AIBU to think they have taken the piss?

[clarinsgirl]

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?

Its £8/hr here for babysitting, and that is generally nursery workers getting extra money in the evenings.

£5/hr for someone younger and less experienced seems reasonable, but you should have been clear up front about what you were charging.

Agreed Sin. It's been a good lesson for him to make sure he agrees a rate in future.

I baby sat a lot in the early 90's and usually got paid £5 an evening - i had a family member who paid me £5 but i had to pay my taxi out of that - usually £2.20 - but some nights they would get home late ie after midnight so taxi was £4. I got no extra money! I feel a but swindled now I hear what others say they were paid in the 80's 😂

We have used a friends teen to babysit a few times and paid her £20. We kind of fell into that as the first time my db was bringing his two to stop at mine so their would have been 4 children. In the end he got other friends to have them so we were stuck. The babysitter always felt a little uncomfortable taking so much, she tried to refuse it the first time.

My children are older and really take no looking after though.

Very tight. If they ask again, will you say something?

I was paid £10 in the 80's when I was 16&17 and the children were in bed when I arrived. I walked home a very short distance.

Fedup- no I won't say anything if they ask again but DS will be sure to set the rate at the outset

I got £20 twenty years ago.

Very stingy and unfair.

No more babysitting for them😊

If they ask again, he needs to tell them it's at least £8 per hour to compensate.

Honestly, I'm
Not sure I'd leave my DS at the age of 14 alone on an evening in his OWN house even without babysitting responsibilities. I think it's a bit young. His young age is the reason he was paid a tenner

Honestly, I'm
Not sure I'd leave my DS at the age of 14 alone on an evening in his OWN house even without babysitting responsibilities.

Erm, why on earth not?

I'd give 15 quid or 20. Set rates are the way to go. This time he spent most of the time chilling but next time could get a very demanding child so it all evens out.

I’d have paid £20. Fiver an hour and I found up. I also would have asked what food they liked and probably spent about a fiver on that.

However, as the kids were already in bed, I don’t the £10 is so gobsmackingly low that I’d consider getting involved! He was only expecting £15.

Do the kids usually wake, and even if they don’t - did he tell them one had?

I think £10 is low but not exploitative if you’re literally being paid to sit on your arse. Yes you can say he has responsibility - but really, it’s so unlikely there would be an issue, that I doubt he felt the pressure of it.

But as soon as you’re actually DOING something (settling the child) then I think £20 is fair.

Gut feel before I saw the answers was £20 seemed fair. Now that you say you had to do pick up and drop off as well then the £10 does seem very stingy - the usual thing would be for them to drop back/walk home or cover a taxi as well.