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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Cost of baby sitting

376 replies

Niloufes · 18/05/2016 13:07

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?

OP posts:
StarUtopia · 19/05/2016 22:45

Given that my amazing childminder only works out at £4 an hour, I would say £5 an hour is more than sufficient to sit and watch the TV in someone else's house! Most babysitting is once the kids are asleep. Being paid to watch TV in a different lounge with the opportunity to do your schoolwork etc.

Mind you. Even at £5 an hour, i can't afford it! This is why we don't go out.

Pluckybird7235 · 19/05/2016 22:56

Minimum wage is minimum wage. When I was a baby sitter I had to build the trust of the family and kids and I did much more than sit on my backside watching tv. I regularly checked on the kids to make sure they were OK looked after them if they fell ill (which happend on a couple of occasions) if the kids woke then I would get them off to sleep etc. You are paying for the care that your child needs whilst you are out. Teenagers are often cheaper but may not have the maturity or skills to deal with a sick child.

Marynary · 19/05/2016 23:04

Minimum wage is minimum wage.

A babysitter is not an employee though if they only do a few hours now and then. They will be self employed so minimum wage doesn't apply. Babysitters don't have to deal with sick children as parents would come home in that situation.

DailyMailFodder · 19/05/2016 23:20

I don't know the law and would be interested if someone who actually knows there fact could confirm whether babysitters are eligible for the living wage/minimum wage

THIS GUARDIAN article suggests to me that they are

DailyMailFodder · 19/05/2016 23:21

Their not there

dowhatnow · 19/05/2016 23:23

I've never used babysitters as I was lucky enough to have family available to babysit, but now my dd does it, it amazes me how much she comes home with for such little effort. I've said often that I'm in the wrong job.

It's a completely different situation if you have to entertain them etc. That's hard work and should be paid well. Sitting watching TV especially with Sky, reading or using a laptop is easy money.

YANBU op. But it is demand and supply so you have to pay it if you want to keep her unless she's bluffing

BackforGood · 19/05/2016 23:26

I've only read 1st and last page too.
YANBU though OP.
Of course she's just sitting there watching TV.
She is, of course, entitled to charge what she wants, but you are just as entitled to find a local teenager who will be more than happy to sit on your sofa for £5 - £6 ph on a regular basis.

KERALA1 · 19/05/2016 23:32

Yanbu. Hardly onerous. Our very well behaved dds always in bed. We pay teens £6 per hour

SandyMcSandface · 20/05/2016 01:48

You're not just paying her to sit there - you are paying her to respond appropriately should there be a crisis with your child. We pay the same as the Sitters agency.

Bogeyface · 20/05/2016 02:10

Why do people just not get it?

You are not paying anyone to "sit on the sofa" and nor should she get on with the ironing while she is there.

You are paying for her time and expertise. You are buying her time so that you can spend yours doing something else, have some respect! She has decided that her time is worth minimum wage, so pay it or find someone else. Personally I would rather pay more for someone one I trust than pay less and spend all evening wondering why this person was so cheap...........

Would you give up your whole evening for someone else to go out and have fun for £6 an hour? No, thought not.

Milzilla · 20/05/2016 05:09

This is the thing,it's irrelevant as to how heavy the work is - it's her time! It's a full evening of hers, doing something for 'you' and that needs appropriately remunerating!!

Sparklyglitter · 20/05/2016 06:43

I pay between £5.00 and £6.00 an hour why don't you look on the sitters website and see how much it would cost through them? I would expect your current babysitter to be less overall as there will be no admin fee. In my experience I have three children and was a childminder for 10 years I never paid a babysitter more than £6.50 an hour. As a qualified Ofsted registered childminder, with a degree, various courses, first aid, insurance etc..etc.. I don't feel a babysitter compares unless they have some or all of these to offer.

Sparklyglitter · 20/05/2016 06:43

By the way - don't think you should say anything just look elsewhere!

Marynary · 20/05/2016 08:53

I don't know the law and would be interested if someone who actually knows there fact could confirm whether babysitters are eligible for the living wage/minimum wage. THIS GUARDIAN article suggests to me that they are

The article doesn't suggest that to me. It would depend on whether they count as self employed or employees. Does anyone give their babysitter a payslip, pay national insurance, tax, pension etc or even cheque whether they should be? If not you are treating them as self employed.

www.taxation.co.uk/taxation/Articles/2013/02/06/53401/bringing-baby

Marynary · 20/05/2016 08:53

cheque check

Only1scoop · 20/05/2016 08:56

I'd be embarrassed to pay her 6 pounds an hour.

Marynary · 20/05/2016 09:04

You're not just paying her to sit there - you are paying her to respond appropriately should there be a crisis with your child. We pay the same as the Sitters agency.

People keep talking about "crisis" or "emergency" as if babysitters are akin to highly skilled paramedics or similar. Few parents have those skills so why is it necessary for baby sitters to have them? Possibly looking after a baby or toddler is a bit more difficult as they may wake up and want attention. However, if a child is school age and in bed the babysitter doesn't have to have any more skills to "deal with emergencies" than the vast majority of adults and certainly no medical or first aid training training. Even if the child wakes up and feels ill the parents can just be called home.

Marynary · 20/05/2016 09:07

Would you give up your whole evening for someone else to go out and have fun for £6 an hour? No, thought not.

I certainly would. If the child is asleep and I could get on with other work while I am there it is certainly money for old rope.

WaitrosePigeon · 20/05/2016 09:12

Dailymail have nicked this!

Vixxfacee · 20/05/2016 09:13

Oh come on. Daily mail Confused

Bogeyface · 20/05/2016 09:14

FFS again?! Lazy bunch of cunts, why dont they do some real fucking journalism for a change?!

Peachesandcream15 · 20/05/2016 09:37

It's the 4th article on the main news page. Wow. Is this really headline news?!

Pinkallium · 20/05/2016 09:56

Well I'm really surprised by this thread. We pay our teenage neighbour £5 an hour. The kids are in bed and she does her homework or watches our tv. She is delighted with this arrangement.

snototterly · 20/05/2016 10:19

I disagree that post should be not so ask linked to what work the sitter has to do. Pay is generally linked to skills/work load with all other jobs. If your sitter wishes to charge more I'd ask if she's improving her service- cleaning/ironing whilst there. Minimum pay includes nat insurance, deductible tax etc, which a babysitter would not need to deduct.
Of course she's free to charge what she likes and you can choose to use her service or not.

WolfAlice · 20/05/2016 10:24

Wondering if the anal fisting thread will end up in the daily mail Hmm