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Original poster

How much do you pay your babysitter?

62 replies

ssd · 27/02/2005 19:29

Following on from the last thread, I was wondering how much you all pay your babysitters and what area you are in?

We're hardly ever out, but I guess the £2 an hour I got as a teenager to babysit might have gone up a bit?

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katierocket · 27/02/2005 19:47

£5 per hour - it's one of the nursery nurses at DS's nursery

roisin · 27/02/2005 19:46

We paid £6 per hr at Center Parcs, which I thought was a LOT as babysitter had nothing to do except be there to escort them out if the place was on fire.

BUT it was worth it ... we went to the Spa

roisin · 27/02/2005 19:44

It does depend what you're asking them to do though. When we have babysitter now ds2 is asleep in bed and never stirs, ds1 is in bed reading and needs encouraging to switch his light off at a reasonable hour.

But basically the babysitter gets a night of peace and quiet away from her three brothers, with free rein on the TV, PC, DVD/Video/CD player and anything she can find in the kitchen. We usually pay £10 as long as we are not late back, and she's very happy with that.

If I was expecting someone to entertain the kids more, feed them, read them stories and put them to bed, I would expect to pay more.

uwila · 27/02/2005 19:38

Between £4 and £6 per hour, rounded to the nearest half hour.

WideWebWitch · 27/02/2005 19:38

We pay £4.50 an hour via sitters, plus a £4 arrangement fee per booking plus £13 iirc for quarterly membership of Sitters. We're in Bristol.

soapbox · 27/02/2005 19:38

£6 per hour but we use our nanny so its overtime rate, or another woman who is in her 30s so can't get away with the teenager rates.

As far as I can work out round here (SE london/kent borders) teenage sitters get around £4 per hour.

TBH I'm happy to pay more for the peace of mind that the babysitters are suitable qualified to deal with any emergencies - both are police checked and have current first aid certificates.

Cod · 27/02/2005 19:36

Message withdrawn

pipsy1 · 27/02/2005 19:34

Wow! We are in Kent and pay £4-5 an hour. Mind you when I used to babysit 10-15 years ago I used to charge £5 an hour so I don't think its too bad. Prefer to get grandma if poss though else it makes a night out doubly expensive

KatieMac · 27/02/2005 19:32

Well I pay my normal girl about £2 an hour.

I got someone else in 'an emergency' who asked for £3.50 an hour (she was only 18) - I nearly fell over - I only get £3 an hour as a c/mer

happymerryberries · 27/02/2005 19:32

Some of them charge £4 an hour, andother charges £10 for the job, up to 11 and then a suppliment if we are later....don't think that has ever happened!

biglips · 27/02/2005 19:31

me and DP goes to college on tuesday nights for 3 hours so we pay £10 for 4 hours babysit (liverpool area)

Cod · 27/02/2005 19:30

Message withdrawn