Cost of baby sitting

[Niloufes]

Our baby sister recently told us that she is putting her costs up to minimum wage per hour, £7.20 an hour. Am i being unreasonable to think this is too much? She comes round when our 3 year old daughter is asleep and waits until we get home. Only once has she woken up and needed a drink and so the sitter is just sitting watching tv the rest of the time. Is this a normal amount to pay? we paid £6 before. aibu?

[PSong123]

Hi, I wondered how much I should charge babysitting- they are ex parents from a pre school I used to work at. I have 10 years experience, nvq 3, paediatric first aid, and am a nanny. I live in Surrey/ London and wondered if £10 is too much or fair? That's how much I would charge a stranger but seeing as I know them is it unfair?

[mimishimmi]

They ask for $20 - $25 an hour on websites here. That's the equivalent of about £10-12 an hour. Luckily our 15 year old DD hasn't cottoned on to the going rate yet when we pay her (equivalent of £1.50 ) to babysit DS. You can look elsewhere of course but your babysitter is not asking for anything outrageous IMO.

[Proxyparent]

Marynary will it be valid to say that babysitters work within unsociable hours and deserve more pay? Will you be charging more pay working e.g as a nurse watching over your patient and of course there's the staff tea room that provides small refreshments: I have seen medical professionals on-call doing back shifts take small naps but can still answer to calls and also do the regular ward check every 2-3 hourly.

On the note for employing teenage babysitter, from my observation children become more erratic and overly excited with teenage babysitters. Kids can be unpredictable - but unfortunately not everyone understands common reasonings and the manner of 'common sense'.

[cruikshank]

Well Callaird, I have to say that I think you're onto a good number. I can't think of many other jobs where you'd be paid £12 an hour to be asleep.

[Marynary]

That's right, and I am explaining why they charge it and why the qualified, professional childminder in the OP is entitled to increase her fee for babysitting if she wishes to do so. If you read my first post, or even just my last one, I'm at a loss as to why you're still talking to me about teenagers who just need common sense.

I haven't mentioned teenagers. I have just said that £7.20 to £15 pre hour is too much for any babysitter (adult or teenager) who just needs to sit on the sofa while the children are asleep. No skills are required apart from basic common sense. The fact that you get paid more for your day job is irrelevant as you would not be doing your day job unless you were looking after a baby or toddler. I am a health care professional and get paid considerably more than minimum wage (and would have far more skills than you if there was a medical crisis) but that doesn't mean I would charge my day job rate of pay just for babysitting.

[Tanith]

That's right, and I am explaining why they charge it and why the qualified, professional childminder in the OP is entitled to increase her fee for babysitting if she wishes to do so. If you read my first post, or even just my last one, I'm at a loss as to why you're still talking to me about teenagers who just need common sense.

You are merely guessing at why people might employ a professional to babysit. Don't you think that I'd have a better idea than you do why parents prefer to use me rather than an unqualified teenager with "common sense"?

[Marynary]

Didn't you read my first post? I'll direct you back to it.

Yes I read your first post and I'm not sure how that is relevant to the question of whether babysitter need to have any skills beyond common sense when dealing with older children (not babies or toddlers). If employing a stranger you might someone who works with children in the day as nanny/teacher/childminder but that is not because they have special skills, it is because they have effectively been vetted by a nursery/school etc.

If you, or anyone else, wants to hire a teenager for a fiver, that's your decision. Similarly, someone who wants to hire a professional is also entitled to choose the evening childcare they want for their child.

Obviously people are entitled to charge what they want. This thread is about whether it is about what babysitters who charge £7.20 (or even £10 or £15) are worth the money though.

[Tanith]

Sitting on a sofa while the children are asleep, giving them a drink if they wake up etc etc, does not require "skill". It requires basic common sense.

Didn't you read my first post? I'll direct you back to it.

Cruikshank, you've already been answered by other posters, I see.

If you, or anyone else, wants to hire a teenager for a fiver, that's your decision. Similarly, someone who wants to hire a professional is also entitled to choose the evening childcare they want for their child.

Where we disagree is the expectation that those professionals, who are better qualified and offer a professional service, should be paid the same as unqualified teenagers. Some people don't want unqualified teenagers and they're prepared to pay for a service that involves more than sitting on the sofa and calling the parents back if there's a problem. For some of my clients, calling them back in the event of an anaphlactic shock reaction, a seizure, an ASD meltdown is no use at all and the immediate action required is well beyond the common sense of an unqualified teenager.

[Callaird]

Because, Tanith, you said that the so-called 'professional' babysitters are employed because they want reassurance that their child will be looked after properly. But then a couple of posts down we've got the admission, from a self-styled 'professional' babysitter that she spends her £12 an hour time drinking wine, falling asleep and bitching about the paucity of snacks on offer.

I'm not a professional 'babysitter' I'm a professional nanny that occasionally babysits. I have been for 30 years. I am very good at my job. If someone asks me to babysit at the weekend, after my 62.5+ hours of work and offers me a glass of wine, why not? I don't get drunk. If they don't come home until 2am, then yes I will nap on the sofa, with the monitor right next to me, I've had many children overnight, I don't sleep properly if I am in charge, I hear virtually every sound they make, I'm not pissed out of my head, fast asleep on their sofa.

Thankfully, the families I do babysit for realise that I'm giving up my time to help them out, that my time is worth something and they treat me as a friend who cares about their children and will do my best to care for them.

And for these people who respect me, I sometimes do it for free (or cuddles with their snugly baby)

[RufusTheReindeer]

Baby sitter

Doh!

[RufusTheReindeer]

cruikshank

Still not sure what that has to do with tanith

So we have one "professional" babysitting not behaving very professionally

Thank god that never happens in other professions

[cruikshank]

Because, Tanith, you said that the so-called 'professional' babysitters are employed because they want reassurance that their child will be looked after properly. But then a couple of posts down we've got the admission, from a self-styled 'professional' babysitter that she spends her £12 an hour time drinking wine, falling asleep and bitching about the paucity of snacks on offer.

[Marynary]

"Great skills"? Why the sarcasm? Professional childcarers work hard to achieve their qualifications and yes, we are skilled in what we do.

I am referring babysitting in the night rather than looking after children during the day and (hopefully) helping with their development. Sitting on a sofa while the children are asleep, giving them a drink if they wake up etc etc, does not require "skill". It requires basic commonsense.

[RufusTheReindeer]

save

Not teenage babysitters, or most babysitters

Some are whether through an agency or because they are a rational human who can decide what they charge for services

At least thats my understanding

[SaveSomeSpendSome]

What happened to getting £15 from 7pm till 1am?

Those were the babysitting rates 15 years ago when i babysat every sat night.

Are babysitters really paid by the hour now?

[Tanith]

I fail to see what that has to do with me, Cruikshank. What point exactly were you trying to make?

[cruikshank]

Tanith, well, one of the 'professional' babysitters on this thread has said that she drinks wine and falls asleep at work. Still, I suppose you get what you pay for, eh? That's £12 an hour that's well worth it.

[cruikshank]

You actually fall asleep while you're supposed to be working? Fuck me, but I'd like to see my boss's face if I sat and my desk and had a wee kip .

[cruikshank]

there have been hundreds of nights when I've watched tv, drank their nice wine, eating their nice snacks, curled and napped on their sofa

[Tanith]

Few parents have qualifications in first aid, childcare or whatever other great skills you claim babysitters need to why does someone who sits on the sofa while your child is asleep need them?

I actually claimed no such thing, Marynary. I was explaining why parents often prefer a professional babysitter - and why those babysitters are referred to as professionals.

"Great skills"? Why the sarcasm? Professional childcarers work hard to achieve their qualifications and yes, we are skilled in what we do.

[Marynary]

Babysitters are self employed and therefore their income and tax liability is their business. As is their pricing structure.

Yes. Minimum wage doesn't apply to self employed people as they can set their own charges.

[RufusTheReindeer]

Agree with bogey

Wish people would stop saying it

[Bogeyface]

What difference does it make to the customer if the babysitter is declaring their income? Babysitters are self employed and therefore their income and tax liability is their business. As is their pricing structure.

And FWIW, the babysitter would have to be working 30 hours a week or more at minimum wage before they would have to pay any tax.

[RavioliOnToast]

Is she declaring it if she wants minimum wage? If you don't like it you can ask someone else?