£9ph to babysit?!!!!

[yummumto3girls]

We have used the same babysitter for the last 4 years. A girl who worked at my daughters nursery so we knew she was qualified and checked. Have always paid in region of £5ph and rounded it up to take account of travelling, so usually £25 - £30 a night from say 7 to 11. We don't often go out together and have no family to babysit so needs must. Have had 3rd DD 9 months ago (others are 9 and 6) and only been out once about a month ago when we knew DD was sleeping 7 to 7 so put baby to bed before we go out, other two washed in PJ's so all she had to do is entertain for an hour before putting to bed. Have just asked her to babysit this weekend and she has said she wants £9ph now she has the responsibility of a baby! Am I out of touch or is this just taking the piss?

Normal for London I'd have thought, so depends where you are. £5ph sounds very low to me for someone experienced and qualified - where I am it's more like £7.

Guess it's your choice whether to use her or find someone cheaper though.

Try sitters.co.uk

I have no idea. But if you go out at 8 instead of 7 and don't pay travel....3 hours x £9 = £27 - so comes in under the £30 you've sometimes paid.

If she's qualified, checked, and working full time she's hardly a "girl" . And you get what you pay for. If you want cheap, get a teenager in.

you're out of touch I think. How old is the babysitter?

i used to ask for £8/hour and usually got given £10/hour from families, once got £16/hour for 4 kids. it's the going rate in london im afraid.

the teenagers round here get £10ph...dd is 16 and does well out of it too.

ah,sorry,just asked dd....she gets £10ph from the one regular family......others around £8.....pet sits too,feeds rabbits,hamsters etc during their hols

I know it's a lot of money to add on to a night out, but tbh it doesn't seem outrageous to me. My 16 year old gets $15 an hour to babysit which is about 9 pounds and his only "qualification" is his experience with younger siblings. I've told friends not to give him more than $10 which I thought was plenty for looking after school age kids but they say they have to pay everyone else a minimum of $15.

She's qualified and checked and asking for no more than a cleaner might for caring for what are surely the most precious things in your life. I can't see a problem in that.

We live in the south west. www.sitters say £5.80! I do think £5 ph is low but £9 to sit and watch tele for the night ......

thats a terrible attitude!!

they do more than watch tv for the night! they will get hyour dc out of the house in event of a fire and so on....

I pay £8 ph in London. You are paying more than £5 ph to get a person who would know what to do if it wasn't just a case of watching television all night. If that was 100% guarranteed to be all that babysitting involved, you could just get the cat in for free couldn't you? But there is that slight chance that something out of the ordinary could happen, so I want someone sensible and responsible and for that I am happy to pay £8 per hour.

I'm in the south west and paid £9 an hour for 2 NT kids. (then my Mum gave her a tip on top). She was an experienced nursery nurse known to the kids too. (we don't use babysitters much).

You could look at getting a babysitting circle up and running if it's too much?

If she is over 21 then the minimum wage is £5.80 rising to £5.93 in October, so £5ph would be way too low. Our cleaners (in SE England, but not London) are on £9ph, so I think that is a reasonable rate, particularly for someone you know is trained, reliable etc.

Bloody hell we used to get £5 per night !
£9 may well be the going rate but who can afford that, she's pricing herself out of a nice easy job if you ask me.

Sorry! I appreciate they don't just watch tele and yes I would always put my kids first and therefore only have someone I can trust. I reiterate baby in bed and other two ready for bed, only needs to supervise teeth brushing and put in to bed. I don't know how any of you can afford to go out when you have to pay £40 - £50 for a babysitter before you have got anywhere!

Yeh - thanks mamatomany - someone on the same planet as me!

Phew! So glad friends and I babysit for each other. Usually just leave each other a magazine and a bar of chocolate!

(Sorry, probably not helpful!)

babysitting circles are the thing it's the only way unless you are loaded. We couldn't afford to go out without 'free' sitting from the circle even at £5 per hour

Don't know whether it's an option but when we had the one child DD came with us to some lovely restaurants and slept in her buggy whilst we ate, nobody batted an eyelid and on the odd occasions she woke the waiters took her for a walk whilst we finished our pudding and coffee.
Then nothing has changed for the babysitter and £5 an hour will be acceptable no doubt.