To think that £20 for a night of babysitting is ridiculous

[Holly102]

My DD (who is 16) babysat for a local mum, I have known for a few years from my DS’s school.

She asked me, on Monday, if my DD would do her a massive favour and babysit for a couple of hours on the Tuesday as her usual babysitter had cancelled last minute. She offered to pick her up and drop her back as it wouldn’t be late . She told me it would be 7 until 9.

So yesterday evening DD was collected at around 7. I texted her at 9 asking if she was on her way home but she wasn’t so I told her to message the mum. No response.

At quarter to eleven my daughter gets a message apologising but does she mind if she stays until around 11:30. It was a Tuesday night, DD is 16!!!! My DD, being young, felt she couldn’t say no.

This is not the end of the story though, the mum finally arrived home at 12:30!!! Far from the 9 o’clock first agreed. She apologised profusely but the proceeded to pay DD only £20.

Is this completely unfair behaviour. Is £20 what my daughter should expect?

I would be speaking to the Mother myself and asking for the shortfall in monies and tell her not to take the piss .. sorry I mean .. ask your DD to babysit again...

Well I shall don my flame retardant suit here and say-

We pay £5/hour for our teenage babysitters and it’s the going rate round here. Not London.

However the mum was massively piss taking rocking up that late and should have given her a touch more as a sorry/thank you. Like £10 more.

The change in time is the big problem here.
Your DD should decline any further babysitting jobs from this CF.

It's £4 an hour. Are the children young, were they in bed early? Does your dd feel she was underpaid ? My 18 year old Ds only gets paid around £5.50 at a kids theme park for taking responsibility for operating rides etc with little children on.

BTW £5 p/h is normal for teen babysitters here.

£20 is actually reasonably sorry.
BUT pissing her about with the time, especially on a school night in year 11 is not.

20 quid is reasonable I mean!!

We pay £5 an hour but i always stick to the agreed time and if for some reason we haven't said a definite time but go into an extra hour (eg back at 1115) I'd always round up to the next full hour

£5 an hour for a 16 year old for babysitting is around the rate where I live ( not London)

£5 hour is tight and coming back that late unacceptable.

The time shouldn't have been changed obviously but at 16 I was well happy with 20 quid for sitting around and watching tv. I loved babysitting kids usually in bed not long after you arrive and a night of watching what you want on Tele was bliss.

That is terrible. Not the amount. But delaying twice and keeping a 16 year old out so late on a week night.

I would be livid. Hope DD does not babysit for her again

£5 a hour sounds about right but the time thing is not on. Why was she so late?

£20 is a reasonable price its an easy sit and watch tv and eat crisps job not a full on career. The lateness is rude if not prearranged.

When I was that age 20 quid to sit and watch Tele whilst someones kids slept would have been a good deal, she should have been a lot more up on time keeping though unless extreme circumstance I.e the car broke down

The children are 6 and 10 so she had to put them to bed.

I think the fact that she had school the day after was also very irresponsible of the mum.

Also I’m in the South East so I think she was a underpaid, I think she did too as she told me, especially when she stepped in at the last minute.

I think your dd needs to establish up front her rate per hour before she agrees to babysit. We pay teenagers £6 per hour.

I think it's reasonable or unusual for a 16 year old babysitter to work until 11.30pm, if they are happy to do so. Obviously, this particular scenario was very different. I agree that the parents were cfs and she shouldn't babysit for them again. They will do the same again.

I think the bigger unreasonableness was her saying 2 hours and returning at 12.30 on a weeknight. That’s really not on. I think £20 is ok but I may well not be up to date as it’s s long time since I’ve needed to get babysitters.

I'd be more peeved at her leaving your daughter waiting over 3 hours longer than she'd said she would.
I'd be having a word about what happened to the 7 till 9 arrangement?
The money is another matter, but yep she's taken the piss on every level.
I assume it'll be the first and last time your daughter helps her out.

Sorry op but south east or not shes not been underpaid. She hasnt got a contract so she isnt entitled to any ammount and at 16 i think £3.50 is min wage in a real job. I am from the south and babysat since 12/13 and £20 was the going rate all night.

She won’t be babysitting there again. If she was honest in the first place about time then she wouldnt have taken the job.

The excuse given was basically ‘time flies when you are having fun!!’

Seems about right

But even paying £5/hr she should have got £27.50 not £20 for 5.5 hrs. That's beyond tight!
And the coming home 3.5 hrs late is unbelievably fecking cheeky. They wouldn't do that to an agency sitter or an adult who would stand up for themselves. Really unkind and unreasonable.