Babysitting fee

Nosha I can believe someone would be so unreliable as to keep cancelling on you. I have only ever cancelled a booking once and that was because young baby and I had had D and V 24hrs previously. I have still gone with a headache or cold just rung parents beforehand and said I am happy to do the booking but have x ailment and they have been fine.

Hope she has good reasons for cancelling or I wouldnt book her again

I wouldn't rule out using a teen/non-professional but I'd be a lot more careful about leaving explicit instructions and checking their First Aid knowledge and common sense. I tend to look at the worst case scenario - meningitis, house fire etc - and wonder whether they'd cope. Some would, I babysat at 14 and would have coped, but some wouldn't even much older.

Distance is also a factor. What if it snows? Or there's a pile-up on the motorway? And the age of the children. I wouldn't leave a child who still needed bottles at regular intervals with a teen unless they had some kind of childcare training and had learnt to make/heat up bottles safely.

At the end of the day it's all down to the individual.

Just to add Sitters does not equal massively experienced. I was on their books at 21 with 3 months in a nursery, a bit of FT nannying from my gap year and 2 years part-time at Uni. That did not, IMO, automatically make me particularly experienced. They were more interested in the fact I had some bits of paper and a car. I also know for a fact they didn't check one if my refs.

where abouts are you?
maybe someone on here could help out with babysitting when the sitter at your son's nursery can't or when she cancels.

Many thanks Missus

No, for the two of them. I'd leave them some snacks too.

Each?

£20?

Hmm, I saw this thread and thought "great" as I was about to post the same question as the OP. However I'm now thoroughly confused. Never thought there was such a thing a professional babysitter. So, I've got 2 teenage sisters 14 and 15 (friends of the family) coming to babysit my DS. He will be in bed. We are going to be out from 7.30 - 11 ish, 2 minutes up the road by car. How much should I give them? Thanks

Well said cat64 I concur

EMNN....I too am a very qualified nursery nurse... over 20 years experience! As all those who are on sitters books need to be. I choose to work for sitters as i do not need to advertise and can choose when to work. You do not have to pay an extortinate amount of money for a qualified babysitter, when to be honest 9 times out of 10 the children are asleep!

I am in east midlands and charge £12-£15 an hr for babysitting with a min of 4hrs and earnt that too, admittley as a qualified childrens nurse the types of parents that book me are those with young babies, children with additional needs or those that can afford that additional peace of mind that comes with having a very qualified and experienced person care for your children.

I also in my day job run babysitting courses for 13-17yr old (yr 9 -12) and after completing the course (we doesnt have a first aid element but does have a minjor injuries/illness element) we suggest from £2.50 an hr for a 13yr old upto £5 an hr for a 17yr old depending on their previous experiences etc.

Everyone charges different amounts and the amount you pay should at least reflect the experience someone has and great if you can get an experienced nanny or childminder to babysit on a friday night for £5 an hr but many teenagers would expect this rate to so compare what you are getting for your money.

I am having first baby end aug and have to say I would rather pay around £10 an hr and have one night out in a year for an experienced qualified person who I can just relax when out than pay £5 an hr to a newly qualified nursery nurse or teenager and go out twice in a year - but we all make our own choices in life.

I am a sitter for Sitters. It is £5.80 an hour minimum of 4 hours. you then pay a booking fee of £4 to sitters and an annual membership of roughly £50. Good for peace of mind as all sitters are crb checked and interviewed, also most of us are slightly more mature

tis true, i was a teenager once (many moons ago ) and had sole charge of a 4mth and 5yr but was 18

i was more generalising over 14yrs rather late end of teens iyswim

BHMF, fair enough, I too am blaming PMT. I pay £50 for an overnight, just need to find someone to do it now!

I love my teenage babysitter - she has first aid, extensive SN experience, the kids love her . House is always wrecked when I get in, and she usually has a slightly shell shocked expression, but she keeps coming back! I pay her £5 ish an hour - well, if it's 2-3 hours, I do a tenner, more like 3-4 then £15, if it's more than 4 hours £20 and if it's raining I pay for her taxi. I know that is a lot more than general rates around here, but I value her, and DS1 is a pickle, (he has ASD) and I want someone who knows what they are doing!

I should add, I have known her since she was 2 (she's 17 now) and I used to sit for her!

Just sort of pointing out that teenage babysitters do not = thoughtless parents.

Try www.sitters.co.uk

They are great

maybe funny - i blame the blondeness and af

looney - same here, tho have 4 hrs minimum charge

nosha - where are you as areas vary

Not read whole thread. I'm in the South East and charge £10ph, minimum of 3 hours. I know some who charge less and that's fine but I know I can get the £10ph here and tbh, I really want it to be worth my while to leave the house, that's just me. And tbh, I regularly get £50 per night for overnight stays (at my house). I'm sure some charge more like £7ph, depends on what sort of babysitter you are looking for.

Good luck

BHMF it seems to me that you protesteth rather too much about this matter. You will see that I did not say you charged ridiculous sums of money, I was making a generalisation.

If you get plenty of work then presumably you are charging just the right amount of money.

you said you knew her well and maybe no need for first aid

obv not many teenager have first aid (apart from what they are taught at school) but if a grown woman (or man)in their 20's is babysitting regually/seriously then i feel that they should have some kind of up to date first aid (maybe she does - worth a check i think)

tbh i think that mums/dads should go on a course as well - our school did one last year and some mums including my mb did it

EVERYONE who works or has young children should have basic knowledge of choking/cpr/burns etc

i dont charge "ridiculous sums of money"

i charge my normal hourly rate,which yes is slightly higher than some in my area,and much higher than others on here/other areas but i get work, lots of it and often turn it down and give to friends (if parents happy for that) so seems parents are more than happy to pay it

now footballers, they get "ridiculous sums of money" think ashely cole gets £80k a week for kicking a ball about - now thats stupid

obviously paying a bs my rates does make the evening more expensive and i can understand that some pay less/cant afford more but thats not my fault

areas all vary

As a teenager I wanted less money than I do now. 15+ years of inflation though to take into account, though not sure how much that would actually increase price.
As a teenager I probably didn't care for babies until I was 18, prior to that children would have been aged 3+.
Some teenagers are fully capable of caring for children, whereas others are not - same goes for adults.
Age therefore may not really be that much of a factor, perhaps it'a more about experience and the preception that someone with experience will be able to cope better in an unexpected situation. That may not be the case in reality, someone without much experience may well cope just as well, if not better than someone with lots of experience.

Evening babysitting rates I feel may be more down to supply and demand. These days parents can find it hard to find a local teenager as now many people don't know their neighbours yet alone those in surrounding streets. If the teenager does not advertise, then how do parents find them. Thus parents hear only about those things advertised. Some are lucky to hear about babysitters through friends, though if a friend recommends a babysitter they use then potentially it means their babysitter may not be as available. What are your views?