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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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:
pigletmania · 10/09/2011 17:01

Exactly perfumedlife

pigletmania · 10/09/2011 17:02

No sorry dolly my comment was aimed at football who sad that £10 is enough

Bellavita · 10/09/2011 17:04

Not enough! We pay ours £5 per hour.

crashdoll · 10/09/2011 17:52

How old is she OP? If she's 14 or over, I'd pay about £4 an hr.

Guadalupe · 10/09/2011 17:55

I used to get that 15 years ago.

We pay our babysitter £5 hour. Seems to be the norm though some pay £4.

Maisiethemorningsidecat · 10/09/2011 17:57

£5/hr is what we pay our babysitters - £10 for 5.5hrs definitely not on.

ssd · 10/09/2011 17:59

TELL YOUR DD TO ASK FOR A FIVER AN HOUR AND NO LESS

the cheek of some people

RebelFromTheWaistDown · 10/09/2011 18:02

YABU and ungrateful. I think £10 is very generous for sitting on your arse watching telly all night after raiding someone else's fridge and biscuit barrel.

Bellavita · 10/09/2011 18:09

Rebel, did you see the OP's post? No snacks or drinks.

troisgarcons · 10/09/2011 18:13

Ummm - sorry but - I have to throw this bone in - purely to play devils advocate.

Baby sitter. Not nanny, au pair, trained child minder or ofsted registered. A babysitter. A pocket money job. Since when did pocket money jobs pay more than the minimum wage? (which for a 16yo is £3.64 per hour).

Last time I went out I gave one of my 6th formers £30 to look after 3 children for 6 hours (6pm till midnight, it was a long drive to an evening wedding reception) - she also got - a rather large pizza delivery, a film of her choice AND what I presume was a long intense snogging session with her boyfriend!!! She was more than happy with that!!

My 16yo now baby sits for a 10yo and a 7yo with ADHD whilst mum is out (7pm till when she crawls in after clubbing) and stays over so he can deal with the kids in the morning whilst she nurses her not inconsiderable Saturday morning hang over. He gets a tenner, a pizza and free reign of the xbox live - again more than happy. From her he gets another tenner a week to walk her dog twice a day. Shortly shes going on holiday and he's house sitting proper to look after the animals - and have free reign of the xbox - again a tenner a day (mind you I still have to provide his meals!)

pigletmania · 10/09/2011 18:23

Erm Rebel would you do it for £10! Really the babysitter is looking after what is the most precious things you have and gets paid £10 for the whole evening Shock. Like one poster said bet they would pay more for a round of drinks in a bar than to their babysitter.

FootballFriend · 10/09/2011 18:24

I paid more than that when I had a babysitter, usually the nanny doing extra hours. But this is a teenager doing a not too arduous job. Pointless to compare with paid regular jobs - she gets cash in hand for a mutually convenient time, no long term commitment etc etc. She doesn't like it, she doesn't do it again. No consequences. Or next time make your demands known beforehand.

pigletmania · 10/09/2011 18:25

troisgarcons that sounds rather good, the ops dd got nothing like that

Floggingmolly · 10/09/2011 18:25

troisgardens. She pays £10 for 6+ hours babysitting - and the same to have her dog walked!!!! Words fail me.

pigletmania · 10/09/2011 18:26

so her dog is more important than her kids Shock

SansaLannister · 10/09/2011 18:28

That's tight and mean. I'd not be babysitting for them again.

pigletmania · 10/09/2011 18:28

I am not a qualified childcare provider, and would do it informally but not for £10 for 6 hours, no way! I can think of better ways to spend my time thank you.

ChickensHaveNoEyebrows · 10/09/2011 18:30

We pay our babysitter £20 for 3-4 hours.

pigletmania · 10/09/2011 18:30

Thats a life lesson for your dd in being assertive for the future

FannyFifer · 10/09/2011 18:34

Paying more to get your dog walked than your children being looked after,niiiiiice. Hmm

ThePrincessRoyalFiggyrolls · 10/09/2011 18:35

Now I know I am mean, I pay my 2 neighbours girls £5ph between them, not my fault they want to come together Grin, but they don't have far to go, want pin money, have 2 relatively easy children to deal with usually in bed or ready to go to bed, I provide snacks, pizza drinks etc and they are polite and nice.

Equally I pay the pro babysitter £5 ph, she comes with her dh, they then Shock clean the house as they aren't "tv people". I love them.......Grin

troisgarcons · 10/09/2011 18:36

Hang on - thats £10 a week for 14 1/2 hour walks - not £10 morning and night!

The main thing is: 1... the children are safe! 2... my son doesnt feel exploited - in fact he's over the moon as his xbox has ring of death (yippee) so he can play all night once the kids are in bed - infact the tenner is a bonus (to him) compared to xboxing all night!

Pondering wildly here - he'd do it for free to get away from my nagging!!!!

Original poster
floramckitchen · 10/09/2011 18:40

yes piglet she will have to sort out the money stuff in advance in future. If they want to go out that badly they will have to be fair about what they are paying.

OP posts:
pigletmania · 10/09/2011 18:42

trois as long as your ds is happy the arrangement thats the main thing. He sounds great btw, don't know most teenage boys who would be responsible to do a whole evening/night/day shift, than again I dont know any teenage boys Grin

pigletmania · 10/09/2011 18:43

Exactly, or refuse to do it again for them.