How much do you pay a babysitter?

[richele4]

A few weeks ago I started a thread about being told I didn't pay a babysitter (a situation which is now resolved)

Saw comments on that thread about how 'little' I paid the babysitter, and other comments saying that it was generous. How much do you pay?

I have two DS aged 5 and 8 now (and DD but she's at uni) and I paid a babysitter £40 for 6 hours. How does that compare to what you pay/would pay? Babysitter didn't have to do anything as 5yo was asleep and at the time my 8yo was a 7yo and he just read and put himself to sleep.

If babysitter was required to cook or if I had more DC then I might have paid her more? How much do you pay?

I pay mine £5 an hour

£5ph and round up to the next hour. Price goes up as they get older. We’ve had a few over the years! Mine are always in bed and don’t cause problems.

We pay £10 ph. 2 kids, 4 and 10

Depends how old your sitter is I used to charge £8 per hour when I was 19

I'm an Ofsted registered childminder who also does some ad hoc evening babysitting. I charge £8 per hour before midnight and £12 per hour after midnight. I'm London Surrey borders.

£5ph but would round up.

I would pay more for proper daytime childcare incl. Cooking meals etc, as that's very different to just keeping an eye on sleeping kids.

£10 an hour. She always seems keen to come back, I can see why now! Not sure why it should be below min wage though (if an adult)

We’ve just started using a lady in her fifties and I paid £8 an hour although my friend told me I was stingy! But the cost of paying her came to the same amount as we paid for our night out so it’s not something we could really justify paying more for or on a regular basis.

My DD charges £5 per hour, double after midnight. She usually expects to come put with around 40 quid for the night. Depends on how long she sits for.

She's 18, and we live in an expensive area.

How did the situation resolve, @richele4? I remember your thread, but not how it ended

9ph rounded up. I have two lovely babysitters who are in their 20s. Both keen to do it as we pay well! They will put kids to bed, age 3 and 6.

Currently I pay my adult babysitter £10ph for looking after DCs aged 12months and 4. She's qualified in early childhood studies and is a nanny in the day time and I know her personally, though we aren't friends. She does bed time with both.

I also have an adult friend who does it for free on occasion because she's lovely. We tend to do bedtime but not always.

Before DC2 arrived we had just started letting our 14yo neighbour babysit. She lives next door and babysits her 2 brothers aged 2 and 8. Her parents are obviously right next door should their be an issue and we stay local (less than 10minutes walk) and made sure DC1 was asleep first. We paid her £5ph and made sure there was tasty stuff in the house with explicit to eat it. The price was agreed with her and her mum first (with them suggesting it). When DC2 is older we'll resume the arrangement (neighbour keeps asking!).

So basically, depends on age of child, age of babysitter, level of responsibility

@MovingBriskyOn

Friend's daughter found her money. Unfortunately haven't spoken to friend much since it happened but I paid her the money

I paid mine £10 an hour about 12 years ago.

£5 per hour, lovely 16 year old just along the road. Sometimes those hours are sitting on sofa while 14 month old sleeps, some maybe during an afternoon where he's obviously active but he's really well behaved and just likes to potter around with his toys. I do round up though! She seems pleased with what she gets