Here's a question for you... totally NSR (Non-stamping related :) How much should I be paying a babysitter?? Talking with my sister tonight I realized that for the same number of kids (3) I pay less than she does. So, for 3 kids, what do YOU think I should be paying a 12 - 14 year old babysitter an hour?? (If you are a 14 year old reading this... you're NOT allowed to say $15.00 an hour!! But you are definitely allowed to answer the question!)
Part B of the question is: Does the rate change if it is daytime or evening babysitting? Because Louise was also saying that she pays her babysitters (usually in the evenings) more than she is getting for having daycare kids during the day. Is that right?
Ok, comments, please! I thankfully don't have to hire a babysitter all that often because we are blessed with Grandma and Grandpa in town most of the time and they love Grandkid time!!!!! Thanks :) And I love Reciprocity - a babysitting "swap" - you have my kids one day and I'll have yours another. This has worked well with friends with kids in the past.
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15 comments:
I don't think they should be paid more for babysitting in the evening vs. daytime... maybe a bonus for a really late night though.
As for what to pay, we paid as much as $5 per hour here in Calgary a few years back. My son makes anywhere from $4-$7 when he babysits two kids.
When I babysat let's say 18 years ago (wow that long ago?!?) I would get at least $8 per hour for 2 kids. (I'm in the US). So I would think now, it would be a higher cost - esp for 3 kids.
I live in the Pacific Northwest. For our daycare provider to take care of (1) child - my baby girl - costs us $15/hr. However she is in her late 40's and a trained daycare provider with CPR training. She does dinner time, gives her a bath and puts her to bed.
So I would think that for a neighbor kid it wouldn't be more than $10/hr whether it's day or night for more than one child.
Hey Sarah,
I give ours typically about $6 per hour for our 3 kids. I would almost say more if it was during the day, cause they have to do more than just put them to bed after we leave and watch tv. (The girls in our neighborhood that babysit all the time and were 16-18 y.o. were asking for $5.50-$6, and ours is 13). But she's really great and most care group nights we give her $20 for the 3 hours.
Wow, I'm glad I don't have to pay an American sitter!!
I used to get $2 an hour or less if it was a long period. Of course that was quite awhile ago now. ;-) We never hire babysitters so I have no idea what kids are getting these days.
Good question - we are new to this babysitting thing too and have wondered the same thing. We usually pay abou $5-6/hr. for evenings. If they are just putting the kid to bed and then watching T.V. I don't think it should be any more! We might have to up it a bit now that there are 2!
Wow... this is all over the board. I can't believe the rate in the states. How can you afford to go to work if you have to pay a babysitter $15.00/hr for ONE KID????? That is insane. Glad I don't have to pay that. And $8/hr 18 years ago? Seriously?? That was WAY more than minimum wage even. I won't be paying anyone $15.00 per kid. Hmmm... the kid swapping is sounding even better... Hey Jen, you want do that sometime?
When I was in University I had a babysitting job every Friday morning, I drove myself to the person's house... looked after/fed/changed/ all that good stuff 3 kids and got $5.00/hr. I was going to get $3.00/hr and I said I wouldn't work for less than $5. Wow... If I was getting $15 for one kid then that would have put me through university all in one job! When I worked Daycare we charged $20.00 for a whole day (up to 11 hours) with breaks for more than one kid per family, or if they came for the whole week...
I think I will stick to my $6.00/hr, maybe $8 if it is all 3 kids (sometimes we take Elise with us) And if we come home later, like Nancy said, they would get a bonus. I always got more on New Years, etc, when the parents were out past midnight.
Thank you everyone for your help, I am even more grateful for the Grandparents now!!
When we lived in Washington we paid the babysitter $6/hr for the 2 kids. That was the going rate with all my friends - even if they had 3 kids.
When I went to work part time after the first kid, I paid $20 for the day and she fed him lunch. Now, I get $10 for 3 hours, but it's helping out a friend. Usually day-time is chaper because you have a 'set-rate' whereas eves, is by the hour. We are paying $8/hr for three kids... but if I had to be a work-away-from-home mom, there's no way I could have had four kids as the price is insane!But then again, if you look at it from this perspective - when you splurge and go out for a nice dinner/date and the restaurant tip is almost more than you're paying the sitter for the night... I'd rather the sitter get more since it's my kids she/he is taking care of!
I am thankful Grandma lived in town when my children were young. My two oldest are now the right age to look after the younger siblings. We pay them $2/hr/child. They don't do any outside babysitting. I am a foster parent in Sask. The government will reimburse me for babysitting at: $3/hr for 1 child, $2for each additional child with a max of $5.50/hr for any # of children.
Debbi-Anne (Carol Davies sister)
I have one elementary age child and the high school girls here demand at least minimum wage. I usually give my sitter a "tip" of a few extra dollars if she drives herself or if we get back later than planned.
Most families here have 3 kids and they pay around $8/ hour.
I've been doing a bit of research on this too, since I'm going back to work and lining up daycare etc. The CCRR (Child Care Referral Centre) here in Abbotsford says in-home care (where you bring your kids to someone's home) is usually $30 - $35 per child (5 - 8 hour day). Some daycare mom's charge $50 for 2 siblings. So that's about $5-$7 an hour. Rates increase with the following factors, age and experience of the babysitter, whether they come to your home, drive themselves, and also whether it's daytime or evening(yes, higher wages for evenings) . My 11 year old babysitter asks for $5 / hr. regardless of how many kids. My sister-in-law pays her 20-something nanny/babysitter $10/hr.
i agree with most of what Cheryl said. I get paid $30 for the day (almost 9 hours) - so just over $3 per hour. But then we pay our 13 year old baby sitter more. I asked her and she said $5/hr, or if she didn't have to do anything, like they were sleeping most of the time $3-4/hr. The first time we had her she actually cleaned my kitchen, after that how can i pay her any less than $5. Plus she lives so close she walks over, but sadly she is moving :( hopefully not too far. I think the older babysitters want more for sure than the younger ones (who really couldn't work anywhere else yet).
I think 6-8 bucks is resonable for a babysitter of three kids. it all depends on teh baby sitter. hwen i babysat years ago i got paid the same for three kdis as i did for four when they had their last child which i thought was lame. I was there for 8 hours and i didn't hav ethe tv on. I would bring crafts and bake with them and clean the house and stuff and i only got 5 bucks and hour. so i guess it depends. In the evening if the kdis are in bed majority of the time then it canbe a little lower i think. I agree with jen and evening out 20 bucks is good. five bucks doesn't even get you into the movie theatre!!
The 12 year old that I have over to babysit charges $5 for one kid and $1 for each additional kid. I thought that was pretty reasonable. I only wish I had thought of it when I was babysitting. I used to ask for $1 per kid and would watch up to 7 kids at a time. Talk about crazy!
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