Question for parents of teens who babysit

[ohMom]

hey thanks for the input -- i actually feel more at ease with few others agreeing. well, i guess that's why we post sometimes, huh?

anyhow -- my DD is very active in the world of AKC (American Kennel Club) and shows her mini dachshund as much as possible -- this is an expensive interest for her. I WELCOME a way for her to earn money to support her showing. DH and I have given her a budget for the year for show fees, etc and once that pot is gone she has to pay her own entries. A great babysitting family will be fit nicely into this picture! She has been hoping for just such a break!

btw - i shared the conversation with her when she got home from school and she was beaming with pride. She also made the comment "well it'd be worth missing a football game or such to babysit for them!"

 

[mrsv98]

We pay our neighbor girl $7.50/hour and are happy to do so. It is very hard to get someone and keep them. Once they are driving and can work, then it is nearly impossible. Our sitter is 14 so we have a bit longer with her and then we have her 11 yo sister waiting in the wings!

 

[mtemm]

my husband pays more than the going rate, too. He just feels like this is someone who is watching what is most precious to us. He always bumps up and then rounds up. Its also a good way to ensure that "yes I can babysit for you" on a tough night.

honestly, I wouldn't be concerned about her being overpaid. it will probably encourage her to do a very stellar job, although I'm sure she already was doing one. as long as she understands not everyone will pay that much. and maybe have her put the part that you consider extra right into a savings acct.

 

[mickeymo]

Depending on qualifications, length of time, and who is watching the kids will depend on how much we pay...We will pay a sitter who is CPR and First Aid trained and/or Red Cross babysitting trained more. (I'm a Red Cross Health and Safety Instructor - so, those are important qualifications to me...) In addition to certifications, the highly valuable sitters are ones who will bring crafts, games, and/or play with the kids and not sit and read a book or watch TV or let the kids just veg in front of the TV - we fired an adult sitter after she told the kids they were bothering her and sent them to their rooms to play so she could to read her book in peace. Age of the sitter, doesn't always mean more responsible.

So, all that in place, we pay $8-10/hr for age 16 and over - usually if we're using a sitter, it's for a longer period of time than a typical date...on occasion we've used 8th and 9th graders for date nights (usually around 2-3 hrs) - they've usually charged around $5.00/hr.