Page 12 | To ask how much you’d expect a babysitter to cost on NYE

ThatMauveRaven · 2024-12-30T18:15:28+00:00

20yo DD has been asked (last minute) to babysit her manager’s two young children tomorrow night. They’ve offered her £60 in cash to be there from 8pm-1am. The two kids will most likely be asleep in bed, so she won’t exactly have to do much work but I still think that this is quite stingey considering it’s New Years Eve! Thoughts? YABU - £60 is enough YANBU - I’d expect to pay more

AvidBee · 30/12/2024 21:30

Her national minimum wage is £8.60.

Most places will do anywhere from double time to triple time for that time of night.

Realistically, she will need to get there at 7:30-745, and probably won't get home until 2 (if they're home dead on time), but it could be 3 or 4am at the earliest.

She should be offered £150, a takeaway and drinks. But as it's her manager, she probably will feel pressured into being underpaid.

Just seen that one of the kids is 18 months, the other is 4. They could both easily wake up if there are fireworks, £100 is still cutting it pretty fine for me

Flopsy145 · 30/12/2024 21:28

10-15 years ago I used to do a lot of babysitting, upmarket village types so do think that makes a difference, I'd get £60 for a normal night and nearer £100 on NYE

User478 · 30/12/2024 21:25

Around 10 years ago I charged £250-£350 for overnight NYE/NYD this involved getting multiple children ready for bed, dealing with any night wakings, then staying over and sorting out any early mornings (until about 7am -when my day rate would start) I wouldn't charge less if going home in the early hours as it meant I got less sleep and had to drive in the middle of the night.
I'd rather sit on my own sofa for free than take £60.

GinToBegin · 30/12/2024 21:23

Meemeows · 30/12/2024 21:03

However, if it is flat rate make sure she specifies a cut off point and that there will be an additional charge if they are later back than agreed. Given their initial attempt to lowball her I wouldn't be surprised if - having agreed an overall fee rather than an hourly one - these would be exactly the type of CFs to say they'll be back at 1am and rock up at 2:30am saying there was a problem with their taxi or they "lost track of time" or some other lame excuse and still try to give her only £100...

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I think this is an excellent suggestion. Don’t give the CFs any wriggle-room.

JoshLymanIsHotterThanSam · 30/12/2024 21:18

My 20 year old DD would jump at a £60 babysitting gig if she wasn’t planning to do anything else other than sit at home and watch tele.

To be fair so would I…

Now if she was giving up plans to do it then that’d be different.

But clearly I am in the minority

Pleasantree · 30/12/2024 21:11

£60 and hope the drunk parents give a generous tip.

Anjo2011 · 30/12/2024 21:10

Just seen the update. I agree yes £100
more like it.

Anjo2011 · 30/12/2024 21:09

For a normal babysitting job it’s fine, for New Year’s Eve it’s on the low side. Would she feel
comfortable asking for more?

WimbyAce · 30/12/2024 21:07

Hmm now I have seen 18 month old I think £60 is cheap as they may well need extra care. £60 for 5 hours is not much. 18 month old could be up for that time potentially so maybe not just sat watching TV.

whatcanthematterbe81 · 30/12/2024 21:07

Mine is £15 per hour normally. I offered double time for NYE. But it's not a kid, it's a qualified nanny so not sure if that makes a difference to my thinking

WearyAuldWumman · 30/12/2024 21:07

SchoolDilemma17 · 30/12/2024 20:40

Wow that’s quite young! I hope the 18m old sleeps through the fireworks. Good for her for asking for more.

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Years ago - when I was 16 - I was asked to help out in an emergency and refused payment for babysitting the neighbours' children: a baby in a cot, twin toddler boys and a 7 yr old. The baby was fine. The other three were little devils.

The next Saturday, I was asked to help out again. And the next... I realised that they were using me for free childcare while they had a night out. (The first time, a relative was supposedly in hospital.)

In the end, my mum phoned on my behalf and said that I was busy swotting up for my exams. (No, I wasn't very assertive.)

Meemeows · 30/12/2024 21:03

ThatMauveRaven · 30/12/2024 20:34

DD has politely offered him a flat rate of £100 for the night to make it worth ‘changing her plans’. We await the reply..

However, if it is flat rate make sure she specifies a cut off point and that there will be an additional charge if they are later back than agreed. Given their initial attempt to lowball her I wouldn't be surprised if - having agreed an overall fee rather than an hourly one - these would be exactly the type of CFs to say they'll be back at 1am and rock up at 2:30am saying there was a problem with their taxi or they "lost track of time" or some other lame excuse and still try to give her only £100...

EzWin2 · 30/12/2024 21:02

Minimum £20 ph! They will most likely be back after 1am. I’d also get her a pizza and some snacks. They are lucky to even get a baby sitter on NYE!!

RedHotWings · 30/12/2024 20:58

DaveWatts · 30/12/2024 20:44

I got paid £50 for NYE babysitting back in 1998 so £60 seems very cheap to me! I'd be thinking more like £100.

In today's money, £50 then is worth £94.95. In case you are interested!

nellythe · 30/12/2024 20:55

A 20 year old that could clearly be heading out if she wanted to would be very generously compensated by me on NYE. £100/£120 easily.

Meemeows · 30/12/2024 20:54

ThatMauveRaven · 30/12/2024 20:34

DD has politely offered him a flat rate of £100 for the night to make it worth ‘changing her plans’. We await the reply..

Good for her! Some people are total CFs as many of the comments on the thread demonstrate.

Kitkat1523 · 30/12/2024 20:54

shuggles · 30/12/2024 19:24

@ThatMauveRaven but I still think that this is quite stingey considering it’s New Years Eve!

This is a strange comment. New Year's Eve is a standard working day. The holidays are Christmas day, Boxing day, and New Year's day.

£60/5 = £12 an hour, which seems like a completely sensible hourly rate for light baby sitting.

Don’t be fucking ridiculous🙄

Meemeows · 30/12/2024 20:53

Especially as one of the children is only 18 months old so is quite likely he or she may need care during the night.

SlackOn · 30/12/2024 20:52

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This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Meemeows · 30/12/2024 20:52

MolkosTeenageAngst · 30/12/2024 20:21

I think it’s fair when it’s someone you know who isn’t a professional babysitter and likely doesn’t have references/ paediatric first aid/ a DBS etc and if the kids will be in bed. I babysit the kids of friends and family for free. Presumably it will be cash in hand and your DD isn’t going to declare the money earnt to HMRC and pay tax on it etc in which case I don’t think she should get too self-righteous about minimum wage.

If employing a stranger for whom it is their main job obviously it may be different, if someone will be declaring their hours worked and paying tax and where you’re expecting them to provide a CV, DBS and references and have relevant training/ childcare qualifications then obviously minimum wage laws apply. For a person you know just earning a bit of extra cash on the side though then nobody expects to receive minimum wage, just as nobody expects the babysitter to declare it and pay tax.

More fool anybody who would leave their children with some random who the children don't know and has no experience or DBS check or first aid training!! No thank you.

mumda · 30/12/2024 20:52

Does it include use of the fridge?

Meemeows · 30/12/2024 20:51

Jesus this would be crazy money!!

£15ph is perfectly normal for any kind of competent childcare. As I said, on NYE I'd expect to pay double, just like with taxis etc. Why would someone give up their NYE for the same as they could earn on any Friday or Saturday evening?

LilExhausted · 30/12/2024 20:50

100-120

Nextyearhopes · 30/12/2024 20:48

100 and a taxi home

booisbooming · 30/12/2024 20:48

We pay local teens £10/hour then round up to the nearest fiver when it's just a random weeknight. NYE should be at least time and a half I think.