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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think £25 for babysitting 3 children until 3am on New Years Day is disgustingly stingy.

240 replies

TaggieCampbellBlack · 01/01/2013 16:03

DD and her friend. Both 14.
Parents said they'd be back shortly after midnight. Finally rolled in at 3am.

DD and friend slept over but were expecting them home before 3.

Stingy bastards handed over £25 this morning.

Angry

And also more than a little surprised. That isn't the done thing really is it? Getting in 3 hours late.

OP posts:
Meglet · 01/01/2013 16:04

Yanbu!!

I pay the nursery staff £15 for 2 hours on a normal evening.

Greythorne · 01/01/2013 16:04

What time did they begin babysitting?

I pay a neighbour's dd ?5 an hour before midnight, ?10 thereafter.

vintageviolets · 01/01/2013 16:04

Is that £12.50 each?

Earlybird · 01/01/2013 16:04

Sounds stingy.

What, do you think, would have been fair payment?

NilentSight · 01/01/2013 16:05

£25 each or to be split? What payment was arranged beforehand?

Lueji · 01/01/2013 16:05

Tell your DD to charge overtime.

At least double rate.

Next time she'll be more careful with the arrangements.

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 01/01/2013 16:06

I think £25 for babysitting is good actually - I wouldn't expect it to be an hourly rate. However, 3 hours late is very rude and they should at least have checked that the girls were okay and didn't mind them being late.

penguinplease · 01/01/2013 16:06

that is rude, I'd have to say something to those parents if I were you, what is the connection between them and the people they babysat for?
At the very least it should have been £25 each though I pay £9 per hour for a sitter for my 3 kids and £11 after midnight.. and we are always home early and leave nice things for her.. trust her though 100% so worth it for peace of mind..

ohfunnyhoneyface · 01/01/2013 16:06

So stingy!

Get them to agree a price in future.

HecatePropolos · 01/01/2013 16:07

No. It's not right.

But were they really expecting to arrive home just after midnight? Isn't that when the celebrations start?

I wouldn't be happy either.

I think it's a lesson for your daughter to arrange fees in advance, including extra for if they're late.

Poor thing. £12.50 each?

They have really been taken advantage of and I'd be telling those parents so.

ratbagcatbag · 01/01/2013 16:07

Hmmmm, tough one, I used to babysit and get around a tenner which also involved an overnight stay and hae no idea wht time the parents came back as I was asleep. However I used to also get left money for takeaway and be able to use the Internet when it was first around and a really clunky novelty.

That said i would expect the going rate to be around 10 to 20 fir a normal night, then I'd probably give around 30 for nye and leave takeaway money.

Lueji · 01/01/2013 16:08

It should definitely be hourly, or provide a bed and breakfast.

Earlybird · 01/01/2013 16:08

Another question: if the parents got home at 3AM, how did your dd/her friend get home?

yohohoho · 01/01/2013 16:08

Depends on alot of things.

Firstly you can't compare it to nursery staff. They are trained people, of course they cost more.

what rate was agreed. And why were there 2 of them. I wouldn't pay both to babysit.

I pay ours £7 per hour. But she works at as nursery. If I was paying a teenager I would pay that much. Prob £5-6. I certainly wouldn't pay £5-6 per person.

Sirzy · 01/01/2013 16:08

Each?

yohohoho · 01/01/2013 16:09

Oh and who were they babysitting for?

RobotLover68 · 01/01/2013 16:09

I gave my 15 y/o £20 the other night for less than 4 hours - I'd have given them £25 each

TheNebulousBoojum · 01/01/2013 16:10

They need to negotiate rates and times before the event next time.
Yes, if the parents said they'd be back shortly after midnight, I'd take that to mean before 12.30am. They took advantage and paid poorly.

Original poster
TaggieCampbellBlack · 01/01/2013 16:10

£25 between them. Started at 8pm.

Was arranged by friend so I don't know them, otherwise I may be forced to have wirds.

I've told her next time they need to do an hourly rate with double after midnight.

But what on earth were the parents thinking? Stupid? Stingy? Or deliberately taking advantage? Gits.

OP posts:
Greythorne · 01/01/2013 16:11

Meglet
Nursery staff and 14 year olds can't expect to be paid the same!

MrsMelons · 01/01/2013 16:11

£25 is good for normal babysitting but not on NYE and not when you are responsible for children until 3am!

I pay my babysitter £5 an hour roughly and often give an extra fiver if after midnight so never less than £20 for an evening really.

When I babysat on NYE when I was 14 (so 19 years ago) I was paid £60!

Ihatemytoes · 01/01/2013 16:11

Earlybird, read the OP.

HopAndSkip · 01/01/2013 16:11

Did they not arrange a rate before hand? i charge £8.50 per hour babysitting, would expect about £12-15 per hour NYE. Though i am qualified in childcare.
Have you had a word with the parents? Maybe because of their age they thought the children wouldn't be doing anything anyway and that as there were 2 of them it wasn't really much of a hassle for them to spend the evening together?

pictish · 01/01/2013 16:12

Tbh I think getting £25 for an evening's babysitting (even till 3 am) at the age of 14 is pretty bloody good going!

I wouldn't pay out double for two sitters either. I'd only actually need onbe, so that's all I'd pay for. If the sitter wanted to bring a friend and split the takings then that would be up to them. I wouldn't pay twice!!

£25 for an evening's sitting till 3am is quite enough.

TheDoctrineOfSnatch · 01/01/2013 16:14

£25 from 8 til midnight would seem ok, just over £6 per hour. Maybe if they were asleep after that the parents didn't think they paid for the sleeping part. I'm assuming the parents wanted one babysitter but were happy for a friend to tag along for company.

How many kids were they sitting for?