to offer a babysitter £5/hour?

[tiggersdontlikehoney]

What is the going rate for a teenage (age 16) babysitter these days?

They would be looking after one 4-year old for a few hours in the evening. So just playing, putting to bed, nothing very difficult, then they can relax and watch TV or whatever.

I haven't had any dealings with babysitters since I was a teenager myself so no idea what to offer. Would £5/hour be considered too little?

We are in a small town in the Midlands, so not looking for London prices or anything like that.

How much do you pay?

[Namelesswonder]

£10 an hour is the going rate around here, more if after midnight, and taxi home if in the evening. Edinburgh.

[fleshmarketclose]

I used to pay dd's babysitter £7 an hour 12 years ago so £5 to me is really stingy. I tend to think if you want your child looking after it's best to pay a good rate tbh. Dd's sitter was in sixth form at the time so about the same age.

[Dumbledoresgirl]

My 17 year old dd babysits for a couple of KS2 aged children. Last week, just one was at home, and the parents paid her £25 for 3 hours. We are in a small town near Bristol, so not London inflated prices. I agree with most people here. £5 an hour is too little, though I don't think dd would complain if she got a bit less - maybe £20 for 3 hours?

[Sofabitch]

My 15 year old gets £1.50 an hour for his paper round. He'd love to get £5 an hour!

[CorbynsBumFlannel]

Sounds low to me. Especially if the child is still awake for hours when you go out rather than you having her already in bed. They're not just there as a fallback in case your child wakes they're doing childcare which tends to cost more if it's not within regular working hours.

[Bluntness100]

My daughter got ten pounds an hour from age 17, she’s now twenty and doesn’t do it anymore, we are in the south east. I think five pounds an hour is low.

[Freddiewinifred10]

Like someone upthread said, I got a fiver an hour when I was 16. That was 19 years ago (not in London). I used to earn 5 something an hour (plus tips) waitressing at the same time. I feel that 7 sounds fairer, if you can afford it. If five is all you can afford(in order to go out), then if the teen is happy, I would do it.

[mangomama91]

I would tbh
I used to charge £5 an hour when I babysat (past few years, child care qualified etc, own children and early 20s)
So I'm sure at 16 they should appreciate £5 an hour
Plus easy number to pay by hour haha

[BeatriceBeaudelaire]

I used to get £20 for 7pm-midnight ish

[BeatriceBeaudelaire]

Plus £5 p/h is above the min wage for a 16yo so should be fine

[Didntcomeheretofuckspiders]

I was paid £5 an hour 10 years ago so seems a little low to me.

When I did get the odd bit of babysitting for the kids I nanny-ed a few years ago, I generally got £7-8 an hour but did also do a few jobs like unloading the dishwasher or a bit of ironing once the little ones were in bed. Generally took me less than an hour in total and considering the kids were often in bed when I got there, it seemed fair enough.

[WaitroseCoffeeCostaCup]

£15 am hour (above)?! I'm in my 30's, own transport, 4 kids of my own and over 15 years childcare experience. Also in the South East. I charge £5 an hour.

[Thirtyrock39]

I pay ours £5 per hour. Though my kids are All in bed so it's easy money really. And get a load of treats in

[Ronnyhotdog]

Ds who's 18 gets £5 an hour but the children are always asleep by the time he gets there. If it's after midnight she pays him extra. He's happy with that. £5 an hour to sit and watch tv.

[Brittbugs80]

£15 am hour (above)?! I'm in my 30's, own transport, 4 kids of my own and over 15 years childcare experience. Also in the South East. I charge £5 an hour

Yep I charge £15, currently babysit around 10/15 hours a week as well as my day job which I work 2/3 days. Over 20 years experience, childcare qualifications, safeguarding training, paediatric first aid, Ofsted registered and I'm insured. I drive, own child and have at the moment 10 families I sit for weekly and have done for 10 odd years.

But then I run it as a business, not a casual pocket money job. I also offer over nights, Christmas shopping days etc and these book up quick. My last overnight was three weeks ago for one of my families whose child isn't sleeping well and they wanted a lie in. I sat from 9pm until 9am and I charge £15ph from 9pm till midnight, £70 from midnight till 6am then £15 from 6 till 9. I was up every two hours so Mom and Dad could catch up on sleep. I put out 8 Saturday dates that I could offer for parents to go shopping and they have already been booked. I'm releasing the Sunday dates tomorrow.

I started off at £7.50ph but prices have gone up in 10 years and people pay because they want the service. The markets there as I'm not short of work and I'm getting busier. Every penny I earn from this is declared, I pay tax and then the money gets split between my ISA and LISA.

Basically, If I can carry on with this level of work for at least another 6 years, I can retire at 55. If not then it will be 65.

[jobergamot]

£10 plus an hour??? Jeez can I babysit for you??!!

[VioletCharlotte]

I'd say £5 an hour sounds about right. More after midnight though.

Minimum wage for 16 year olds is £4.05 an hour so I think most would be happy with £5.

[tiggersdontlikehoney]

Lol thanks everyone. We've discussed it, babysitter seems delighted with £5/hour. Is more firm on the point it shouldn't interfere with her homework.. I hope some of that spirit rubs off on my DD

[ujerneyson]

britt if people are happy to pay you £15 an hour then that's brilliant and great for your business but I guess like anything it's supply and demand, I don't believe that where I live anyone would get booked for £15 an hour as there are plenty of great sitters who charge far less. I'm afraid that I would have to be absolutely desperate to even consider paying anyone £15 an hour to watch TV with an 11 year old who knows the rules aboit bedtime and never messes about or even with my well behaved 7 year old who has never been awake when a sitter has come and hasn't woken in the night for at least 5 years. My children are my most precious possession, of course they are but I don't think that I could begin to justify paying anyone £15 an hour to look after them for an evening if I had any other option.

[BackforGood]

I'm in West Mids. I have 2 dds who babysit. Both would be more than happy with £5ph.
dd2 (16) would happily do for a tenner for the evening.
dd1 (18) would be happy with £5 per hour too.

[sadiemm2]

Midlands here. My dd2 charges £6 pH, and £7.50ph after 12. Someone has just cancelled on her because they wanted to pay her 15 for a 5 hour evening. She's always in demand because she's firm, but very loving.

[Brittbugs80]

ujerneyson

My youngest is 4 months old that I sit for. The eldest is 11 (different families) and it's the younger ones aged up to 7 that I sit for frequently. That involves bathing, changing nappies, putting them to bed plus parents expect me to check on them every 15 mins while they sleep and I also do a final check on them with either parent with me when I leave. I record all checks I make including sleep checks and give a copy to the parents.

My usual hours are from 5pm until midnight so it's rare I get there and children are in bed asleep.

Once they are asleep, they often stay asleep but one 3 year old is a particularly bad sleeper and wakes every few hours. The 4 month old doesn't go to bed properly till parents are back so he's downstairs with me.

I also do freebies every now and again and do extra while I'm there (washing up, emptying dishwasher etc) so they definitely get their monies worth.

[CorbynsBumFlannel]

I think the rate for sleeping children should be less than if you are expecting hours of hands on childcare then putting them to bed. If you're paying £5 for that what would you pay if they were in bed when the sitter arrived?
I suppose you'll find out whether she actually is delighted with £5 when you see if she's willing to do it for a second time!

[Gunpowder]

It sounds like Brittbugs is offering more of a night nannying service than casual babysitting. I would totally pay £15p/h for that!

[Gunpowder]

Normal babysitters we pay a tenner per hour and round up. But they aren't teenagers. (Nursery staff).