I've got a question, same one you've probably asked others about as well.
How much do you pay a babysitter?
I'm pretty sure things are way way different from when I was babysitting and earning $2-3 for 4 kids (or 5). And they should be. But what does that mean, how much is fair and the going rate these days?
We found an excellent babysitter, 15 yrs old, and like all we've had in the past, she won't name a price. We've had her twice and each time she's cleaned and organized all that she can find--and of course takes care of the kids with some books she brought from home and some movies. She's enthusiastically told us to call her any time we need a babysitter after we paid her $25 the first time (it was 2 hours of sitting two toddler girls awake and putting one to bed, but with travelling each way and her waiting 15 min while I was lost, it was like 2 hr 45 min). She's been really apologetic when she couldn't sit and asked to please call again.
Last night Josh and I were trying to decide a standard rate and we thought how about $8 while they're awake and $5 an hour when they're asleep. She was fine with that--but do you know a babysitter that would actually tell you if they disagreed? I never would've and I doubt many do, so how do you know?
Then I went home and noticed all the cleaning she'd been doing when I thought she was just watching her own movie, she'd been working most of the time. Then I felt terrible we didn't pay her more.
QUESTION!!! WHAT DO YOU PAY A GOOD BABYSITTER? We have a 1.5 and 3 year old. I don't care if you're across the country, we're stumped and just want to be fair, we just don't know the going rate. PLEASE SHARE!
How much do you pay a babysitter?
I'm pretty sure things are way way different from when I was babysitting and earning $2-3 for 4 kids (or 5). And they should be. But what does that mean, how much is fair and the going rate these days?
We found an excellent babysitter, 15 yrs old, and like all we've had in the past, she won't name a price. We've had her twice and each time she's cleaned and organized all that she can find--and of course takes care of the kids with some books she brought from home and some movies. She's enthusiastically told us to call her any time we need a babysitter after we paid her $25 the first time (it was 2 hours of sitting two toddler girls awake and putting one to bed, but with travelling each way and her waiting 15 min while I was lost, it was like 2 hr 45 min). She's been really apologetic when she couldn't sit and asked to please call again.
Last night Josh and I were trying to decide a standard rate and we thought how about $8 while they're awake and $5 an hour when they're asleep. She was fine with that--but do you know a babysitter that would actually tell you if they disagreed? I never would've and I doubt many do, so how do you know?
Then I went home and noticed all the cleaning she'd been doing when I thought she was just watching her own movie, she'd been working most of the time. Then I felt terrible we didn't pay her more.
QUESTION!!! WHAT DO YOU PAY A GOOD BABYSITTER? We have a 1.5 and 3 year old. I don't care if you're across the country, we're stumped and just want to be fair, we just don't know the going rate. PLEASE SHARE!
17 comments:
Lucky You - I've NEVER had a babysitter clean up for me! Our payment philosophy has changed - we used to only go on dates to free dinners (sponsored by the medical college) and we would pay the sitter a flat rate of $20.00 for the night - it was what we could afford, and my thinking was "I get paid $35 for eight to nine hours of babysitting during the day" Also we usually left at 6:30 and the kids went to bed at 7:30 and we would get home by 9:30 or 10 - so she really only worked for an hour then sat and watched TV or read the rest of the time... NOW we finally have a real job, our sitter is older (going on a mission soon) and when we go out, we leave a bit earlier and stay out late (woohoo dinner and a movie). So she gets $40 for the night - but she also takes all three kids including an infant, finishes feeding them, bathes them, plays with them, helps them clean up their toys, and puts them to bed (she doesn't always clean up after dinner though). I gave her more work, and we doubled what we pay her (we also feel like we are helping her make money for her mission). I have a hard time knowing what to pay younger girls though.
Yeah, I agree with Cherise--you are lucky to have a babysitter who of her own volition cleans!!
Yes, the babysitting wage dilemna, it's definitely a tricky one.
I honestly don't have a flat hourly wage since it's been forever that we actually paid for a sitter. Usually we just swap with someone or our neighbor will watch our kids because Shane's mowed her lawn for three years now.
I'm kind of funny though. I'm much more relaxed and enjoy a night out more, if my kids are already in bed. Of course I've left them with my mom when they're awake in the evening, but when it's a teenager, especially a teenage boy, I just don't feel comfortable with them getting Ella dressed for bed and there's no way I'd let him give my kids baths. But that's just me. I did it all the time when I was a teen, so I just need to get over myself. I think some of it is because I worked in young women's and Shane's in young men's and although they're good youth, I just remember how totally unaware I was as a kid and how they still kind of are. Okay sorry about the rambling, my point is that when I have paid for a sitter, the kids are already in bed or Ella will be awake for a few minutes for stories (she loves babysitters!!). So when I pay a sitter, it's when they're asleep. And since I've never had a self-motivated cleaner babysitter, I don't feel bad about paying $5 an hour. That's way more then I got as an older teen/young adult (which wasn't that long ago), we're still students and I don't have a baby.
However, if my babysitter was someone older or had more training, then I feel obligated to pay more. For example, once one of Shane's med student classmates babysat and I felt like we needed to pay more.
To wrap up, I think $8 awake and $5 asleep is more than generous. Seriously, if you watched someone's kids during the day, would you get paid $8/hour?
Good luck!
I have an awesome 15 years old who comes to my house and watches the kiddos for 8 hours straight in the summer. The kiddos are 6, 3, and almost 1 now. The finishes feeding and cleans up breakfast, plays, always brings a planned activity from home for the kids, makes/feeds/cleans up lunch, and does naps. I adore her!! I pay $8.50 and hour and when I talked to her mom, she told me that is the most almost anyone pays her (there is one neighbor with 4 kids who pays $10.)
I think you are dead-on....$8 awake and $5 asleep sound perfect. $8 is above minimum wage and it's just two super cute well behaved girls. Sounds like a great deal for the sitter....
We've never actually paid for a babysitter--we always just trade with friends. But I did babysit for a woman in our ward a couple of years ago for a couple of days while she did the books for her husband's company--she paid $3 an hour per child, and the kids ranged in age from 5 to 6-month-old twins. I must say at first I felt like it was too much, because after all, her daughters were just playing with my girls, but when the twins were awake and I had all five of her kids there--it was INSANE and I decided not to do it anymore, because it just wasn't worth it, even at $15 an hour!!
I agree that your wages are fair, especially for two little girls who probably behave very well for her. We belong to a babysitting co-op with our ward and we do 4 points per hour per child (awake) and down to 4 points per hour (maximum) after the kids go to sleep. No money is exchanged but at the end if you have to buy out your points to balance, you would pay $2 per extra point. Which means that you would be paying $16 per hour for awake time two girls, and $8 per hour for sleeping girls... but these are parents visiting and taking care of your kids which is VERY different than a young teenager. I'll ask the YW in my ward next time I get a chance and let you know what they say.
Hm, I guess we're cheapos here in Vancouver - my friends and I all pay about the same rate: $2 for the first kid and $1 for every kid after that. So for me, that's $3 an hour! Very cheap. And most of our YW will babysit for free if it's to the temple, which is AWESOME. Honestly, if they're 12-15 yrs old, keep it cheap, I think. Beyond that age, maybe a dollar more. I mean, I was earning $7/hr in college and $10/hr AFTER college!! Paying a teenager almost the same seems so ridiculous. I'd say splitting the prices up into "awake" or "asleep" time is just too complicated also. It's a great idea, but if your kids are like mine, they don't always go to sleep the first time they're put in their bed at bedtime...dragging out the "awake" time anyway. Just some thoughts.
Take it from someone who has made a career out of taking care of other people's children.. Good babysitters are WORTH THEIR WEIGHT IN GOLD. I think you have offered her a fair wage of 8 for awake and 5 for sleeping times. When you find someone whom you trust and seems to be both responsible and respectful, you pay them well and give them the every now and then bonus of a extra money or movie tickets, etc. Believe me, you can't put a price on piece of mind.. even more so when it comes to your children.
I'm so glad you posted this because not only have I wondered myself, I've learned alot from everyone's opinions. I think you're being super generous. I don't do a set rate, but I don't pay over min. wage, and pay a little less if my kids are asleep (or if the sitter didn't have to do anything but play with the children). But, if she's a great sitter, I would put in a little extra money once in a while, or pick up ice cream when I drop her off or something. And, I tend to pay older sitters more (and leave for longer periods of time--say, 3 hours) because they could get jobs and are usually off to college, mish, etc. So, I'm in the $5 ish range, also. Maybe $4 for a younger girl.
A very good question, Afton. Mark and I have wondered this very thing a lot lately, since his sister moved away, and we've actually had to pay for babysitting. We found a FABULOUS babysitter who is a senior (17) and she does clean, drives herself here, has toys for the kids, plays the WHOLE time with them. We have paid her about $8 or $9/hr, and felt like that was barely enough. She is so good, we just want her to keep coming back. She won't tell us what normal is, but she says the family that she babysits every other week only pays $30 for 5 hours and 3 kids. Not enough, in my opinion. Anyway, a very good debate. Thanks for posing the question!
Elisa
I have to agree a bit with Cherise. I was babysitting for 10-11 hours a day and getting $35 for the whole day, so I don't pay as much as other people. We're also still in school though, so we don't have extra income like other people might. And I definitely pay less when the kids are asleep because the babysitter is just watching a movie.
Our babysitter is a 13 year old girl whom we trust, but her mother told us after we paid $20 one night to not pay her more than that. She needed to learn how to work and earn her money and the mom thought that was plenty for 4 hours of babysitting, (the kids were asleep for 2.5-3 of those hours.)
I didn't read the other comments but thought I'd answer your question. Being in NYC we are a little insane - we pay $14 per hour. Lucky us :) But I'm obsessed with my sitter - She's an NYU student that I found her on Craigslist and she's been coming for probably 3 years. Love her. And she cleans my whole house spotless by the time I get home. I would check your area because it's rates vary so much by region.
Afton, just found your blog while blog-surfing! Yay! We just had this talk the other night, and decided we would pay anywhere from $6-10/hour depending on the age/experience. I pay $6-7/hr for my 11-year-olds. And I pay up to $10 for college age, or someone that does a lot- clean the house, do the dishes, etc. I think $8 is good for the average 14-y.o. I don't usually change my rate if they're there at night, because generally, I'm paying them for their time anyway. And my girls have always been really good and easy for sitters.
So, a senior in HS down the street said she charged $9, which I think is pretty fair. If you figure that they could go get a job at In 'n out for $10/hr or more, I want them to feel like it's worth their time.
I had one bad experience with a girl who actually asked for $10/hr, and then sat on their butt all night, my kids were awake at 10pm, and the house was a wreck. I never called her again!
My favorites are the ones who don't charge, who I end up paying a little more anyway, because they make it worth my money! Good luck!! I like your plan.
I think you should ask the sitter what she charges... it may be too late now, since she's already come and is apparently fine with what you give her. But I've done a lot of sitting and the best possible scenario for me is when the parents ask me what I charge, and I tell them. And I usually shoot for more than what I really think I'm worth and hope they are brave enough to negotiate. (Most are not, but I appreciate when they do. I'm a babysitter, not a lawyer.) So, in nyc I would say '20 an hour' and sometimes they would talk with me and get me down to 15. Of course I would probably have taken 12 if they were walking distance to my apartment, but whatever. But don't be afraid to just ask the sitter! I hated it when the parents didn't ask and then it was just awkward at the end of the night when I would just hope they'd give me enough, and I would Never say if it wasn't, by the way.
Wow, I loved reading all these comments - I totally need advice in that area because I think I've become pretty warped from living in New York and Boston where you feel guilty paying less than $15-$25/hour (depending on babysitter age) even if your kids are just sleeping!
My thinking is a little different than most people. I actually really didn't enjoy babysitting when I was younger because it actually is really hard work! I think babysitters are taking care of my most prized possessions, so I work hard to find babysitters that I really, really trust (yours sounds awesome!) and then I pay them a rate that I hope will a) incentivize them to do a great job and b) feel loyal to me so that I can count on them pretty regularly. I know it's expensive, but to me, it's worth it. It also matters to me if they are older vs. younger. This summer, when we were in the South, I paid $10-$12/hour for an adult to watch my kids (i.e., she had her own car, she played with my kids, etc.). My kids were sleeping about 1/2 the time. If it was a teenager I probably would have done a few dollars cheaper.
In response to your rates - I think they are perfect for the age of your babysitter/your kids, honestly, I think it's perfect - and seriously - that's amazing that she cleans, I can't believe that! I think it's a little more than she expects, but not so much that it's breaking the bank. Anyway, great post!
I'm so glad I got this many responses--kind of surprising there is such a huge range of wages! I've asked every babysitter we've ever had what their rate is and tried to get some kind of number out of them, actually asking them on repeat visits in case they've reconsidered, but I've never gotten a number. That's why I'm so glad I've gotten some from you all! I think I'll be staying away from the whole $20 an hour bit since she's not old enough to get a job anywhere else yet so that might be like the lottery for her, so for now I'll probably stick with this and see how it goes. Thanks for all your help!
Holy Cow we're cheap. But when the family with 5 crazy insane kids including a baby (and their dad is a Dr.) pays a flat rate of $6 we felt pretty good with $5 an hour.
I am way too tired to read everyon'e posts. I am just answering your question.
I am cheap. I pay $2 per hour, per kid. They always say thy'll take whatever you give them. Plus, my babysitter is the Stake President's daughter and she babysits for free when we go to the temple! That's a great bonus!!!
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