What's the going rate for a babysitter

[gimmegimmegimmeagin]

^ just this . I have no idea as parents usually help out but going on holiday and we're going to a friends wedding reception. The kids will be in bed and very unlikely to wake up so it'll just be a case of being here. Babysitter is 16 and a friend of the family. Probably 7- midnight. How much should I pay her?

We're in SE London as a reference point

5? an hour maybe back in the 1930s

See my additional post with the advert from a local teen offering services at those rates. That’s literally what they charge where I live and what I pay every time I use them

is that all you pay them?

I could never do that £5 for an hour to children looking after your own No way!!

I have 2 kids 5 and 6 If I needed a baby sitter I would be no less that £50 offering

Yes that’s all I pay them. Good for you that you have £50 spare on top of your money for a night out. I don’t. If I wanted to pay £50 I’d pay a dbs checked professional not a kid with no qualifications or experience

@Gymmum82, your argument doesn't make any sense. Whether it be a qualified adult or a 'kid' with no experience, you are asking them both to do the same job. Keep your children and house safe while you are away. So the pay should be the same.

That’s so tight, don’t take advantage of teens while they’re looking after your most precious possessions. £10 minimum.

No it shouldn’t! You get paid more with qualifications and experience! I’ve been in my job 30 years. So someone should be able to walk in on day one and command the same salary because we’re doing the same job? Luckily that’s not how it works

I don't agree. You are giving someone the responsibility of your children's safety in your absence. Doesn't matter how old they are. I would be embarrassed to pay someone £5 an hour to walk my dog, let alone look after my kids. If you want a good, reliable babysitter, you pay them a fair wage.

@Gymmum82 well yes, if they are both doing the job competently and satisfactorily, meeting expectations.

Equal pay for equal work.

I don’t know any teens so out of curiosity I looked online on childcare.co. Uk and in my area they wanted £15/20 an hour with minimum of 4 hour booking 😂 needless to say I never bothered

So a 15 year old child should get the same pay per hour as a norland nanny because they are doing the same job? I very much disagree. Experience and qualifications should and do command extra pay.

Never used one before but asked a friend if her 18yo son would help us out (as he “does” other mutual friends) and told his rate is £5 ph “plus food”. Not sure yet what food he is expecting!

Take away

@LilBus
ah yes quite possibly. Anyway for £5 ph that’s reasonable.

Wow teenage babysitting used to be a bit of cash in hand pocket money while you watch a movie not way over minimum wage!

(Currently 6.40 and hour so £35 is probably what id be thinking tbh!!)

It's far easier than a shift in Costa or whatever to sit on a sofa while kids mostly sleep.

I am genuinely amazed people are paying full on childcare prices for this.

The pizza will be £15/20 so no different to giving her the extra money instead my son has always eaten before babysitting or taken his own snacks and would prefer the extra cash.

It's expensive being a teenager if you're learning to drive and/or planning uni.

I agree with this.
When I was babysitting most parents either told me to help myself to whatever the kids were eating if I was serving dinner, or said to help myself to a pizza from the freezer. I definitely preferred that and more cash rather than a takeaway.

@Gymmum82 your argument is a bit muted because you simply wouldn't get a qualified or more experienced person for £5ph so comparing is futile.

Your paying based on what you can afford, that you know someone who'll do it and your happy with the risk assessment.

Doesn't make any of it fair on the babysitter.

If there was a 60 ye old neighbour who's never had children, had no experience or qualifications, would you pay her £5ph as well?

Probably not. Your paying based on their age, which is, ageist.

£5 an hour??

That's what I used to get when I was 15 back in 1990!

And they used to leave a tray of snacks for me in the kitchen.

DD17 with DBS and First Aid charges £10ph plus lift or Uber home.

DD is 16 and charges £10 per hour but one family insists on paying £12 (they moved here from London!). We live rurally so I also take her and pick her up afterwards - none of the families live more than a couple of miles away and I'm happier to do this than have someone else drive her home. The parents also know that I am always on standby to help should there be any problems, I've had 4 DC of my own, have first aid training and a DBS, so hopefully the parents feel that DD is well supported and in turn that their DC are in safe hands.

It great for DD to be able to earn her own money and have a sense of responsibility and I'm happy to support that however I can.

Well the National minimum wage is based on age. So I guess that must be ageist too? Under 18 minimum wage is £5 or there abouts. Then at 18 it goes up to £7. Goes up again at 21 and again at 23.

Based on those calculations £5 seems fair. Particularly when that’s what the teens local to me are asking for. If they were asking for more I’d have to pay it or not get a sitter

im in childcare and it always grates on me how stingy parents get when it comes to babysitting. You are literally leaving the most important thing to you in the care of someone else.

would the teenager down the road be trained in first aid if your child burnt themselves or started choking? Would the teenager down the road be brave enough to go and find your child in a house fire or panic and run out themselves?
you literally pay for experience, maturity, safety and security.

also childcare is someone’s job, why should they be paid peanuts just because you begrudge it. You wouldn’t call a plumber to your house and then ask to pay them next to nothing just because you just don’t fancy it.

being in childcare I have to pay yearly to keep my ofsted registration, pay to refresh my first aid certificate, pay for nanny insurance and more and on top of that I have years of experience that a teenager doesn’t have, that’s what you’re paying for.