| Author | |
kingvozzo
Forum All-Star
Joined: March 28 2005
Location: Maine
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2653
|
| Posted: Jan 09 2008 at 1:44pm | IP Logged
|
 |
|
Ok, I am SO out of the babysitting scene. We haven't found one here in CT, so we've been out of the loop for over 2 years. But in TX, we used to pay $5/hr for our sitter to watch 2 children, who were fed and in bed. Come to think of it, that seems like a good deal... 
I'm thinking of having a young hs'er come once or twice a week to play with my 2 littles while I get a bit of more quiet time with my 2 bigger kids. I've been emailing with the mom, they're coming tomorrow so we can check each other out.  When asked, the mom mentioned $5/hr the daughter (who's 11) gets for other babysitting she does.
I was a little surprised at how high that was, mainly because I'll be home here always.
So, am I hopelessly out of it and that's the going rate? I don't mind so much paying it, because the hours I'll have her here will be fairly few, but I guess I've got sticker shock.
Curious how it is in other places.
Thanks!
__________________
Noreen
Wife to Ed
Mom to 4 great kids and 10 sweet ones in Our Lady's arms
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JodieLyn
Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 06 2006
Location: Oregon
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 12234
|
| Posted: Jan 09 2008 at 1:59pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I don't honestly know what the going rate is here.. we either trade with my sister or a neighbor, or the one family of teen girls we've asked won't give an amount.. they'll do it for free.. though we try and give them some money.. I think I gave 2 of them $20 for 2 hrs (we went to a movie) and that was for 5 kids I think.. it's been a while.
I would ask about the other babysitting she does that she gets $5/hr for. Because if it's without the mother in the house.. then I would offer less as a "mother's helper" because you ARE in the house still.
Also, if you know anyone else who might have a child that babysits or who would use a babysitter.. you might ask about the going rate. You'll get a better feel with local input I would think.
__________________
Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
MacBeth
Forum All-Star
Probably at the beach...
Joined: Jan 27 2005
Location: New York
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2518
|
| Posted: Jan 09 2008 at 2:24pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
It's high here. $10 an hour, at least. In the City it's upwards of $20 an hour. Seriously. $5 is a bargain. That's how much the girls get for watching their cousin. Even when the (non-relative) parents are home, and they are just occupying a child, they get $7.
__________________
God Bless!
MacBeth in NY
Don's wife since '88; "Mom" to the Fab 4
Nature Study
MacBeth's Blog 
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Mary Chris
Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 27 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2175
|
| Posted: Jan 09 2008 at 3:02pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
For babysitting my 12dd gets paid about $8.00 an hour. I tell her she can only say she charges $5.00 an hour. I think 8 is way to much!
For mothers helping I tell her she can say she charges $2.00 an hour, most people pay her a bit more.
It makes me crazy that people pay her so much......I can't afford to hire a sitter at those prices 
__________________
Blessings, Mary Chris Beardsley
mom to MacKenzie3/95, Carter 12/97 Ronan 3/00 and wife to Jim since 1/92
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Barbara C.
Forum All-Star
Joined: July 11 2007
Location: Illinois
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 882
|
| Posted: Jan 09 2008 at 3:21pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Fifteen years ago, when I babysat regularly, I seem to remember charging about $5/hour for up to three kids. It would be an extra $2 for every extra two kids. (I occasionally would watch groups of 10 cousins and five second-cousins.) That often included preparing meals, and I always tried to clean up the house reasonably (put away toys, dishes in the sink, no messes, etc).
That may seem like a lot, but I did a lot of my work over the summer months. $5 an hour was probably a lot cheaper than what the local daycare charged. I have no doubt that in all that time the rate has gone up from there.
And actually sometimes it can be harder to babysit when there is another adult in the house. It's harder to know how much authority you really have. (For two summers I watched three kids, and at least half the time there would be the aunt, uncle, or grandfather in the house. The aunt would come and go. The grandfather would just decide he didn't want to see or hear the kids. And the uncle who was seven years older than me would actually coax the kids into disobeying me.)
__________________
Barbara
Mom to "spirited" dd(9), "spunky" dd (6), "sincere" dd (3), "sweet" dd (2), and baby girl #5 born 8/1/12!!
Box of Chocolates
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
mary theresa
Forum All-Star
Joined: Nov 08 2006
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 766
|
| Posted: Jan 09 2008 at 4:10pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
When I babysat, I charged, $5/hr for one kid and a $perhour more each additional child topping it a 8 or 9 dollars
Of course, I had relatives that would "take advantage" of me and my sisters and pay us $4/hour for 4 kids.
We pay ppl 6/hr to babysit our toddler. My dh thinks that is even low-ish.
I think that child care people get ripped off. I feel like we should be willing to pay WELL for a good babysitter since our kids are our most valuable possessions.
And yeah, it is hard to afford to go out!
__________________
Mary Theresa
mother to 3 little girls --March '06, Dec '07 and Jan '10
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Molly Smith
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 08 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 669
|
| Posted: Jan 09 2008 at 4:18pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
My 12dd and one of her friends get $5 each per hour to watch 10 children while their parents are in the same house upstairs having a meeting. But that's 10 kids!
She babysits a neighbor for free, because their girls babysat many times for me for free. When that family had only young children, a homeschooled teen babysat them for free, and so on. A pay-it-forward type of thing. It's lovely.
I think $5 per hour is a good deal.
__________________
Molly Smith in VA
Mom to seven beautiful children, ages 1-14
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
teamgriswold
Forum Rookie
Joined: Feb 17 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 78
|
| Posted: Jan 09 2008 at 4:28pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
We live in the Philadelphia suburbs and the going rate in these parts is $10 for 2-3 kids. I'm not sure where it goes from there, we get reduced rates b/c my DH is the youth minister at our parish. Sometimes for Christmas we get "free" babysitting.......it's one of my favorite gifts from the teens! :c)
__________________
X-Hail
Wife to Mark '97 Mommy to Robby '98, Patrick '01, Abigail '03 and John-Paul '08
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
almamater
Forum Pro
Joined: March 09 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 136
|
| Posted: Jan 09 2008 at 5:11pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I pay a 13yo mother's helper $5 an hour to watch my 10yo, 7yo, 5yo, and 2yo while I teach a couple of piano lessons. Mostly she's there for the 2yo. I pay her well and expect her to really play with them. I pay baby sitters $7-$10 per hour, depending on experience. Again, there is no TV allowed while the children are up, so they really do work hard playing with them. Since bedtime isn't until 8:30, the sitter usually has to eat with the children and get them into bed as well.
I want to pay my sitters enough money that they will a. keep a good attitude about really working hard during the evening, b. want to come back again, and c. feel like babysitting is a reasonable way to earn spending/college money.
__________________
~jennifer in tx
mommy of ds(11),dd(8),dd(6), dd(3),& ds (6/08)
Soul of the Home
Soulful Learning
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
sewcrazy
Forum All-Star
Joined: Aug 17 2006
Location: Illinois
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 735
|
| Posted: Jan 09 2008 at 6:15pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I pay $5 per hour for a mother's helper or for actual sitting. I think in some ways the mother's helper is a harder job. When I get a sitter and leave, the littles are usually asleep.
LeeAnn
__________________
LeeAnn
Wife of David, mom to Ben, Dennis, Alex, Laura, Philip and our little souls in heaven we have yet to meet
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
guitarnan
Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Maryland
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 10883
|
| Posted: Jan 09 2008 at 6:55pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I paid $3 per hour per child when I used babysitters (in MD, overseas and WV). I haven't needed to hire a sitter in about 4 years, as ds is old enough to watch dd. (Soon she will be old enough to babysit, although I think pet sitting is more her line.)
I am with almamater, though...I tried to pay well to ensure that my sitters would want to put us at the top of their preferred client lists.
__________________
Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JodieLyn
Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 06 2006
Location: Oregon
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 12234
|
| Posted: Jan 09 2008 at 7:34pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
That's why I mentioned local will make more sense than everyone. I mean.. most adults here trying to support a family would barely make that $20/hr MacBeth mentioned but then we can also buy a house for $65,000 or less (or more too but they're out there and livable for less)
__________________
Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
KackyK
Forum All-Star
Joined: May 22 2007
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1811
|
| Posted: Jan 09 2008 at 9:01pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
My 12 yrold dd just finished up a mother's helper position she was in for about a year (since she was 11). She watched 2 children, ages 4 and 3, while the mom cleaned her home. It was for 2 hours 1x per week. She was paid $5 per hour. Also, the mom would pick her up and bring her home. If she brought her home a bit later, she'd get an extra $2.
We didn't know what to say about a fee either, the mom sort of suggested it and we thought it sounded good. I think it goes "up" as she gets older and does some jobs on her own.
__________________
KackyK
Mom to 8 - 3 dd, 5ds & 4 babes in heaven
Beginning With the Assumption
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Courtney
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Texas
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 796
|
| Posted: Jan 09 2008 at 9:13pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I pay college-aged babysitters $10 an hour for my two dc (ages 7 and 10). I am willing to pay more for someone that is experienced.
__________________
Courtney in Texas
Wife to Mike since 3/94 
Mom to Candace 10/97 ,Christopher 4/00 and Connor 11/11
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
shartlesville
Forum All-Star
Joined: June 21 2006
Location: New Mexico
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 904
|
| Posted: Jan 10 2008 at 1:09am | IP Logged
|
|
|
My teens run a babysitting business here in NM. They charge $3 hr for the first and $1 hr for each extra child AND if it is two families they pay separately. Most of the time the families over pay them, rounding up to $10 or whatever. They made more than $2000 last year.
Because gas prices have gone up so much they have decided to increase it to $4 hr for the first but keep the $1 for each additional. They charge the same for mother's helper because they are still expected to do the same things but the parent is there in case of an emergency and unless they live close enough to walk they have to pay for gas.
I think for teens that is a reasonable rate, for college age sitters it should be more. :-)
BTW, I do NOT pay my own children to watch their siblings and never have. Family is family and not a "job"  .
Blessings,
Krisann
__________________
Krisann
DH Cris;
DC John, Elizabeth, Lilyann ^i^, Emily, Kate, Julia, Sam, & Jack;
DGC Kira, Auston, Travis, & Sarah.
My Blog: Isla del Esperanza
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Mary Chris
Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 27 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2175
|
| Posted: Jan 10 2008 at 6:36am | IP Logged
|
|
|
When we have to use a babysitter we pay at least $8 an hour.
At 12, I personally don't think my dd needs to paid that much money! There are nights she will come home with $40.00. She does have to put some of it in the bank and the collection at church, but it is still a lot of disposable income.
__________________
Blessings, Mary Chris Beardsley
mom to MacKenzie3/95, Carter 12/97 Ronan 3/00 and wife to Jim since 1/92
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
almamater
Forum Pro
Joined: March 09 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 136
|
| Posted: Jan 10 2008 at 7:49am | IP Logged
|
|
|
I would add that I will hire twelve or thirteen year olds for mother's helper work, but real baby sitting is reserved for 16+.
The nice help for me is that my husband operates a piano studio and usually by the time some of his female students reach the mid-teens, they have been with us for years. Which is to say, we know them well, we know their families and I feel as good as I can about hiring them to babysit.
__________________
~jennifer in tx
mommy of ds(11),dd(8),dd(6), dd(3),& ds (6/08)
Soul of the Home
Soulful Learning
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JenniferS
Forum All-Star
Joined: Nov 09 2006
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1049
|
| Posted: Jan 10 2008 at 7:54am | IP Logged
|
|
|
I don't know what the going rate is. We have used wonderful sitters from a parish family that we just love. The parents told us from the beginning that we are not to pay more than $1/hour/kid. That was back when we had two kid. I think the girls get very excited every time we have a baby...that means a raise!!!! So...right now we pay $6/hour.
Jen
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
CAgirl4God
Forum Pro
Joined: May 04 2007
Location: Puerto Rico
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 419
|
| Posted: Jan 10 2008 at 11:02am | IP Logged
|
|
|
we have paid between $8 and $10 for babysitting services... we have four kids. and one is in diapers still. this is when we were in CA...
Now our ds babysits for most things.. he is 11 and a capable boy scout lol. we pay him $5 an hour.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
kingvozzo
Forum All-Star
Joined: March 28 2005
Location: Maine
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2653
|
| Posted: Jan 10 2008 at 11:44am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Mary Chris wrote:
I tell her she can only say she charges $5.00 an hour. I think 8 is way to much!
For mothers helping I tell her she can say she charges $2.00 an hour, most people pay her a bit more.
It makes me crazy that people pay her so much.... |
|
|
I think I agree with MaryChris on this...it seems like a lot for such a young girl. I don't think I'd like my dd getting paid so much. But, the prices do seem all over the place. Although it's funny, because most of these girls are far too young to go get a job. What's minimum wage these days? Do any jobs even pay minimum wage anymore?
We met today, she seems like a nice girl. We'll try it, see if it helps me feel less frazzled. I'm wondering if I wouldn't be better off having someone older (late hs, college or whatever) who could come and help with the housework too? We'll try this mother's helper arrangement first, it's the easiest and least expensive. If it's not really a help, we'll try something else!
Thanks for all the feedback!
__________________
Noreen
Wife to Ed
Mom to 4 great kids and 10 sweet ones in Our Lady's arms
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
4Real Forums : Mothering and Family Life
Topic: babysitter $ ?
