Fair pay for a Babysitter.

[flapbreaker]

Kind of wondering what a fair hourly pay would be for a 15year old baby sitter watching a 5 year old? Mainly for 4 hours on occasion? Minimum wage? More, less?

[Hook-Line-N-Sinker]

$30-$40 for 4 hours sounds about right. I guess somewhere between $8-$10/hour.

[Joe C]

Originally Posted by flapbreaker

Kind of wondering what a fair hourly pay would be for a 15year old baby sitter watching a 5 year old? Mainly for 4 hours on occasion? Minimum wage? More, less?

not less if she knows what she's doing.

For a 15 year old, I'd say about 7 or 8 bucks an hour would be good.

For fun you should ask her how much she charges. I did that with our 16 year old babysitter one time and she wanted way less than she was worth. I told her she needed to learn how to negotiate.

[s20055]

For 4 hours...$50. A responsible teenager comes with a price tag. Most are a bit shy about negotiating payment so you can usually get away with paying a lot less, but if they are responsible and you trust them...it's your kid they are watching.

If you need someone on short notice, or like having someone you know and trust, pay them well.

[Silver Hilton]

My daughter gets 7 to 8 dollars an hour. One kid who is toilet trained should be cheaper than multiple kids and/or kids in diapers. Ask her what she thinks is fair, and then go up a buck an hour from that, and she'll be eager to do it again. It's worth over paying a good babysitter.

[Fast Water]

At 13, my Daughter is just starting her babysitting career. She is making $5.00 per hour.

She has taken and passed the Red Cross Babysitter's Training Course.

[PapaHog]

Originally Posted by Fast Water

At 13, my Daughter is just starting her babysitting career. She is making $5.00 per hour.

She has taken and passed the Red Cross Babysitter's Training Course.

$5 an hour is too cheap. I would think $8 to $10 would be better for one or two Kids out of diapers.

[wthr4d]

$5 per kid per hour! well okay the best bet is to ask them how much they want and if they did a good job give them more than they asked. Dont go less than $5/hour plus bonus and thats if its any easy kid or they sleep the whole time.

expect a lot and pay well...this is the person you are entrusting your child life.

paul

[Sweet Melissa]

Wow! Seven to ten dollars per kid?! I asked the teenagers around here, and the going answer was about $3 per kid per hour. And that's if you can find someone who actually has the free time to do it. Thankfully, we live close to Grandpa and Grandma, or I would never get out of the house at those rates.

As a former babysitter, I know that I NEVER got paid even close to minimum wage. Maybe times have changed in some places, though.

[Pete]

I concur with the $8 - $10 rate and wouldn't consider anyone that doesn't have at least the Red Cross Babysitter's Training Course. Better yet are licensed day-care workers, who have also been through the state background check.

[Artwo]

Originally Posted by Fast Water

At 13, my Daughter is just starting her babysitting career. She is making $5.00 per hour.

She has taken and passed the Red Cross Babysitter's Training Course.

Same thing for us, 13 yr. old daughter who has passed the Red Cross Training Course.....................$5 an hour ($3 per hr. per additional kid). She mostly babysits for friends of ours who's kids are no problem to entertain.

[goodkarma]

yep, we pay around $5/hr/kid for a very experienced 22yr old. But you figure if she's watching 2-3 kids she's making $10-$15/hr, not bad and generally, 2 kids is easier than 1.

[James in Idaho]

My almost 15 year old daughter makes BANK on babysitting. $7 to $10 per hour is pretty common, often more (pays to babysit for physicians!). But she's good at it, has all her coursework, and is dependable. She is even hired to go on ski trips with the families, all expenses PLUS $50 to $100 on top of the ski passes and meals. She does well. Just for kicks, she also earned $120 working at the hunt test this past weekend, and that's hard, hot, smelly work!

Why am I buying the groceries????????????

[rimrock]

First, talk to the parents of the babysitter to inquire what she's been paid in the past for how many kids and so on...you will get on the same page regarding expectations.

Expect to be at least $10/hr. If it's lower than that I generally ask the parents if it would be acceptable to them if I paid their daughter $10/hr if she has experience, qualifications and references.

[Chromaflage]

Holy crap!!!! My daughters are severely undercharging. They get about $20 for four hours for 3 kids. When did babysitting become a living wage job? I agree with the Red Cross Babysitter class. But expecting a teenager to be a state certified day care worker is a bit over the top. As importantly, though - references!!!! And good sitters are in high demand - especially if they're cheap!

[Sweet Melissa]

Originally Posted by Chromaflage

When did babysitting become a living wage job?

Thanks, Chromaflage. I thought I was living in some parallel universe to everyone else. Or at least a completely different tax bracket.

Sounds like your daughters are undercharging, though. What they're making is about what I would have gotten 20 years ago.

[Chromaflage]

Looks like I will "encourage" my daughters to be busy this summer.

[STGRule]

$20 for 4 hours for 3 kids is what I got 35 years ago. Your girls definitely need to charge more. Maybe the plan would be to charge just a bit less and be just as good or better. Then they will be in high demand.

[redfish89]

$10 or more an hour... Piece of mind is worth every cent.

[merrile]

Honesetly I don't even pay that to watch my kids while I work. I pay around 5 dollars an hour for after school care and a little more for my 5 year old. I have used the same babysitter for 5 years. My kids like it more there than they do at home!

[Fast Water]

Originally Posted by PapaHog

$5 an hour is too cheap. I would think $8 to $10 would be better for one or two Kids out of diapers.

To be clear, She is 13 and just starting. She sits for one to two hour periods a couple times a week. I imagine that as she gains expirence she might get another buck or two.

[rimrock]

I'd pay her a fee we agreed on and you felt comfortable with as her dad...so if she was going to look after my 6yr old this is some of what I'd ask you.

What's her experience?
Any Red Cross training?
Who has she babysitted before, could I call those parents? [just an exampe we aren't gonna call]
What does she want to be paid an hour?

If you could answer these I think we may help you out better...each sitter and situation is different.

[flapbreaker]

Wow, thanks for the responses. Seems that some sitters will get a shock when they get a job in the work force and pay taxes. Looks like they might take a pay cut.

My take so far is, you can't have someone watch your kid for 2 hours and pay them $10 bucks. Where's the incentive, however if they were to watch them for 8 hours the hourly rate would be a little less than what you spot them for shorter stuff. I'm guessing here.

[Kalamity]

Originally Posted by Chromaflage

When did babysitting become a living wage job?

I agree! When I used to babysit, I not only watched the kid, but was also expected to clean the kitchen, vacuum, and help with homework. When I went to walk home after 8 or so hours I got 30 bucks. I think I got ripped off....

[Joe C]

Originally Posted by flapbreaker

Wow, thanks for the responses. Seems that some sitters will get a shock when they get a job in the work force and pay taxes. Looks like they might take a pay cut.

My take so far is, you can't have someone watch your kid for 2 hours and pay them $10 bucks. Where's the incentive, however if they were to watch them for 8 hours the hourly rate would be a little less than what you spot them for shorter stuff. I'm guessing here.

Sounds about right. The pay scale is definitely a sliding one, but unlike any other job, you really are trusting this person with your most valuable possession. The thing with a babysitter is that you're having them come over to your home and give up a few hours of a night, usually a weekend night. Which basically mean their whole evening is shot.

Then there's the case where you are going to be out late, and the babysitter is basically spending most of the evening watching your tv while your kid sleeps. Now THAT's easy money.

In a lot of cases, it's cheaper if you know a mom with a kid near the same age, and you can drop the little one off at their place for a few hours. If anything, you may have just made her life easier since the kids will keep each other occupied.

[Chromaflage]

Ah, yes....my wife and I used to call these "strategically scheduled play dates."

Originally Posted by Joe C

In a lot of cases, it's cheaper if you know a mom with a kid near the same age, and you can drop the little one off at their place for a few hours. If anything, you may have just made her life easier since the kids will keep each other occupied.

[yankemnbankem]

We pay our daughter...13yo, 50 dollars per day (8 hr) to watch our two youngest children 1 in diapers, 1 @ 5 yrs. She does this 3 days per week and does homeschool and loves it and gets straight A's and makes 150 a week! The other two days when she goes to school, the daycare takes 50 per day.

[EastCreek]

Originally Posted by yankemnbankem

We pay our daughter...13yo, 50 dollars per day (8 hr) to watch our two youngest children 1 in diapers, 1 @ 5 yrs. She does this 3 days per week and does homeschool and loves it and gets straight A's and makes 150 a week! The other two days when she goes to school, the daycare takes 50 per day.

That is a nice set up! EC

[fishgirl]

Wow... I am amazed by some of these prices. When I was a teenager, I babysat 1 infant for two 8-hour days for $50 total. And I thought it was awesome. Last summer, I paid my niece (with her red cross card!) $40 to watch our 1 year old for two mornings of fishing. I gave her more than I think I normally would have because she had to get up so early! Also, when I was working, we paid a day care $40 per day to watch my son (about 8 months old at the time). I can't imagine paying a teenage babysitter any more than that! Especially since they don't have to pay taxes on it like a day care lady!

In my mind, $5 per hour seems about right for one potty-trained kid. I would add a buck or two per hour for more kidlets.

[thresher]

I really dont know. I would say contact your local child care services and ask them what they charge. Then cut that in half or there abouts. Is what i would think. At the same time for a 15 year old any money can see like lots of money

[Willis]

We pay $20.00-$25.00 dollars a day for 6-8hrs. so it brakes down to 2.25 a hour and she is registered through the state and has other children at the house some days and none others, our son is 17 months old.

[Joe C]

Originally Posted by fishgirl

Also, when I was working, we paid a day care $40 per day to watch my son (about 8 months old at the time). I can't imagine paying a teenage babysitter any more than that! Especially since they don't have to pay taxes on it like a day care lady! .

keep in mind, daycare should cost less hourly than a babysitter because they are watching multiple kids. Therefore making 4 or 5 times the hourly amount you pay. So really the babysitter is making a lot less than the daycare worker.

the problem is, of course, most daycare centers are closed at night when you want to go out on a date.

[s20055]

For 4 hours in the evening on a weekend night, I'll pay no less than $50 plus I'll feed the babysitter dinner (pizza). Most times, I'll even allow them to have a friend or relative join them if they don't want to be alone. I'll usually do this if we are planning on a very late night out. Why do I do this? I never have a problem getting someone to babysit and they are 100% trustworthy and reliable.