Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think they have taken the piss?

88 replies

clarinsgirl · 27/10/2019 00:08

My 14 yr old DS babysat tonight for a friend of the family. 2DC both in bed when he got there. He was there 3.5 hours. What do you think is fair pay?

OP posts:
P1nkHeartLovesCake · 27/10/2019 00:10

At 14, with dc in bed asleep, I’d pay £5 per hour and leave him some fizzy drink/snacks

WorraLiberty · 27/10/2019 00:12

Yeah £5 per hour and a few drinks/snacks sounds fair.

cauliflowersqueeze · 27/10/2019 00:12

Whatever the arrangement was.

WhenISnappedAndFarted · 27/10/2019 00:12

I was paid around a fiver per hour when 14.

HypatiaCade · 27/10/2019 00:12

14 year old boy, probably would pay around £20-£25 for the evening.

sunshineandshowers21 · 27/10/2019 00:13

i’d give my babysitter £20 for that long.

24hourshomeedderandcarer · 27/10/2019 00:14

when i used to do this in the late 90s i used to get 20-30 pound as she had 5 under 4 and 1 a newborn,i never did much work just warm a bottle or change the odd nappy

it must have increased by now

im saying she gave a tenner

LaurieFairyCake · 27/10/2019 00:15

Tenner? For not doing anything but watching tv

More if adult

Original poster
clarinsgirl · 27/10/2019 00:15

Well deduced 24hour. I too would pay £5 hour for a 14 year old and would have rounded to £20.

OP posts:
cauliflowersqueeze · 27/10/2019 00:17

Well why have they taken the piss? What arrangement did he come to with them before he started the babysitting?

ZenNudist · 27/10/2019 00:18

£15

Countryescape · 27/10/2019 00:19

If they paid less than 20 they have taken the piss.

Original poster
clarinsgirl · 27/10/2019 00:21

There was no arrangement. They asked if he would babysit, he said yes. They had to rush off when he arrived and there was no time to discuss rate.

Taken the piss because as the adults and employers they've paid less than NMW and certainly less than I would consider fair. Wanted to see if AIBU.

OP posts:
Honeyroar · 27/10/2019 00:23

Will you say anything to the friend?

Hellofromtheotherside2020 · 27/10/2019 00:24

How much did they pay him?

cauliflowersqueeze · 27/10/2019 00:25

You were expecting them to pay the national minimum wage for babysitting? What is the NMW at age 14? There isn’t one is there?

Lesson learned - make the arrangement beforehand. They could have ended up giving him a fiver!

mineallmine · 27/10/2019 00:25

So what amount did they actually give him?

BrassTactical · 27/10/2019 00:26

So what did they actually pay?

Cohle · 27/10/2019 00:26

I think it's a hard lesson for him about agreeing a rate up front. Children under 16 aren't entitled to the NMW.

www.gov.uk/child-employment/paying

Original poster
clarinsgirl · 27/10/2019 00:26

They paid £10. Wanted to get other opinions before deciding what to do. Am more inclined to encourage DS to set a fixed or hourly rate in future rather than tackling friend.

OP posts:
cauliflowersqueeze · 27/10/2019 00:27

£10 is stingy it really is. I agree.
Definitely get him to set his rate in future.

walkinwar · 27/10/2019 00:27

What did they pay him?

gamerchick · 27/10/2019 00:28

So how much did they pay?

How can you ask if they've taken the piss when you haven't said how?

gamerchick · 27/10/2019 00:28

Xpost

walkinwar · 27/10/2019 00:28

Ah Criss post. Lesson learned next time negotiate first.

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

Join Mumsnet Log In

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.

Swipe left for the next trending thread