Normal payment for babysitter

[makeitso]

Hi. I'm just wondering what you normally pay a babysitter and do you normally leave treats/drinks for them?

I don't know what is fair.

[makeitso]

Also, would you allow a babysitter have her boyfriend there for a few hours?

[DramaAlpaca]

It's a few years since I needed a babysitter so I don't know about rates. If the sitter does it regularly they will probably have a rate, so you could ask what she charges.

I always used to leave out snacks & soft drinks and told them where the tea & coffee is.

Boyfriend there - absolutely no way. I have fired a babysitter who sneaked her boyfriend in, we came home early & found them. They'd also brought alcohol so telling her she wouldn't be booked again was justified I reckon.

[WillowWept]

We're in Dublin and going rate is €10 ph for 17/18 year olds and €12 for older women. I always pay a taxi home if they're not driving as I know they'll walk or get public transport and morally I feel it's right thing to do.

I don't leave food out but say to make themselves at home. I might allow a trusted babysitter to have some over with them buts it's never arisen.

[RafikiIsTheBest]

Boyfriend wise I'd say it depends on who it is. I babysat a bit when I was younger, for friends, family and neighbours I sometimes took my boyfriend if he was staying over and the family/children knew him. For more 'professional' times I went alone.

[makeitso]

Thanks.

Would €8 per hour to an 18year old in rural area no where near Dublin be ok?

[expatinscotland]

No, no boyfriend. They are there to sit the kids not canoodle with their boyfriend.

[DramaAlpaca]

I'm rural & two hours from Dublin & that sounds reasonable to me, but ask her.

[makeitso]

We're a bit iffy with the boyfriend situation. She didn't even ask if it was ok.

We're kinda stuck though. We don't know anyone else who can babysit.

[expatinscotland]

'We're a bit iffy with the boyfriend situation. She didn't even ask if it was ok.

We're kinda stuck though. We don't know anyone else who can babysit.'

Then I'd cancel whatever my plans were rather than let her babysit. No one assumes they can bring some random to my home and be paid for it on top of that. Fuck that.

[DramaAlpaca]

I quite agree expat.

No boyfriends. That's non-negotiable. She wouldn't take the boyfriend along to any other job would she?

Ask around for other babysitters. Even in rural areas there'll be teenagers around who'd like to earn a bit of cash.

[makeitso]

That's exactly was DH said expat.

You may have a point Drama.

[mineallmine]

We're in Dublin and 17 year old ds babysits. The going rate around us is €7 per hour. I don't think he gets stuff left out for him and he wouldn't expect it.

Absolutely no way to boyfriend coming. That's plain cheeky. When ds was small a babysitter had a (female) friend at the house when we arrived home. I was really cross that there was someone I didn't know in my house. You're there to work, not socialise. I never used that babysitter again.

[Eighttimeseight]

I think €8 an hour about right - depends too on number of kids. Maybe €10 for 3 kids.

No to boyfriend.

Is there a community notice board or Facebook page where you can find another babysitter?

[MrsDustyBusty]

Definitely have something they can eat in the house. I remember babysitting for a tight miserable pair of arses when I was a teenager. They hadn't heating on, nothing in the house to eat, only RTÉ on the TV so no TV when they were late home - and they were always late home. It was miserable.

And they thought they were killed giving me a fiver an hour.

[makeitso]

MrsDusty