Thanks all for your sitter comments!
I pay $2.50 an hour per kid.
So, $5 an hour.
I need all you bloggers out there to help me out with a little question. What is the going rate to pay a sitter? I discovered tonight that I think I'm a cheap sitter payer. I will disclose what I pay a sitter and why after I get everyone's advice. Thanks!
Cheapskate Sitter Payer, I think.
27 comments:
Not quite sure but we normally pay 6-7 bucks an hour for 2 crazy boys of ours...and they're in bed most of the time.
The ONE time we've gone out and payed a babysitter (weep), I payed her $10/hr but she was in her 20's, a nurse and had to give Ruby shots, etc. (We just usually swap with other poor med students/residents.) If Ruby didn't have Diabetes and I felt comfortable leaving her with like a 13 yr old, I would probably pay about $6. If they were older, like 15, I would pay $7 probably. I don't know though, since I've never done it, so I'm totally curious as to what everyone else says and what your idea of cheap is. :)
OK, I might be cheap too:)! Seriously, I used to pay Derricks cousing $5 dollars an hour and all the girls in YW said that was alot and most people paid 3/4 dollars and hour. That was for only Ethan though, maybe a couple dollars more for more kids:)! Good question though!
I pay a dollar per kid per hour. Plus one. So usually 5 bucks per hour. If I get home and everything is great and no horror or anything I may tack on a few. On the rare occasion that Dale and I go out at night it is usually 20 bucks for 3-3 1/2 hours.
In our neighborhood there are something like 56 families with kids and three teenagers. So we have to pay $9 per hour just to get them to even consider it.
It SUCKS.
I usually pay $5 an hour if they are awake. After their bedtime I pay $2-$3 an hour. For a good night out from 6-11 or so I usually pay $20 even. If we start at 5 or go to midnight then I pay $25. They always seem like they want to babysit for me so I guess it cant be that bad. Is it?
Geez- they shouldnt expect much more. Its just spending money. We're not looking to pay their college tuition!
My sister in California cant afford a babysitter because the going rate is $10 an hour. You're looking at $50 for the night! Crazy!
Oh my gosh Emily! $10? That's insane! Poor girl!
well I luck out and only pay my sisters $2 a hour, but when we go out and have a non relative sitter I tell them up front before they say yes that I can only pay $3 an hour they've all babysat anyways. I think bbysitting is way too expensive I mean heck when I babysat it was for $1.50 or $2 which was really good and then I usually brought a friend and we split it! Everyone needs to stop paying so much so they will stop expecting so much!
Holy crap Kasey, your friends pay so much money for a girl to sit on the couch and put a movie on, leaving mac an cheese all over the countertop and toys strewn everywhere! I pay $5/hour for my two, who are usually only up for about 1 hour while they babysit. I thought that was good, but apperently not :). I don't have a problem with girls thinking I'm cheap though, they all say its good pay. I think teens these days are just given anything they want by their parents, so they expect so much. I think if a sister was really good and actually played with the kids and cleaned up their messes a bit, I'd pay even more, but most are lazy. Don't you remember when we made babysitting kits and actually entertained and played with the kiddies?!
3 boys, $7 an hour. so for 2 kids, you could pay $5 an hour. Sitters are young and that is like a LOT of money to them.
I think $10/hr is pretty fair, but usually they have to be able to drive themselves, and be reliable (or old enough to know what to do)
I too usually tell my sitters that I can only pay them a certain amount before hand, and they usually agree to come. My rate is about $3 per hour too. I also just get my nieces to come and give them about $10 bucks each for the night. Seriously, they are watching your kids for a few hours, it's not their full time job!! And, most of the teenagers are probably so excited to get a little cash of their own. Maybe ask them what they charge per hour, then you wouldn't have to wonder what to pay. I hope my rambling helped you out!! ;)
I don't have kids, so I can't offer any personal advice on this. I do think, though, that whatever you (or I) got paid as a teen for babysitting is *not* a good guage to go by, since everything is generally more expensive over time. And they are, after all, watching your most precious possessions... so they ought to make more than a couple bucks an hour, I'd think. I like what others said about letting them know up front how much you'll pay (and what you expect them to do... ie, clean up the toys, kitchen, or whatever...), and then let them decide. And, by the way, I LOVE the family portrait at the bottom of your blog page. You look radiant!!! I've loved catching up on your life through your blog!
Yikes I think maybe I am cheap too. I usually pay 5/hr. for my 3 kids with an extra 1-2 on top. It also depends on how long if we are only gone 2 hours they get more if we are gone longer they get less per hour. I think it is ridiculous too, I used to babysit the entire day for 20 bucks and cook and clean on top of that. But I would be willing to pay more for someone who did all of that too. Now I am lucky if Grady's diaper is on the right way and he is wearing pajamas when he goes to bed.
This may sound bad but I just don't trust Kids with my children, I mean honestly would a 13-15 year old know what to do i a robber came, or my kid fell on his/her head. I am not calling them incompetent or anything I just feel more comfertable with an adult, call me crazy i know. So I trade off with my in-laws or other friends or my wonderful mother is always willing. Give me a call if you ever want to do a little trade.
I pay 6-7. We have one babysitter we use everytime. If I don't get her, I don't go out. I think if they clean up and play with the kids and put them to bed that that is the going rate...This babysitter will seriously clean my house and even kitchen! Plus, my kids adore her. She even got them Christmas presents!!! So, try them out and if you like them pay them a little more to come back!!! Plus EVERYTIME I have come home, she is NEVER watching tv, she is doing homework or reading a book. That is impressive!!!
Great question - I pay $3/hr for one kid. She's his lead teacher at daycare and that's what she charges. We've only had her once at home, and it was going to be $13, and I rounded up to $15 since we have ZERO good snacks in the house.
She also takes the kids over to her house when daycare is out on holidays and only charges $3/hr AND feeds them for nothing extra. She is amazing!
The only other time I used a babysitter was when my friends from Wales were over and we had a night on the town. That was with another girl and there were 2 kids, she charged $6.50/hr.
We use family so we don't pay:) Yes we are very cheap! But just the drive alone to and from Queen Creek can add on another $5!
It's amazing how little people pay babysitters! I think that you get what you pay for and if you are paying 2-3 dollars an hour, you should expect a crappy babysitter! Minimum wage is the very least I think is acceptable! I think you should pay well so they want to do a good job and be able to come back in the future. I also think it's crazy to let a 12 year old babysit! Call me paranoid but I would not trust a child with my baby!
Hey Kasey. I pay $2.oo an hour per kid, so $6.00. Our babysitter selection is rather slim and so the girls I use are in hot demand. They babysit a lot for non-members who are notoriously better payers and so I try to stay somewhat competative. Although, I have a friend in my ward who has three kids and she only pays $3.00 and hour and never seems to have a problem getting someone to come a watch her kids. Good luck.
i usually pay 2.50/hour/perkid - so if they have 3, it's 7.50/hour if they have all four it's $10/hour.
I'm not an expert, but from experience... i used to pay a little more - like $3 per kid/per hour,... but i got comments from a few parents (mind you, the babysitter's parents!!) that it was too much and they would only accept $2.50/kid/hour at most. crazy huh? also, my neice & nephew think that rate is great --- they are $12 & 14 and split the pmt everytime they sit. my thing is... if i'm going to trust a sitter with my kids.. which are basically the most important things to me besides my husband... i will pay good - so long as they are an excellant sitter. sometimes i think $2.50 is too cheap. sorry for the novel.
I usually pay 10/hour were usually only gone about two hours max so I figure 20 bucks a night. However, with Ali having to be hooked up to her machines I will pay more if she is sick.
I loved reading all your comments because I am always wondering the same thing. We are usually gone for 4 hours on a weekend date-night and the kids are awake for about 2 of those and we give the $20. We have 3 girls that we really like and trust and they seem to be ok with it.
Okay, I would love to trade with you...it is nice for them to have friends to play with too, you know mom and dad have a fun night but so do we...I find my kids are a little more okay with the idea that way. give me a call the next time you need a sitter.
we should switch off when we go grocery shopping too, it would make it so much faster don't you think. Anyways let me know.
We've never gotten a babysitter. Mostly because DH is never around. Plus, we live across the street from my mom so I try not to rely on her but if I ever need someone she'll usually work something out with me. I like the post though. I've always wondered how much we would need to pay with 4 kids when we do get a babysitter.
Just start a trading system! It might be worth dropping them off somewher, plus they can socialize with other kids while your out...I'm starting to trust my oldest for quick get away...but he's only ten so we don't go far at all. I pay a flat $20 when I have a steady sitter because sometimes I'm gone for an hour and other times 3 hours. If you are ever on this end of the world ... call me, I would love to have them over.
I pay $5/hr for our two kids...we've been taking the baby with us. But even when we don't we still pay the same.That is awake or asleep. We usally get the sitter like 1-2 hours befroe the kids are fast asleep and so they just sit around the rest of the night.But I do pay a few extra dollars if the house isn't a wreck...I think you honestly just pay what you can afford...I can't believe some people pay like $10...we would never go out if that was the case!
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