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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to think that £10 is not enough for babysitting......

73 replies

floramckitchen · 10/09/2011 16:09

last night my dd babysat for the two kids next door (10 and 5 yo boys). She arrived at 6:30pm and left at midnight. She was only paid £10 which I thought was a bit tight..... or aibu?

OP posts:
rookiemater · 10/09/2011 16:10

YANBU we had a friends daughter babysitting from 7.30 -12.30pm last night and we paid her £30. Your DD shouldn't babysit for them anymore or tell them that she wants £5 an hour which is reasonable in this day and age.

FabbyChic · 10/09/2011 16:11

Its not enough, thats 5.5 hours and she did not even get £2 an hour.

It should be around a fiver an hour so she should have got minimum £20. I'd not let her do it again.

FabbyChic · 10/09/2011 16:11

Shit my maths! £25!

OlaJordansBodyDouble · 10/09/2011 16:11

I pay £4 an hour and a bit more after mid-night for my nephew to come over and eat everything in sight while playing on the PS3.

He's robbing me, isn't he?

izzywhizzyletsgetbusy · 10/09/2011 16:12

YANBU - that's extremely tight. Minimum £30 for an evening and extra after midnight.

If your dd is asked again, I suggest you step in and negotiate terms.

minsmum · 10/09/2011 16:15

My daughter sometimes babysits for the neighbours and they told her that £5.00 ph was the going rate when she suggested a lower amount.

animula · 10/09/2011 16:15

£5 p/h minimum here, too.

PfftTheMagicDraco · 10/09/2011 16:15

YANBU

floramckitchen · 10/09/2011 16:25

I expected £4 per hour which is the amount she earns at her saturday job especially as she cancelled other plans to help them out. Probably went wrong by not negotiating her pay rate up front. The two boys are hard work too!!

OP posts:
zipzap · 10/09/2011 16:27

Did she know in advance how much she was going to get paid? If not at least it has hopefully been a useful lesson in negotiating the price beforehand. What do her friends charge to babysit per hour?

FootballFriend · 10/09/2011 16:30

10 and 5 year olds don't need much babysitting, though, so I imagine she didn't have a tough time. I'd say £10 is quite alright, they'll have been in bed for half of that time.

DollyTwat · 10/09/2011 16:33

Depends how old she is really
I used to pay my 16yr old sitter £3 per Hr but have now changed to just give her £20
Sometimes she makes on the deal sometimes I get value for money
I'm always home by 11.30 latest

Mia4 · 10/09/2011 16:35

That's not right, they were taking advantage of finding a cheaper sitter. That said, when my cousin let her neighbours girl babysit for four hours she paid her the same because she brought the girl a pizza, garlic bread and rented a couple of movie for her.

pigletmania · 10/09/2011 16:35

No £10 is not enough Dolly, would you do it for that! and the op said that the boys are hard work.

LineRunner · 10/09/2011 16:36

That's too long a shift for a tenner. Midnight is quite a late finish. I would give a tenner if I've just got an evening meeting, e.g. 7 till 9.30pm, offer a lift/taxi home, and leave snacks and drinks. If the girl lives so close she doesn't need a lift, I'd bung in another couple of quid.

For 6.30pm to midnight, even old tight-arse-me would give £15-£20 plus perks.

The point is, you want them back. But you have to be able to afford them. People's spare cash for babysitters varies hugley from family to family, and place to place. But a tenner these days is not OK for a shift up till midnight.

pigletmania · 10/09/2011 16:37

Sorry meant football Blush

Kladdkaka · 10/09/2011 16:39

I got £2 an hour the last time I babysat and I thought that was more than reasonable.

That was more than 20 years ago.

halcyondays · 10/09/2011 16:39

Yanbu, that's a bit tight.

bananatrifle · 10/09/2011 16:43

I used to pay my babysitters £10 for an evening, but that was 20 years ago!!!!

floramckitchen · 10/09/2011 16:45

no other perks... no snacks....no drinks......no dvds..... just endless bouncing on the trampoline with the 5 yo. I could still hear them at 9pm!

OP posts:
zukiecat · 10/09/2011 16:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SilkandSteel · 10/09/2011 16:46

I used to get a tenner for a nights babysitting 25 years ago. They are taking the P.

perfumedlife · 10/09/2011 16:51

Nice to know the value they place on keeping their kids safe. Bet they spent five times that at the bar without thinking and yet try to wrangle a bargain getting their kids watched.

flack · 10/09/2011 16:52

That's pants, OP.

DollyTwat · 10/09/2011 17:00

Oh I agree Pigletmania even at £3 Hr it's not enough
Sorry didn't mean to imply it was

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