OT: Question about how much to pay a babysitter?

[imthatgirl]

I think a lot of it has to do with how we've recently been forced to look at what a big job it actually is and how very important it is that its done right. We used to just think a teen could hang out with the kids for a bit and make sure they're safe. With all the shaken babies and other nannycam scandals were realizing how important it is and how hard it may be to find someone to do the job right.

unfortunately paying them more doesnt insure they take better care of your children.

 

[bangzoom6877]

Since the wedding is that far away, I'd definately give it a trial run beforehand, since you've never used her, and your kids have never had a sitter. It's a nice excuse to get out for a few hours with your DH!

Excellent advice! And actually we were planning to do this some time soon! She is going on a family vacation next week, so we thought maybe some time after that, just to go out for maybe a few hours for a nice dinner. Then one more time before the wedding in December.

The only people who have watched my kids are my mother, my sister, and 2 friends of mine who I trust immensely. Mom and sis of course never expect any money, and I offered both my friends who watched them (who also knew them very well of course), but they wouldn't take anything from me. One friend was also someone I worked with at the time, and we went out to lunch one day and I insisted on paying. She reluctantly allowed me. The other friend came out to dinner with us one night and we paid for her, and we got her a really nice birthday gift also. Her birthday happened to fall out about 3 weeks after she watched DS3 (he was 18 months at the time and this was before we had the little one). I felt better that I did something for each of them since to me watching a baby or 2 little ones is a very big deal!

I will ask a friend of mine what she pays her babysitter, but I believe she uses her much more often. She had her watch her daughter when she was a baby before being able to go to pre-school, when she went to work. So, of course this is an adult I am talking about, not a teenager. Still, she still watches her daughter occasionally when she and her husband go out, so I will ask her. Right now they are at Disney so I have to wait until later this week when they get back!

 

[bangzoom6877]

unfortunately paying them more doesnt insure they take better care of your children.

This is very true. Paying a ton of money does not ensure tip-top service with anything, especially nowadays.

 

[ChillyWilleys]

unfortunately paying them more doesnt insure they take better care of your children.

I totally agree. I'm just saying I think the job is looked at more seriously than before, and the sitters who have good references are in a position where people would be willing to pay more for them. I have only left DD with a non family member sitter once. It was a woman who lives across the street with a child of her own. I trust her, but quite frankly can't afford her. She's a professional babysitter charging about $12/hr. If I'm in a pinch I would definitely use her again because the trust I have with her is worth the money. Instead I drive a halfhour before work to drop DD of with her Nana. I live around loads of teens that I'm sure I could afford but don't have that trust with any of them. I would pay the extra or only use family. So I can see why people would be willing to pay more when they have an excellent report from other families.

 

[kldmom2000]

Here's a website that breaks it down based on family size/where you live....
http://www.sittercity.com/rate_calculator.html

 

[kldmom2000]

Here's a website that breaks it down based on family size/where you live....
http://www.sittercity.com/rate_calculator.html

YIKES! Good thing we never use a babysitter!!! It gave me a rate of $12.50 per hour for the 17-21 yr old age range with 2-4 yrs experience to watch 2 kids!!!

To think I was a nanny in college for a 3 yr old boy and did ALL the housework/laundry/errands/took care of their dog and got paid $5.00 an hour (then again, this was 12 yrs ago.... )

 

[mlraabe]

I was just talking about this with some friends the other night. Our friends think we pay way too much to our sitters. However, we have 4 kids (only 3 now that need a baby sitter) and we actually have girls calling the house saying they are off work tonite would DH and I want to go out, they will baby sit! We pay between $8-10/hour but I think the going rate around here is more like $6/hour. No one else has the girls calling them asking if they can babysit so I guess we pay well - or just have great kids ! I know if we all need sitters on a night I will be able to get one first! We used to use our list of sitters often but now that DS is 13 we have started to have him watch the kids occassionally - and he likes the extra $$. But he has started to have his own social life so we still need the girls, too.

 

[Princess Roo]

Can you ask the sitter the range she has been paid before? Or as her parents her typical rate? I've found sitters don't feel comfortable saying what they "charge", but will tell me what others have paid them...seems more polite to them, maybe? I'd rather pay an extra dollar per hour or so to "keep" a good sitter, especially since I don't use them that much. It does seem like teens, at least around here, are less and less motivated to work, and I don't mind paying extra for someone I know is doing a good job with my kids. (I agree that higher pay doesn't translate to better care, but I will pay someone I know to give good care a higher rate to make her want to keep working for us, KWIM?)

It REALLY depends by area, so asking your friend is also a good idea. I've noticed people pay their sitters differently even in different suburbs here of Atlanta, and it's VERY different from what people are currently paying sitters in the rural area where I grew up. (We made a sitter/family friend up there VERY happy by paying her Atlanta rates when we went to a wedding there )

 

[disfan07]

I am 19 adn have been babysitting for 8 yrs...I live in northern virginia and this is my breakdown of charges that i have used before...

1 kid- $7/hr
2-4 kids- $10-$12 hr (depends on ages)
5-6 kids- $12-$15 hr (depends on ages)

hope that helps!

 

[Cdnmommy]

Wow, what a variety of rates people pay depending on where they live! I live in Ontario and our last babysitter who has taken a babysitter's course as well as an extra course on caring for toddlers charged us 5.00/hour. At the time she was babysitting for our 2 yr old and 8 yr old. That being said we live in a rural town where I'm sure there isn't as much demand on her services, which is good for us! Good luck!

 

[tinkermom2008]

Wow. It seems different areas pay a lot for babysitting. Here in Michigan I pay our teen sitter $5.00 per hour for my two boys. Friends of mine also say they pay about the same. This is for kids ages 1 and up. I wouldn't leave an infant with a teen, but if I did I would pay more.

I totally agree w/ you. I live in Wisconsin and I pay our highschool babysitter $5.00 and usually tip her when she drives herself over. I can' imagine paying $8.00 to $12.00 like some other DISers are.

 

[mamaLori05]

I totally agree w/ you. I live in Wisconsin and I pay our highschool babysitter $5.00 and usually tip her when she drives herself over. I can' imagine paying $8.00 to $12.00 like some other DISers are.

Yea, I'm in Wisconsin too, and according to the calculator posted previously, I'm supposed to be paying 10.50 per hr. That's just not the case around here. Like I mentioned earlier, the sitter in the neighborhood who just raised her rate to $10 lost all her jobs!! I mean, that's more than you pay for daycare....heck, that's way more than I charge when I watch kids in my own home...and I'm a state licensed teacher, a mom, and have probably 15yrs experience working with kids!!

In my opinion, the teens that are really interested in watching and playing with your kids are not going to really care what you pay them. I would much rather hire a babysitter that was into my kids, then how much they were making.

 

[Princess Roo]

... I mean, that's more than you pay for daycare....heck, that's way more than I charge when I watch kids in my own home...and I'm a state licensed teacher, a mom, and have probably 15yrs experience working with kids!!...

I think you generally pay less per hour for daycare, because you commit to a high number of hours per week. The adult woman who sometimes sits for us changes $10/hour for nannying 40 hours (we don't use her for this, but helped her find a job), but charges $13/hour for extra babysitting. And there are plenty of daycares that when you divide your monthly rate by the number of hours some children are there, it's well below minimum wage - especially for one child.

And here, the ones who are REALLY into playing with kids are in HIGH demand, so can fill up their schedules families that will pay them the most...This is very different from when/where I grew up babysitting and that was how everyone made their pocket money (and if someone paid me $2/hour I was in heaven!).

 

[mjkacmom]

Yea, I'm in Wisconsin too, and according to the calculator posted previously, I'm supposed to be paying 10.50 per hr. That's just not the case around here. Like I mentioned earlier, the sitter in the neighborhood who just raised her rate to $10 lost all her jobs!! I mean, that's more than you pay for daycare....heck, that's way more than I charge when I watch kids in my own home...and I'm a state licensed teacher, a mom, and have probably 15yrs experience working with kids!!

In my opinion, the teens that are really interested in watching and playing with your kids are not going to really care what you pay them. I would much rather hire a babysitter that was into my kids, then how much they were making.

Of course you pay more for a private babysitter that you use for a few hours than a daycare center, and you pay more for a sitter to come to your home, than at someone else's home. I totally understand regional differences - much different COL - but let me state again that here in the NYC area, where the OP lives (not the midwest), the average cost of a teen sitter is $10 an hour. I have also found that the younger teens are much more into the kids than the older ones.

 

[mrsstarwarz]

I am in Jersey and I babysit allthe time and I charge $10 for the first 2 kids and then my price goes up from there. I have had 6 kids at one time but I also am a mom of 2 and own a daycare center so I can handle more kids!

But for the poster...she is 14 so I would say between $8-10 and hour.

Louisa

 

[mamaLori05]

Of course you pay more for a private babysitter that you use for a few hours than a daycare center, and you pay more for a sitter to come to your home, than at someone else's home. I totally understand regional differences - much different COL - but let me state again that here in the NYC area, where the OP lives (not the midwest), the average cost of a teen sitter is $10 an hour. I have also found that the younger teens are much more into the kids than the older ones.

I'm not trying to argue with you, I know that is true, but I guess I'm just trying to say doesn't that seem backwards. People will pay someone who is older and has more experience less money because they are watching your children longer, and they will pay someone much younger with very little to no experience way more simply because they are watching the child for a shorter time. I guess it just doesn't seem right to me. I mean, think of a business. If you only go into work for 3 or 4 hrs, you don't get paid more. And if you have less experience, you certainly don't get paid more than someone with more experience. I guess I just don't see why it's different for babysitting. I guess it's just one of those crazy life mysteries!!

 

[mamaLori05]

I am in Jersey and I babysit allthe time and I charge $10 for the first 2 kids and then my price goes up from there. I have had 6 kids at one time but I also am a mom of 2 and own a daycare center so I can handle more kids!

But for the poster...she is 14 so I would say between $8-10 and hour.

Louisa

Oooo, careful. Don't tell too many people that. I'm not sure what your state law is, but here I think you are allowed a max of 4 at an in home daycare, which includes your own children. Just would hate to see you get in trouble over it. Keep it a secret!!

 

[mjkacmom]

Oooo, careful. Don't tell too many people that. I'm not sure what your state law is, but here I think you are allowed a max of 4 at an in home daycare, which includes your own children. Just would hate to see you get in trouble over it. Keep it a secret!!

Here in NJ, I believe up to 5 outside children under the age of 6, with up to 3 of your own, with the most being 8 children under the age of 6.

 

[Disneydonnam]

Our experience is if you pay your sitter more money they will be happy to sit on the week-ends and if they are happy with the pay they will enjoy being with the kids.

 

[Princess Roo]

I'm not trying to argue with you, I know that is true, but I guess I'm just trying to say doesn't that seem backwards. People will pay someone who is older and has more experience less money because they are watching your children longer, and they will pay someone much younger with very little to no experience way more simply because they are watching the child for a shorter time. I guess it just doesn't seem right to me. I mean, think of a business. If you only go into work for 3 or 4 hrs, you don't get paid more. And if you have less experience, you certainly don't get paid more than someone with more experience. I guess I just don't see why it's different for babysitting. I guess it's just one of those crazy life mysteries!!

I would compare it to a full-time employee versus a contractor. Contractors make more per hour, because you aren't guaranteeing them a job for a longer time (even ignoring benefits).