Babysitter Rate - My parents think i am nuts

~~*Missi*~~ wrote: My husband graduates this friday from college .... and we have a sitter. She is arriving at 530pm and we will be leaving 15m later when I am done walking her thru sabrina's night ritual.....
So grad starts at 7pm til probably 9-10pm (private small college).....

Sabrina will be going to sleep at 8pm if she takes a nap 7pm-730pm if she doesn't depends on if she wants to (new phase)

I was thinking of giving her a flat 60-75$ (60$ if home by 10pm- 75 if by 11PM).
I look at it as how much Sabrina is worth NOT her.... LOL also its a friday night she is a beautiful girl etc.... like she doesn't have better things to be doing...

Am I nuts? Or my other thought was 10$ an hour....... There is only ONE Sabrina 18m very easy going...

Jamison'smama replied: I think 10.00 per hour for one child is extremely generous---20 is just too much IMO.

mummy2girls replied: right now through the agency i work for if you want to do watch the kids past the contracted times you charge from 10-14 bucks an hour. 20 is way too generous i think.

b&bsmom replied: I agree 10 is good. You need to make it worth her while as you said she is young and it is a friday night.... but I think 20 is too much. 10 should be plenty. ( I will come sit for you..lol) I don't get that much from the ones I watch during the day however I do usually get that sometimes when I watch at night for them. Not always because I always just tell them to pay me whatever ( I need the extra $$ so I am just happy to be getting it)

Hillbilly Housewife replied: Hmmm. Let me put it into perspective. The Babysitting pay guide recommended from our government states that 3$ an hour for one child, 5$ for 2, and 7$ 3 children is the "going rate" around here.

I think that 5$ an hour is PLENTY. THink about it this way... through a dayhome agency - the parents i'm "working for" pay the agency 36$ a day, per child. As a provider, I get about 23$ of that, minus taxes... so let's say a flat 20$ a day, per child.

7am - 5pm - is 10 hours. 20$ divided by 10 is 2$ an hour... for one child....however if the parents are late - it's an extra 5$ every 15 minutes.

I think even 5$ is plenty. I used to give a few bucks more anyways though, especially if the kids were bathed, in their pajamas, and the "dishes from dinner were at least put in the dishwasher. If I really like the sitter, I gave them extra too - so that they'd come back... so when she'd watch the 2 kids, I still gave her 7$ an hour instead of 5$.

Good luck. Why don't you negotiate with her? Ask her how much she is expecting you to pay her, and go from there?

luvmykids replied: WOW! The going rate around here for teens is $5/hr for one kid and another dollar an hour each extra kid. But I do remember sitting for people like you who were generous, and it made my day.

Congrats to your DH on graduation!

lisar replied: I think $10.00 an hour is good. If she is a good babysitter and takes care of your child very well then why not pay her good.

coasterqueen replied:
ITA!!!!

boyohboyohboy replied: JMO, but its hard to find a good babysitter, and if your dgt likes her, and she is a great girl, I say pay her what ever you are comfortable with. I think if she puts the time into playing with your dgt and does everything you ask of her, there is nothing wrong with showing her she is appreciated, you wont want her to stop babysitting when she is older and have to get another sitter who isnt as great. she is more likely to come sit for you again, when you are so generous.

luvbug00 replied: WHAT!!!! I NEVER sit for under 16 an hour. I walk dogs for 14. and we are talking about a human it better pay more then a dog does. here the rate is 15-20. average.

C&K*s Mommie replied: Have you already told her how much you are offering?

If not, then switch it fast. Go back with $10/hr. When I was younger $5/hr was the usual. But I would "up" it now that I am older. Stick with the lower range, if you have not already told her what you will pay her.

mckayleesmom replied: Wow...thats alot if you ask me.....I have only had a babysitter 1 time...When McKaylee was 6 months old. We went to dh's Military ball and the girl charged 4 dollars an hour. We left around 6 I believe and came back around midnight...so we owed her 24 dollars, but we paid her 50.

CantWait replied: $20 and even $10 an hour is way to much. WOW

jacobsmama replied: yeah seems like a lot to me but I pay a sitter 10.00 a day for Jacob all day and she is family~ Onlyl 3 days a week but still. Other than that family always watches him and I have never paid that much but I agree with other girls on the amounts.

~~*Missi*~~ replied: This is the first time she is going to be with a sitter. We have never gone anywhere that my parents haven't watched her and well that has been few and far inbetween..

The girl said she would do it for free. She is from our church, she has sabrina every Sunday in nursery. That is the problem I think free no way LOL. i couldn't do that....


20$ for the evening???? Do you make them dinner or order something for them? See I have never used a sitter, i have always been a sitter......
SAbrina will be fed by then at most she will have to bath (if I can get over the anxiety of something bad happening) and play with her and sabrina will put herself to bed she is good about that.

IMHO I wouldn't pay a sitter, a student with no degree, 15-20$ sorry but I am a RN and starting is 18$ an hour for that and it required at least 2-4yr of school. Walking a dog I wouldn't pay someone to do it for me since if I own the dog we all know that owning a dog requires a few things like walking it, feeding it, etc.... Sorry that really seemed like a put down to all mothers who pay less then that... I may have taken that wrong but unless your a CERTIFIED nanny with at least a LPN degree I wouldn't pay 15-20$ an hour (certified i mean registered with a company and thats all you do).... MY HONEST OPINON Thou!!!

Hillbilly Housewife replied:
If she said she'd do it for free - I think 20$ sounds fair, if you want to pay her. And of course - have something on hand for her to eat, if she hasn't had dinner yet.

Good luck!

moped replied: WOW - that is big money and I thought i paid very well........I will come watch her for that!!!!

luvbug00 replied: Sorry if your offended but For me there is NO price you can put on having someone watch your child. I do have CPR cert. and whoever watches mya better have one too. I'm sure you know i'm wayyy overprotetive. When someone was watching mya i think about they are there to meet her emotional and physical needs while i'm not home. so In oder to do that you need one compationate person and IMO you can't put a price on that. SO if they do a great job and my child is happy then i'll pay them whatever they want. I Love the children I have cared for and offer them and their parents piece of mind so they are willing to pay me as such. I am BY FAR THE CHEEPEST person ALIVE but for this ( and for any medical thing) I will pay whatever you ask to ensure my childs welfare.

b&bsmom replied: I would have something to snack on and if it is dinner time maybe a frozen pizza or something she could have if she hasn't eaten I remember one place I loved to babysit when I was a younger because they always gave me money to order out and always had lots of snacks!!

As for paying her because of her "degree" I don't want to sound horrible but my opionion is if she is good with kids and my kids like her and I trust her she is worth every penny I pay.

I have been taking care of kids since I was a teen and I studied a little in high school ( went to vo tech for child care) but I have a ton of life experience (and I am Cpr first aid cert)and I have been told I am really good with children. I have had parents drive a half hour or more out of their way just so I could watch their children. I don't like when people depend so much on a degree.. It is a piece of paper that doesn't mean they are better than me. I would rather have someone who loves children and has a ton of experience taking care of my child then someone that has a degree and doesn't have as much experience. I don't mean to sound rude but it bugs me sometimes that people think because they have a degree they are better. That is not always the case.

Sorry I got kinda off track. JMHO sorry.

ZandersMama replied: omg, can i come sit for you? The only real sitter I have had is my 16 year old brother. He spends the night and all he gets is 20$ and pizza/chips/pop whatever he is in the mood for. I call him in the afternoon and find out what he wants then have a full fridge when he gets there. Of course, my little one is in bed before I go out, but i couldn't have a better sitter, he is great.

KingMom replied:
Another thing that happymom didn't mention is the location. She lives in a pricey area for almost anything/service.

If you live in a more rural/country/small town the prices better be lower! I think that 20/hr is crazy to pay but that's b/c no one in my area gets paid that much! I only pay $20/day for my sitter and she is part time.

I'd stick with telling her $5/hr and if she did a great job and you felt like you would use her again later, then when you go to pay her give her more, she'll be even more excited.

luvbug00 replied: Very true that things are more pricey here but don't let that fool you, Brad and I make just enough to get by and although recently we have had the humbleing gifts of others we do not use them as part of our income. It is for saving for a house and NOT to be tuched. we pay everything else and then some this is just for us very important. we'd pay the same in a third world country.

ashtonsmama replied: I know that whenever I used to babysit or nanny I'd love well-paying parents, I'd ALWAYS make room in my schedule for someone I knew would pay well, regardless of whether or not they had super easy kids...but yes, I would say too that the flat rate you're talking about may be a little too much, she probably isn't expecting that much, and you may be being too generous, but I agree, I'm going to pay what MY child is worth, and if Sabrina's care is worth $60-$70 to you, than follow what you think is right. It is a little extravagant though, and if you ask the babysitter to sit more often, and still pay that rate, you may go broke!

JMO.

gr33n3y3z replied: I think 60.00 is enough fir the evening

ilovemybaby replied: I used to babysit and only charged $5 an hour and $20 for 24 hours. Yeah I know... I'm stupid LOL And I used to do the housework too. I would just do it even though they didn't expect me to do anything but watch the kids. I did the dishes and vacuumed for them.
I think $10 is fine. However if she has qualifications eg CPR and childcare then I would probably give her $15 an hour.

~~*Missi*~~ replied: no i think the point of my degree was taking way off base....
I am saying i wouldn't pay someone 20$ an hour unless they were a Nanny or RN... meaning a sitter is a sitter there for special occasions its not a living (well for what i am lookin for)

If I was to need a nanny I wouldn't pay an hourly rate I would pay a flat rate... I am saying I am a RN by trade and the starting rate for that is 18$ an hour around here... why would someone pay a sitter that rate to bathe, and put there kid to sleep???

Like someone said its location but to say that walking a dog makes 14$ an hour and this is a child it should get more...... well to me that is a put down to THOSE who don't pay that... I know when i was a sitter I always said whatever you feel your kids are worth! This girl is in school to become a doc so I don't have to worry there. I was just saying comparing apples and oranges isn't appropriate. I am in a situation where I can pay 50-100$ for the evening no matter if its 2-6 hours. But not all people are in that situation and to say they don't pay "appropriate" is wrong.

I have never used a sitter and the only reason I am tomorrow is because well we all will be at the graduation. I don't like to leave her with anyone. hence why i gave up my job to raise her. I had her my job to love and raise her (along with dh) but does that mean i am a better mother no it means we are in the situation that i can do that, doesn't make me any better or any less. THere are pros and cons to both...

Ok here is what I think i am going to do... Make two envelopes ....
1. with 10$ an hour in it....
2. with 75$ in it

If Sabrina is bathed and sleeping, she picked up after herself (i don't expect anything more)...I give #2.
If the house is a wreck (more then sabrina's norm), the kid is not sleeping, not bathed well then she will get #1....
I am ordering pizza (sabrian loves it) and getting some snacks... and hoping for the best.... (linda is sabrina's nursery school teacher so this is a first for ME and SAbrina)..... not putting her to bed, and leaving her with a sitter....arghhhhhh i am going to freak

Lexismama replied: You should have just brought her to my house, Id watch that angel for free! Hope you guys had fun, Im waiting for pics!!!

~~*Missi*~~ replied: lol i was thinking that to Erin LOL....but with the gym at 2pm and chris having to be there at 4pm and him working all morning we had no time to get her there..

Lexismama replied: That stinks I would have LOVED to see her and I KNOW Alexis misses her like crazy crazy crazy!!! Thats ok, maybe next weekend we can set a play date for the girls. Oh yes, and Ill be on tomorrow....PICS PLEASE!

My2Beauties replied: I think that is too much money, I'd love to come babysit for you, I'd say $7-10 an hour is the going rate here. Our DCP only charges us $80 for an entire week, that is from 7:30a-5:15p so that just goes to show you're giving that girl 3/4 of that for one night whew that is a lot of $$$

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: We pay our sitter $10 p/hour, plus always buy her pizza or some type of dinner. I don't think it's too much. Three reasons though...1. she works with DH 2. she is a single mom 3. I agree with some of the others...if your child likes her, it's worth every penny to make the sitter happy IMO. I think it's nice to pay a little extra and have them want to come back, then to have them feel a bit jipped or annoyed that they skipped a night out on the town for only a total of $20.

holley79 replied: I think 20.00 is too much but if you have it to shell out then more power. I pay our sister in the morning 10.00 for an hour.

Where were you when I was babysitting. I would have made a fortune off of you. I was lucky to make 20.00 for an entire evening of babysitting.