said but no one is home now 'cause Mom leaves after we come over here. I got stuck staying home with all the kids since I didn't want to send an 8 year old back home with his 5 year old sister and no parent around.

I watched for that Mom to get back home - she showed up around 6pm and I was at her place in a hot minute and told her I wasn't the neighborhood babysitter and she needed to stop sending her kids over if she was leaving the house. She got mad and yelled at me but I gave it right back at her. The nerve of some people just amazes me.

 

[Anne34]

My daughter is 15 and babysits regularly -- she gets anywhere from $7-10 per hour. She is babysitting on Friday for a couple going to a baseball game -- they'll leave by 11am and not be home until 9pm -- she is expected to feed them lunch & dinner and keep them entertained all day (7 & 10 yrs old). They told her she will get her regular pay (about $7/hr from this family since the kids are older) -- she will make about $70 for the day. That is a one time thing, not instead of day care.

 

[bkelly65us]

I think it really boils down to what the mother agreed to with your daughter. If she agreed to something that works out to 150 bucks for 2 days work then too bad for her. That's what she agreed on. So what if her ex-husband thinks it's too much. What he thinks shouldn't even enter into it. Ultimately, it's what your daughter decides is fair compensation for her time and effort that matters.

Of course, I'm a republican and business is business!

 

[luvdzne]

Personally, that doesn't sound like a family for whom she'd want to babysit again. I hate that type of 'take advantage' lookout.

My DH is a SAHD and you would not believe the folks that "assume" he would just love to have another few (as many as 4 in one family) kids around the house. Especially this summer, there are a couple of regular "friends" that called -- not really asking for help but more of an "can Susie have a playdate with your daughter tomorrow" and when we ask about times, it's a long silence and then "well, I can drop her off before work and pick her up after 5 or so" -- this isn't a playdate, people, it's daycare!! The total attitutde was it would be no big deal.

We do have a couple of friends that (1) have asked and (2) have offered compensation or we knew of a family situation and DH offered. When this happens, DH almost always says yes and tries to refuse the $$ -- most of the time it's pushed on him (and gratefully accepted).

But it's the expectation not the request that just galls me! And DH doesn't just let the kids play in the backyard or whatever -- they're always at the zoo or the pool or libarary (usually whatever is free that day because by the way, this is our choice to NOT have two incomes).

Sorry to hijack your thread, OP, but this hit a sore spot. I HATE HATE HATE this assumption that because we made the choice for SAHD that we should become the neighborhood daycare for those with two incomes!

This was my exact thought when she asked me. In fact she didn't even really ask, it was more I need you to do it because....and the fact she sent the little ones to ask me. She also sends her 5yr old over with the 7yr old to play with my dd9. The 5yr is a handful and I feel like I am stuck watching her constantly because she is into everything and asking for things.

I think if the situation was approached differently or dd had babysat for them before we would have told her to charge a per day fee.

By the way I have to disagree with those that say the fee should be less for during the day than at night. For the most part the kids would be in bed so the sitter is basically siting watching TV. If I were to pay differently by time of day, it would definatly be more during the day and less at night.

 

[luvdzne]

I think it really boils down to what the mother agreed to with your daughter. If she agreed to something that works out to 150 bucks for 2 days work then too bad for her. That's what she agreed on. So what if her ex-husband thinks it's too much. What he thinks shouldn't even enter into it. Ultimately, it's what your daughter decides is fair compensation for her time and effort that matters.

Of course, I'm a republican and business is business!

 

[pjb0216]

We pay my DN 7.00 an hr to watch my two DS's if we are going out somewhere. However, she is watching them this summer while I work and we pay her a flat rate of 250.00 for the week (or 50.00 a day if I dont work every day). She watches the boys from 8:30-5:30 and has to feed them etc.etc.

 

[JoanneNC]

I haven't read all the responses - we pay $10 per hr for 2 kids and I guess I don't see why the length of the stay lowers the value of the service thus warranting lowering her pay. This is all day babysitting where kids are awake and need to be fed and played with. I could see if it was a late night - say starting at 5-6pm - going to 1/2am and the kids were asleep from 7/8pm on . Now that is some easy money while they sleep.

I believe in you get what you pay for and if you want quality (repeat) sitters - they need to feel valued as well. It's now when they learn that hard work does pay off.

 

[tracys2cents]

Back in 1972 I got $1.00 an hour, and it cost $2.00 to go to the movies back then. Movies have gone up 500%, so I'd say $5 an hour, around here, would be about right. More of course for an adult sitter with skills. For a 13 year old, $150 for two days of sitting is about twice as much as I'd be able to pay.

 

[pyrxtc]

I think she is paying a fair rate for not having to sign up for daycare for another month. $150 for 2 days is way les than paying for a month. At 12, it is a lot of work to watch 2 kids for that long. Heck at my age of 31, It is a long time to watch 2 kids that long.

 

[breathinforluck]

As a teen nanny/ babysitter It depends on how many kids I'm watching. Currently I watch a 6&7 years old boy, and I get paid $8 per hour. 4/per kid.

 

[Crisgw]

We use several 15 & 16 year olds sitters during the day but only 18+ in the evenings and we pay:
Ages 14-17 $10/hour
18+ $11-15/hour depending on who/experience/age

 

[luvdzne]

DD just got back and she is glad it's over. She didn't realize how hard it is to watch 2 kids for 10hrs. She said she told the mom that she would only charge her $125, but she said she would pay her the $150 anyway because it was last minute and all.

Now the neighbor across the way just hired her to watch her dog for 10 days while on vacation and told her she is paying her $20 a day to do it. She's right now.

 

[kristilew]

I haven't read all the responses - we pay $10 per hr for 2 kids and I guess I don't see why the length of the stay lowers the value of the service thus warranting lowering her pay. This is all day babysitting where kids are awake and need to be fed and played with. I could see if it was a late night - say starting at 5-6pm - going to 1/2am and the kids were asleep from 7/8pm on . Now that is some easy money while they sleep.

I believe in you get what you pay for and if you want quality (repeat) sitters - they need to feel valued as well. It's now when they learn that hard work does pay off.

I totally agree (maybe this is a NC thing?) We pay $9/hour for our one dd10, who is SO easy to babysit - in fact she gets paid to be a mother's helper for younger kids. But we want to know she is taken care of when we go out, and I think it gets harder to watch a kid the longer the day wears on - I know I'm ready for a drink by 5 and I'm the mother!

Your dd is working her butt off. If she was at MickeyD's, they wouldn't pay her less for working an 8 hour shift vs. a 3 hour one, and she wouldn't have as much responsibility.

 

[unbroken chain]

I paid $8 per hour last summer and $9 per hour this summer for a college aged sitter for 3 children. However, at 13 I would think she would make less - although I'm also not sure I would leave a 13 year old home alone with my children all day like that (not that your daughter isn't responsible, but seems young for a "full time" type of job like that). However, if you are close by, then that would make me more comfortable (and part of what I would be paying for would be that your 13 year old can come get you in an emergency).

 

[luvdzne]

I paid $8 per hour last summer and $9 per hour this summer for a college aged sitter for 3 children. However, at 13 I would think she would make less - although I'm also not sure I would leave a 13 year old home alone with my children all day like that (not that your daughter isn't responsible, but seems young for a "full time" type of job like that). However, if you are close by, then that would make me more comfortable (and part of what I would be paying for would be that your 13 year old can come get you in an emergency).

This wasn't a full time job, just a one time thing. I definatly would not let her do it for longer than the 2 days. Like I said she will be 14 in a few weeks and where I wouldn't say she is totally mature, she is very responsible. I was home right next door and she checked in with me just about every hour to let me know what they were doing, however I definatly would not have let her do it if I wasn't next door.