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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask how much a babysitter costs?

80 replies

DeusEx · 26/05/2021 19:06

Hello

I’m asking this following a few wedding threads where there has been a ruckus among guests who can’t possibly afford a babysitter. It would be really useful for me to know from a planning perspective (I am pregnant) how much babysitters now cost. My info is out of date from when I last babysat for friends of my parents, well over a decade ago?

So: how much is a babysitter per hour / per night? Does the price change with age of child and with number of kids?

Also if you don’t have family nearby and are reliant on strangers, how do you choose a babysitter?

Thanks!

OP posts:
RidingMyBike · 26/05/2021 19:31

I paid £9 per hour a couple of years ago to a very sensible 16yo to babysit for a couple of hours (think this effectively meant her parents were also on call!). It also meant I had to drop her home which meant couldn't have a drink whilst we were out for a meal.
My DD was 3 at the time, already asleep when we left and knew 16yo well.

Original poster
DeusEx · 26/05/2021 19:31

@misspattylacosta sadly no NCT where I am due to covid :(

OP posts:
Whatelsecouldibecalled · 26/05/2021 19:32

Following with interest as we don’t have family near by but I can’t work out why I feel so comfortable about it. I have been looking at childcare.co.uk at various options and they all seem around the £10/hour mark for well qualified people. I personally am happy to pay that price it’s more the idea of leaving my boy with a stranger. I am going to ask at nursery. And see what happens there

piglet81 · 26/05/2021 19:32

£10/hour for evening babysitting (ie kid is in bed for most of the time).

With weddings the issue is that you often have to pay more during the day (since it’s more full on) and if you’re gone all day and evening that could easily add up to £150!

Original poster
DeusEx · 26/05/2021 19:33

Very helpful comments on the wedding aspect. Has really helped me to understand this better.

OP posts:
ShirleyPhallus · 26/05/2021 19:34

for someone to be trusted with your own child and ready if the child needs help or anything happen?

I never understand that attitude of parents resenting spending money when it's about their own children!

Do you realise how much vodka you can get for £50?

waitingpatientlyforspring · 26/05/2021 19:34

We are lucky as have plenty of family to help but twice used a friends teenage (16) to babysit our late primary age children. We paid £20 a night for approximately 7-11/11.30pm night. It felt if I'm honest so we only did it twice.

TheGoogleMum · 26/05/2021 19:34

We've only used free babysitting from kind family members. It's one of those things that I thought I would use before I had a child but now I have one it seems weird to hire someone as it would be leaving her with a stranger. If we weren't lucky enough to have family nearby perhaps I would though. As for age to be left... we went out for a few hours to see a comedy show (booked before conceiving) when DD was about 2 weeks old!

Fluffyslippers123 · 26/05/2021 19:38

I use babysitters regularly when I work. I’m a wedding photographer so gone 12 hours on average almost always weekends when nurseries are closed. I pay my regulars £9-10 an hour/~£120 a day. One is a supply teacher right now and the other a student doctor So both have DBS and great references. I have left my son with them since he was 7 months old (now 3) I found them through childcare .co.uk

Original poster
DeusEx · 26/05/2021 19:39

@piglet81

£10/hour for evening babysitting (ie kid is in bed for most of the time).

With weddings the issue is that you often have to pay more during the day (since it’s more full on) and if you’re gone all day and evening that could easily add up to £150!

How much do you think you would pay for an hour during the day? Good point that it could be more full on (though less so with a baby perhaps).
OP posts:
JustLyra · 26/05/2021 19:45

My DD charges 7ph before midnight and £10ph + taxi home (usually £7 Max) after midnight.

BabyFartsDoStink · 26/05/2021 19:58

[quote DeusEx]@misspattylacosta sadly no NCT where I am due to covid :([/quote]
Surely they took it online! Our baby was born in November and ours was 7 couples. Only a few of us have met IRL so far, but even to support each other remotely has been amazing. Even not having met face to Face I'd trust any of them to sit for our son.

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 26/05/2021 20:18

We left DS with teenage babysitter aged 2 but it consisted of us having dinner in a restaurant 10 mins away, him asleep in bed oblivious we'd gone.

I think to leave them with a total stranger babysitter eg one from an agency they need to be approaching school age - there's a reason age 4-5 is the earliest that most activity classes etc start to be drop and go, before then children don't do well being left with unfamiliar adults.

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 26/05/2021 20:19

DeusEx prices will be the same or more during the day - you are essentially paying for a nanny which is £10-15 p/h.

gracelessladyhottramp · 26/05/2021 20:26

Does the going rate change if you've got bad sleepers? It's quite likely mine either wouldn't go to sleep with the sitter or if they were put to bed before we left would wake up.

JustLyra · 26/05/2021 20:33

@gracelessladyhottramp

Does the going rate change if you've got bad sleepers? It's quite likely mine either wouldn't go to sleep with the sitter or if they were put to bed before we left would wake up.
It depends on the child.

Dd used to babysit for one family who would give her a bit extra if their child got up as they were quite hard work, whereas another family she quite enjoyed if they kids were up as they were board game fanatics and DD loves board games.

BackforGood · 26/05/2021 20:40

Thread from yesterday

The answers on here are very "high tax payer" centric.
Where I live, babysitters tend to be much more affordable and very happy to sit for a LOT less than the money being quoted on here.

I know a LOT of staff that work in Nurseries and they don't get paid £10 an hour to actually work with the children during the day - they would seriously think you were joking if you were offering to pay £10 - £15 ph.

Happycat1212 · 26/05/2021 20:41

I think if you have child that’s difficult or getting up a lot then yes you should be paying more.

I also think it depends where you live, I’m in London and definitely it’s around £10 an hour min

JustLyra · 26/05/2021 20:49

@BackforGood

Thread from yesterday

The answers on here are very "high tax payer" centric.
Where I live, babysitters tend to be much more affordable and very happy to sit for a LOT less than the money being quoted on here.

I know a LOT of staff that work in Nurseries and they don't get paid £10 an hour to actually work with the children during the day - they would seriously think you were joking if you were offering to pay £10 - £15 ph.

It’s not remotely unusual for people to get paid more for working in the evenings or at weekends.

That said two nurseries here now actively encourage their staff not to do evening and weekend babysitting for parents as it causes too much hassle.

Thehop · 26/05/2021 20:50

I’m in Yorkshire, 42, with an early years degree, OFSTED registration, paediatric first aid and insurance. I charge £10 an hour, happily stay overnight and bring activities. Also happy to do some ironing once children are in bed.

womaninatightspot · 26/05/2021 21:08

@misspattylacosta

I find £10 an hour to be absolutely hideous money for someone to basically sit on your sofa and watch a film while the kid is asleep.

for someone to be trusted with your own child and ready if the child needs help or anything happen?

I never understand that attitude of parents resenting spending money when it's about their own children! Even cleaners get more than that.
Nothing wrong with cleaners, but surely your child is more important than your carpet?

Yes it's expensive, so what?

I used to get a tenner a night but I'd stay over as parents would mooch in late. I pay ten quid an hour for after school babysitting. In theory I'd pay the same at night but really I can't justify it.

Obviously our children are precious but lots of people don't get paid that well and it's prohibitive. Most staff at nurseries are on minimum wage and are looking after more children.

My DC were primary school age by the time I started using a babysitter. Honestly babysitting in the evening is not a hard job if they are all asleep. What's going to happen they wake up and you send them back to bed. Once my own children are older I will go back to babysitting and enjoy a variety of sofas.

Jim1980Bob · 26/05/2021 21:12

We have a friend's daughter. Friend is our former childminder and her daughter is in their late teens. I find that children of childminders tend to be more mature plus they're used to little ones.

Jim1980Bob · 26/05/2021 21:13

We pay £6/hour. I'd expect to pay more (£10/hour) for a qualified childcare.

Minstermouse · 26/05/2021 21:18

It’s about the most important thing you can ask anyone to do so we would have paid whatever a highly recommended, fully checked person asked.
We rarely used sitters outside of family but on the few occasions we did, we paid for a couple of sessions beforehand with either mum or dad present too so that our kids weren’t left with a stranger (they were toddlers by the time we left them with anyone outside of the family).
Don’t understand how anyone could leave their child with a complete stranger.

thisisbull · 26/05/2021 21:20

When I was a student nurse I used to baby sit my neighbours kid and they asked how much I wanted so I said £20 thinking that was ok. At the end of the night they gave me £120 thinking I meant hourly!! They were lovely though

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