to think teenagers should be cheaper than qualified people?

[Topofthepopicles]

We regularly use an agency for babysitting and have a level 3 qualified registered childminder who is in her 50s babysit for us.
She is fab, but for times when we are (literally) down the road we’d love to have a cheaper babysitter in their teens. Our children have never woken up in their sleep and are in bed by the time we go out. We could literally be home in 5minutes.

Loads of people advertising their teenager sons and dds are available for babysitting on Facebook (obviously would check them out first) but AIBU to think teens these days expect a lot!
So have 3 I have casually enquired about have want more or the same as the agency rate I pay for our qualified, experienced babysitter!

I am not that old and babysat a lot in my teens - I never expected the (equivalent) rate these teens expect.

Are people going to book them? Are they out of touch or is it me who is BU?

(For record even though this is AIBU I am not in a fury and will just carry on using our babysitter - so no drama 😁)

£15 per hour 😵 thank god I’ve never needed a babysitter!

The job is the same whether it is done by a qualified and experienced person or just a teenager. Ultimately all they do is ensure the child is safe for a period of time. I understand why people would pay more for an experienced person above an inexperienced one, but it's illogical to say you'd trust an inexperienced person charging £15 a night or an experienced person charging £45, but not an inexperienced person charging £45. (It's different if that's all you can afford of course, but then it's not a matter of trust.)

Well, there are other factors. I'm happy to pay my nanny her going rate, the same rate I pay her in the daytime, because 1) I know I can trust and rely on her to handle a crisis, 2) my kids know and love her. If I were hiring a teen instead, it would be because they were cheaper, and I'd have different expectations i.e. call me if anything more than very routine issues arose.

£15ph is way more than most people working in nurseries are getting for caring for people's kids, despite the fact they're dealing with awake kids and any crises and responsible for following the EYFS curriculum and being inspected, etc.

NLW is £4.62 for under 18s, so I'd say £5 ph is pretty reasonable, if it's within reasonable hours.

£15 an hour is more than a newly-qualified paediatric nurse gets so those teenagers are expecting a lot IMO. It is much more than we were paying about 8 years ago. I'd be tempted to advertise for one, stating what you're prepared to pay and see whether you get any interest.

@Seeline

They can ring 999 in an emergency, but they still need to to eg get the children out of the house in case of fire etc. There is a lot of responsibility involved which should be recognised surely.

Should they really earn more than many nursery nurses earn?

I'd want someone who could feed, play and interact with my child when awake plus be mature and sensible enough to deal with any issues as they arise. I always want first aid as well.

@Topofthepopicles

Sorry for drip feed.

We pay £15 per hour via an agency to childminder babysitter (which take a cut so it becomes £12 per hour plus we pay an annual fee). She has always been very happy to do more hours for us and makes positive comments. So never got the impression she feels under paid.

Teens are asking for £15/hour direct via Facebook advertising (from their mums) which is effectively more than the childminder.

I think this is overpriced given they are 16/17 years old.

My teens would be happy with £20 for the evening

I don’t use babysitters but I’d expect to pay a teenager max £8-10 an hour and very probably less. Certainly not £15 an hour
I started babysitting at about 13 and although it seemed easy money, it wasn’t always.

@Reallybadidea

£15 an hour is more than a newly-qualified paediatric nurse gets so those teenagers are expecting a lot IMO. It is much more than we were paying about 8 years ago. I'd be tempted to advertise for one, stating what you're prepared to pay and see whether you get any interest.

That’s a good idea. Might put the word around friends with teens and see if any are interested.

You’re not paying for what does happen on a fine night where all the children sleep soundly, you’re paying for what could happen, I.e. a fire as mentioned by a PP, or one of your kids getting up and wanting to sit with the babysitter all night, etc.

You pay what you want - if there are cheaper options available and you're happy with the service, go for it. I personally don't think £10/hr is that much for someone to look after my children's lives.

I think the argument is possibly why are careers involving children so poorly paid.

I absolutely don't want to be rung a d have to come home!! (unless a real emergency obvs)

I think the patents behind these teenagers are setting the rates. Totally ridiculous and one of the reasons I’ve never used a babysitter in my life.

*parents

Do some of you realise how little the staff at nurseries get paid?
The apprentices start on apprenticeship wage for full time work, but even when qualified it is not much more than NMW for massive responsibility.
£10 / hr for an unqualified teen with children expected to be in bed is a v. good deal £15 would seem extraordinary.

Some people have bonkers ideas.

£8 is plenty for a teenager (and I am in London). What other job would pay a 15-16 year old more?

Clearly, if they are expertly babysitting a newborn or cooking dinner for several children, they might be worth more. But, sitting watching TV or on a device while children sleep is easy money.

Unless you are in Belgravia or similar, you will find plenty able and willing at that price.

I pay a lovely teenager £20 for the evening. Kids already in bed, 7pm-11pm and we drop her off at home after.

Yes I pay at least 10 an hour thst was a few years ago, they are all old enough to look after themselves now

£15 an hour might be what they value their free time at. Teenagers are in that spot where having a bit of cash is nice, but equally hanging out with their friends costs nothing. It's nothing like working a low paid job to meet the bills, they can't rely on babysitting cash for anything they actually need as the income is sporadic. I wouldn't pay it, unless it was a very special night out but equally I wouldn't begrudge them not wanting to do it for less.

I was paid £10 an hour as a teen, and that was a couple of decades ago!

I wouldn't let my own teen be taken for a mug and give 4 hours of their time for £10 or £20 - if it's a regular weekly arrangement, it's different, but £5 an hour is a joke.

As more girls than boys are babysitting, it's a good lesson not to be taken for a mug and not accept low rates because people expect everything for nothing.

£10+ rate is the standard around here, and that sounds fair on both sides.

*£10+ an hour
I meant

I wouldn't pay a teenager £15 an hour to look after my DD but in all honesty no one could have ever persuaded me to leave a teenager in charge of my DD.

I couldn't afford the £45 quoted by a registered childminder to babysit (as a single mum that was more than my budget for my night out!) so I stayed at home unless DD was with her dad. I had no other support.

Thankfully she's old enough to stay home alone these days but £15 an hour for a teenager is a crazy amount of money. And I'd definitely avoid any teenager getting their mum to advertise for them!

I think 5 ph for a teen babysitter. 10ph for a grown up but I pay direct. The nursery staff were happy to babysit, it was more than their hourly rate and less work. I suspect this varies by area. Lots of people don’t earn even 10 an hour and they are working hard not watching telly all evening.

I babysit as my main job. I'm 36, first aid qualified and DBS checked, 4 children of my own and I charge £5 an hour.
I was gobsmacked when I asked how much a friend's 15 year old charges and was told £8.50 an hour! We didn't book her, we booked my friend who is a nanny and charges the same as I do (I did pay more because it's so rare we need a sitter!)

I will add that I've been with a lot of the families for many years and most pay me more than £5 an hour but my 'official' rate is that.