Babysitting Costs

Hmmm I think for London TBH £12ph was a steal, and likely she only did it because there wasn't much actual work involved. Of course she'll want more if there's a chance she'll be working all night!

You can always discuss with her, but if it's a flat rate as such you might not get anywhere. If your youngest is sleeping well through the hours you'll be out, that would likely be a good point to start with.

It would mean £150-£200 before we've even gone out!

what???

£12 ph is incredibly cheap.

Ask local people what they pay. Then decide how much more the peace of mind is worth to you, to have someone you know & trust.

charging per child in the same family is unusual (to say the least) but a bit more once there's a baby on the scene, is somewhat reasonable. Say, £12 up to £15, even £20 but doubling it isn't right. She's already tied up with one child, so that's the bulk of the cost.

Ouch. I am not in London where I think everything is more expensive.

I understand why this feels high but TBH I think £12/hr for a fab babysitter with qualifications was a bit of a bargain. I would expect to pay a high school or uni student from the neighbourhood that.

I think I would suck it up and modify my evenings out, perhaps whilst cultivating other childminding sources

That's an awful lot of money ! My dd23 works in a nursery ( in the north) and babysits for some of the dc there also , she charges £12 per hour regardless of how many dc. She is provided with food and an Uber paid for her to get home .

I’d expect a babysitter to charge more for looking after two children, one a fairly small baby, than one older child - it’s a lot more work and responsibility and she’s assuming your baby is likely to wake and fuss while she sits. Double might be somewhat unrealistic - but I pay £18 per hour for my cleaner, so £12 per hour someone taking care of a child rather than a carpet sounds wildly cheap in the first place. See if you can meet in the middle - but in London, I doubt she’s short of work tbh.

Logically, you can afford her half as often for two kids, if the price is twice that for one kid. Maybe more often than that if you don't spend the money you would have spent on a restaurant/whatever when you now don't go out.

So, it does feel like a lot of money, and I can understand hoping for a discount on the second child, but I think it's not as bad as your first impression makes it feel.

My experience with babysitters has never been great, so I think that finding one you trust is super valuable and worth the money.

I couldnt afford to pay that myself and would begrudge doing so, but at the same time, your youngest is 8 months old and will need a lot more care than the 4 year old who presumably sleeps through

We are in the north west and my babysitter doesnt charge per child, I dont think I could afford her if she did