£5 an hour to babysit!!!!!!

Sounds like a grown adult couldn't deal with it either, given that the babysitter in question was 20, so I'm not sure what that proves, other than that there will probably always be incidents that even grown-ups who babysit can't handle. If anything, that story could serve as a warning to people who have au pairs or nursery nurses and the like and act as a salutory lesson to all of the people on this thread who think they are ok because they book an adult to mind their kids. Incidentally, if it had have been a teenager under 16, then the owners themselves would have been prosecuted which to my mind is much fairer than blaming the babysitter given that the garden was not secure - she wasn't booked to mend their fence.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2713063/Babysitter-20-hauled-court-dog-house-working-escaped-attack-neighbour-kill-cat.html

What 15 year could deal with this.

I pay mine (all teenagers) £3 an hour. I have a few I can call on, and they're all perfectly happy with the arrangement. They watch telly, I make them pizza before I leave and have other nibbles and pop for them and I've never had any complaints. I did have one who tried to up her rates, but I just never booked her again - her loss.

As a very young babysitter yonks ago...I had the father of the kids playing silly buggers around the house...banging on windows...rattling letterbox and generally scaring me...before mobiles or even house phones. Turns out that him and his wife were divorcing and he was trying to intimidate her...he didn't know I was babysitting. He was mortified when my Dad walked over to collect me and couldn't apologise enough. From that day on I have to lock all doors when I am babysitting.
I charge my normal rate.. £9 an hour for putting the DCs to bed, cleaning up and doing a few loads of washing. Once I sit down I charge £7 an hour. If I have a horrendous night/evening (and boy can they turn quickly...watching tv quietly then bam....Toddler screaming...D&V EVERYWHERE!)..... then I charge full rate. I just wouldn't do it for £5.

Over the years I use had countless children be sick - wet theirselves - have a melt down at parents gone out - power cuts - huge storms so scared children

Yes rare to go to hospital but it's more the above things that a 15/16 may have trouble with

Similar here but with dogs! I work as a dog walker and cat sitter. Someone wanted me to look after their cat - keeping him company for a couple of hours, feeding, watering and doing his litter tray - and their fish and water their garden for £6 a day. I normally charge £8 - £10 for this service and politely declined.

Hi Cindy as you say when a parent goes out they have no idea what may happen while they are out so many children have been sick while I have been baby sitting.I have had several power cuts ,once with 8 month old twin s,they both woke up screaming ,luckily the neighbour was able to lend a torch and candles.I once had someone try to break in while I was sleeping over with 5 children under 10 ,the parents were in Portugal.He banged on the door at 4 in the morning ,when I came down he was wearing very little and he told me he didn't know where he was and he was coming in now..I rang the police who took 20 minutes to come,so I chatted to him ,trying to calm him down a little,,through the window next to the front door..I asked him what he had been doing out so late he said he'd been inthe graveyard.I asked "Why".He told me he had been researching his family tree.luckily the police came then!

£5 per hour here. teenagers wanting pocket money and experience. I provide food and transport tv and wifi. i have no short of takers at £5 per hour.

I used to get £1 an hour rounded to the nearest 25p!! It was in the late 80s/ early 90s though but in affluent part of south east!

What things have happened whilst babysitting? I can recall many occasions when a baby/toddler has vomited all over their cot. Finding spare bedding can be fun.

One child, aged 5, did a poo in their bed.

No ambulance/hospital trips, that I suspect is rare but could happen.

Ah the stories we could tell - do share... What has happened whilst you have babysat? At one point as a teen I used to get £2 an hour but you can't really compare 22 years ago against now.

morton michele cover for either 6/7 children but only from 2 famillies at one time or they are classed as a cm, and obv the nanny/babysitter is not in their own home

also if an emergancy did happen how would she get all 10 to hospital?cant leave any behind, cant get all in car/ambulance

That's interesting, eastmids, because I'd wondered that myself about numbers & babysitting, & been unable to find anything very clear online.

I try & avoid it, but on a couple of occasions I've ended up being the one staying at home with our 3, plus the guitarist's 2, backing singer's 1, & fiddle player's 4!

Presumably at that point it's just a sleepover, & insurance doesn't apply?

Raven just make sure that the med student knows no insurance will cover for more than 6children for nanny babysitter and I wouldn't do any work with children especially overnight without insurance it's highly unlikely something will happen but should it for the £75 a yr insurance costs I would recommend to any babysitter.

Obv for an under 16 babysitting the children parents remain responsible for them.

I pay:

17yo dd of friend from work, £5ph. She chivvies my 3dc off upstairs then puts her feet up. Sometimes she invites a mate to keep her company. My dc are easygoing and all school age. On our return dh drives her home.

I call her if we're going to the pub & for a curry & could be home in ten minutes in an emergency.

OR:

23yo ex-bandmate of dh's, final year medical student who spent her gap year volunteering at an orphanage in Indonesia, happy to babysit anywhere up to 10 kids, cook supper, & sleep over - £60 if we're going to be back before 1am, £90 if it's all night.

I call her if dh has a gig the other end of the country & we split her fee between 3 band members with dc.

Horses for courses, isn't it...

Well according to this, I was ripped off when I babysat as a teen.

The whole evening I got ......£5. Didn't matter how many hours it was.

About 20 years ago. It was a pittance then.

I charge SAME day eve nights it's my time I am charging for to do a childcare job and if babysitting I couldn't take on a night nanny job so therefore my time costs the same whatever type of booking it is.

With babysitting it isn't always about person just sitting watching tv it the what if moments so if child was ill do they know what to do, how far away you are, do you have family locally does babysitter have family locally.

If you have older children and popping out locally a teenager is fine

Little ones or going far or not easily contactable maybe an experienced nanny.

Prob won't happen but has - baby or toddler suddenly becomes unwell with something like croup sudden onset normally and needs medical attention you are uncontactable as no mobile reception and they have another child as well to care for- would babysitter be able to cope. (Most experienced nannies would get the ill child to ooh doc or hospital one way or another but could a teenager)

Teenagers in my area charge £5/hour, I'm a childminder and I charge £7.50/hour. Most of my babysits are around 4 hours so it only makes £10 difference for the whole night. I drive, the teenagers don't, so parents don't need to worry about paying for a taxi. The families I babysit for all have babies/toddlers and more often than not I have to do feeds, change nappies and settle them to sleep. Parents with older children may well be happy using a teenage babysitter but there are also plenty of mum's who don't feel happy leaving their pfb with someone young/inexperienced.

I agree with those saying I don't see what you are so excited about.
She made and offer, you didn't want to do the job for that money. You said you'd do it for another amount, she didn't want to pay that. End of.

As so many have said, the money being offered is for the job to be done - it doesn't matter if you normally earn £600 per hour for your day job, you aren't being asked to do that - you are being asked to babysit, which, for dc that age, is not exactly arduous.

MY DD was getting £5 an hour 15 years ago!

we may be doing the same job, but i have an hourly rate that i stick to, its my time and if i want to work then i need to be paid what i think i am worth - which as i said parents never quibble and always re book me so i cant charge too much

I am always astounded that parents try to pay so little for babysitting.
You are leaving your precious children in the sole charge of another adult whom you would trust (?) to act in any kind of emergency.

The price is for total security and peace of mind that your child/ren will be absolutely safe...£10 in Central London would seem reasonable to me.

I find it hard to understand why people are prepared to pay more for their cleaners than for their babysitters!
I am a parent who is happy to pay £10 an hour for an experienced mature babysitter.

My ds had to have a crb when he became a lifeguard at 16 as well.

Good post bruffin so 16 and 17 year olds can be responsible and DBS I didn't realise that.