Current rates for teenage babysitters?

[beagle101]

Apologies if this is the wrong board (the nanny/childminding etc boards seemed for far more formal grownup arrangements )

I have found a 19 year old girl who is going to start doing some evening babysitting for my dd (3 yrs) and ds (1 yr). I have no idea of what I should be offering to pay her per hour? What do other MNers pay - we live in Kent (don't know if rates differ depending on where you live!)

Thanks

[taffy101]

i had same dilemma last week. I paid a 16 year old neighbour £15 for just under 4 hours - I think she was happy with that

[littleboo]

i think its about £5 an hour, we're in shropshire. The Sitters site advises £5.75 9 I believe),

[littleboo]

that was meant to read (£5.75 )

[JingleyJen]

thinks rates will differ - we are in cambridge
we pay our next door neighbours daughter £4.00 per hour and Dh breaks it into 15 minute slots when he pays her
when I pay her I round it up.

[dd666]

Lol sorry to not be much help but when my 16yo sis babysits its free or cost of bottle of wkd!
hope iv bumped for you!

[PeachesMcLean]

Hmm. Now I got £1 an hour 20 years ago and thought this was very good in comparison to others. Even inflation wouldn't take it to £5 an hour. Do teenagers these days get a much better deal?

[FrannyandZooey]

when you said a teenager I thought you meant a 15 year old

you would pay a 19 year old the same as any other adult IMO - £5 an hour sounds about right if the children are in bed

[Cremolafoam]

ABOUT £20 AND A TAXI HOME BEARING IN MIND WE LIVE 5 MILES FROM SAID TEENAGERS HOME AND WE CAME HOME ABOUT 1AM
ooh sorry about shouting, ut can't be arsed to retype it

[beagle101]

Thanks everyone - when I used to babysit I got about £2.00 an hour and thought I was totally in the money !

It has been ages since dh and I have got out by ourselves that we are slaphappy at the thought of even getting out once or twice a month (no family live nearby and up until recently dd was a total NIGHTMARE about sleeping so would not have been fair to dump on a babysitter!)

£5 a hour it is!