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AIBU?

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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:
SleepingStandingUp · 27/10/2019 01:07

Well he seems fine with it and relapses he should have asked them. So if there's a next time, he can say something to them. He isn't asking you to get involved, he isn't being exploited, I'd leave it alone unless he asks for help talking to them

lyralalala · 27/10/2019 01:10

DD does £5 an hour before midnight, but a minimum of £15 otherwise it's not worth her while giving up her evening.
After midnight depends who is funding her taxi home.

Let it be a lesson to him to always, always agree rates.

There are always people who'll see it as only sitting and watching tv, but unless the rate is X if they stay asleep and Y if they don't then there should be acknowledgement in the rate that he's there to mind the children in whatever situation occurs.

Snoopdogsbitch · 27/10/2019 01:12

Is noone going to question leaving under 16s in charge of young children? In Scotland it's against the law. I wouldn't leave my own DS 15 babysitting his brother who's 7; he's extremely responsible but it's just not something I'm comfortable with.

Original poster
clarinsgirl · 27/10/2019 01:13

As I've already said, I don't plan to get involved, just wanted to gauge opinion on whether my sense that they were stingy was correct.

OP posts:
NotMyFinestMoment · 27/10/2019 01:15

A bare minimum of £5 per hour and round up the extra 30 mins to an hour (at least £20 in total). I would also drop him home or pay for his cab back.

greypetex · 27/10/2019 01:18

In Scotland it's against the law

Is it?

DinkyDaisy · 27/10/2019 01:24

How times have changed...
In my 50s so going back to the dark ages.
50p an hour and a pound an hour after midnight.
I was in demand- I wonder why...

managedmis · 27/10/2019 01:31

Very mean tbh.

Should have been £20.

As you say, be was the only responsibile 'adult' in the house. Yes, the kids were asleep etc etc, but what if they'd have woken up and caused a ruckus etc?

ActualHornist · 27/10/2019 01:32

@DinkyDaisy it was the early 90s for me - I asked my regular gig if they'd pay me double at £5 an hour for NEW YEAR'S EVE and they laughed and said they'd give me £3.50 an hour! And I took it! Grin

AllTheGoodUNsTaken · 27/10/2019 01:09

I used to have to babysit for family for free. For fucking hours.

ViciousJackdaw · 27/10/2019 01:16

As you say, be was the only responsibile 'adult' in the house. Yes, the kids were asleep etc etc, but what if they'd have woken up and caused a ruckus etc?

Agreed. When a woman does this, it is childcare. Childcare is 'work', is it not? This work is not worth less because it was done by a 14 yo.

lyralalala · 27/10/2019 01:41

In Scotland it's against the law.

No it isn’t. If you leave your child with an under 16 you will be held responsible for anything that happens.

NSPCC don’t recommend it, but it’s not illegal.

user1473878824 · 27/10/2019 02:14

I know NMW doesn't apply to 14 year olds but the 16-17 year old rate is a good guide and they paid considerably less than this. yes but he isn’t an employee, is he? He’s a family friend’s son doing a favour. Personality I would have paid him more but Jesus H I can’t believe this is so much of an issue. Don’t let him do it again if you’re so offended you’ve checked the NMW. 🙄

Durgasarrow · 27/10/2019 02:28

Sunkisst--Horrible! I agree!

WhinyWa · 27/10/2019 05:15

Did he get food and dropped home?
It's a stingey amount. I'd not leave a 2year old and another with a 14yr old, but to then only give ten quid is super stingey.
Get him to set a rate of at least 5pounds and lift home.

Mumof21989 · 27/10/2019 06:30

It's abit stingey. Probably £15-£20 would of been better. It is expensive to go out though so maybe they struggle abit and really appreciated his help and the Tele, snacks and a tenner was a thank you. That said id of wanted more lol xx

00Sassy · 27/10/2019 06:34

£10 is stingy, £15 would have been ‘okay’ but I’d have paid £20!

Hellohah · 27/10/2019 06:36

He's 14, I think that a tenner is actually really reasonable. He's basically sat in someone's house, I don't get what he's done to earn more?

Original poster
clarinsgirl · 27/10/2019 06:58

User This isn't a big deal. I am familiar with the rates for NMW and didn't need to look them up (and know they don't apply here). I was just using the 16-17 rate as a reference in the absence of anything else. Also, this wasn't a favour, you don't get paid for favours.

This thread is quite lighthearted - I just know that I would pay double what he was paid and NMW would be 50 percent more than he was paid. I was just curious what others thought.

Consensus seems to be that they were tight. Thanks everyone.

For those asking, we dropped him off and picked him up and they left snacks.

OP posts:
Beesandcheese · 27/10/2019 07:07

£35

onemorecupofcoffeefortheroad · 27/10/2019 07:10

I've never forgotten being asked to babysit the two children of a manager I worked with - I was early 20s. I duly went over - it was a Saturday eve so my boyfriend at the time wasn't particularly happy but we were skint as just taken on a mortgage. The manager and his wife out til midnight - came home - gave me absolutely nothing. I couldn't believe it - never forgotten it. Still can't quite believe they thought I would just babysit for free.

Original poster
clarinsgirl · 27/10/2019 07:13

Wow Onemore, they were CFs and really did take the piss.

OP posts:
Minesril · 27/10/2019 07:14

He wasn't paid to 'sit in someone else's house', he was paid to be there in case something did happen. I'd be embarrassed to give responsibility of my child to someone else and pay so little. I think I used to get £20 babysitting as a teenager.

PullingMySocksUp · 27/10/2019 07:17

It’s £5 per hour here for a 16 yr old.

I think you’re right, the key is to fix it before. “Are you free next week for babysitting?”, “Yes, can do wed and thur from 7pm, at £5 an hour.”
He also needs to not do babysitting where the child is awake by mistake!

DinkyDaisy · 27/10/2019 07:20

What this thread does show me is that there is a reason dh and I go out separately without the kids, True, we have our own sets of friends- but just as well really!
When an adult friend babysat for me once I 'paid' her and her dh with a takeaway and a bottle of wine... They wouldn't have accepted cash though...
My sons 14 and 10 and have left 14 year old responsible for short periods of time in the day, during the holidays.
I babysat long evenings for other families from the age of 13...

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