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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think teenagers should be cheaper than qualified people?

236 replies

Topofthepopicles · 28/07/2021 10:55

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 😁)

OP posts:
Dixiechickonhols · 29/07/2021 15:58

kolo zero I’d guess.
NMW is relevant. If they earn £4.62 in shop or waitressing age 16/17 then self employed babysitting asleep kids would be similar. £15 is totally out of sync with what a teen is normally paid per hour.
No one has said they would agree to pay an under 18 £15 an hour on this thread.

Abraxan · 29/07/2021 16:17

I'm so glad we never needed baby sitters when Dd was small. It makes a cheapest night out a very expensive one!

I used to babysit in the 80s and early 90s- it was £5 for the evening, sometimes £10 if they got back late. One relative once gave me £20 as they didn't get back til the early hours and I was shocked at how much!

Dd did a bit of babysitting for a friend of ours - read them a story, watched a bit of tv with them, sent them to bed and then she settled down to watch tv with snacks and drinks. Friend's gave her far more than we'd have ever expected. Was going to give her more but Dd thought it was way too much and only took part of it as she'd not really done very much all night.

Other friends desperately try to get home before midnight as the hourly rate doubles after 12.

So expensive to be able to go out and have a drink. Teens obviously expect way more than I did at that age!

deliciousdevilwoman · 29/07/2021 16:20

£15 per hour for a teenager to babysit . Wow. That's not been my experience (S.E) When I used a local teenager aged 17 she charged £5 per hour. When she moved away and I started using Sitters agency l, the rate, paid directly to the babysitter was £8.50 ph for daytime care and £7.50 for evenings.Minimum 3 hours booking. These were often current or ex teachers, nursery nurses and TA's.

Brefugee · 29/07/2021 16:24

OP - any chance of you checking if any of these teens are actually getting work at that price?

ShitPoetryClub · 29/07/2021 16:25

No way would I leave my kids with an unqualified teenager, unless that teen was a family member or someone that I knew extremely well.
Also £15 is about the hourly rate of a band 5 nurse.

carolinesbaby · 29/07/2021 18:55

I'm sorry but £15 an hour for an unqualified teenager to babysit sleeping children is ludicrous when the national minimum wage for under 18's is £4.62 an hour, and a level 3 qualified nursery nurse can expect maybe £9 an hour (check this on Indeed, outside London/South East this is standard).

My babysitter is a 16 year old family friend, unqualified. She gets £20 for an evening, £30 if we're home after 11, and I lay in snacks, give her the wifi code and run her home.

AngelDelight28 · 29/07/2021 19:40

That is ridiculous. £15 is roughly the hourly rate of someone on £25k a year (if working full time). Lots of people in my area don't earn that, other than graduates or qualified trades people.
When I was a teenager (early 00s) cash in hand jobs were about £2.50 an hour. Nowadays I'd say around £5 an hour cash in hand for an unqualified teenager is plenty.

Brefugee · 30/07/2021 08:01

You're all spectacularly missing the point. And we don't know because OP hasn't said (because she probably has no idea) that we don't know if they are getting jobs at this price.

If not - jepp, too expensive.
But if they are. It's the market price.

Or, like trades people pricing a job: they don't really want to do it

drpet49 · 30/07/2021 08:09

* No way would I a pay a teenager £15ph to baby sit sleeping children!*

*This. I would never pay that.

CaffeineAndNicotine · 30/07/2021 08:09

@gogohm

Supply and demand! assuming they are under 18 I think the minimum wage is around £7 an hour but if they are asking more then they either don't want to work or have plenty of clients
Minimum wage is only £4. 55 for under 18. Not saying that's ok, but it certainly isnt £7!
ProcrastinationIsMySuperPower · 30/07/2021 08:18

My DD aged 17 is currently working as a support worker for adults with learning disabilities and is paid £8 per hour. Set in contrast with a teen of the same age asking for £15 per hour to babysit sleeping children... just no.

pleasedonttextmyman · 30/07/2021 10:00

@ProcrastinationIsMySuperPower

My DD aged 17 is currently working as a support worker for adults with learning disabilities and is paid £8 per hour. Set in contrast with a teen of the same age asking for £15 per hour to babysit sleeping children... just no.
Do you mean you would refuse to pay that (fair enough),

or do you mean you would refuse for your own DD to earn that - or a more realistic £10-£12 an hour - for babysitting?

ProcrastinationIsMySuperPower · 30/07/2021 10:06

I wouldn't pay it (not that I need to) as I think it's excessive. A teen sat watching TV for a few hours shouldn't be earning nearly twice as much as a support worker who is doing so much more to earn their money.

FreeBritnee · 30/07/2021 10:23

I think we’re forgetting this site is very South East England centric when it comes to salaries and employment. So many people are on vast salaries so wouldn’t hesitate to expect their teens to earn a fair whack too. Plus if your earning over a grand a day, £15 an hour is small change.

Dixiechickonhols · 30/07/2021 10:25

Re read OP and it’s the parents asking for it by sound of it? So possibly they are out of touch with reality. I admit I only know going rate for a 16 year old in a shop/waitressing as DD has friends just getting first jobs - £5 an hour around here seems norm.
I’d think more of a teen who was sorting it out themselves. I can understand parents saying on Facebook Jane is available for babysitting as they will have contacts but if someone responds showing interest then surely better for Jane to message the interested parent to see what they need and agree money.

pleasedonttextmyman · 30/07/2021 10:32

@ProcrastinationIsMySuperPower

I wouldn't pay it (not that I need to) as I think it's excessive. A teen sat watching TV for a few hours shouldn't be earning nearly twice as much as a support worker who is doing so much more to earn their money.
but you would be happy for your DD to earn that then 🤷

It shouldn't be a race to the bottom, support workers earning too little doesn't mean others shouldn't earn more.

People's time is not free, and no less valuable because they are younger.

FreeBritnee · 30/07/2021 10:38

People's time is not free, and no less valuable because they are younger.

Please. Unskilled teenagers sitting on a couch are certainly not worth the same money as skilled, experienced workers in a childcare setting. That’s why the NMW is tiered.

ProcrastinationIsMySuperPower · 30/07/2021 10:44

I didn't say that? I wouldn't be demanding anyone pay my daughter that much for babysitting, on the rare occasions she's babysat her own little sister I don't pay her anything like that much. If I'm paying someone £15 per hour for anything, I'd expect them to come with experience and qualifications. You aren't getting that from a teen.

ProcrastinationIsMySuperPower · 30/07/2021 10:45

That was to pleasedonttextmyman - my quote didn't work.

pleasedonttextmyman · 30/07/2021 10:56

@ProcrastinationIsMySuperPower

I didn't say that? I wouldn't be demanding anyone pay my daughter that much for babysitting, on the rare occasions she's babysat her own little sister I don't pay her anything like that much. If I'm paying someone £15 per hour for anything, I'd expect them to come with experience and qualifications. You aren't getting that from a teen.
I know you didn't say, but as you didn't answer my question, I was wondering (and it's not a personal attack Smile ) if your argument was about paying or if you would refuse as a matter of principle.

I wouldn't pay any less than £10 an hour for a babysitter, I would be embarrassed to offer any less or would feel like taking advantage of someone, it's not fair. And it's not the market rate.

pleasedonttextmyman · 30/07/2021 10:57

@FreeBritnee

People's time is not free, and no less valuable because they are younger.

Please. Unskilled teenagers sitting on a couch are certainly not worth the same money as skilled, experienced workers in a childcare setting. That’s why the NMW is tiered.

It might not be worth to you, but when everyone pays at least between £10-£12, that's what it costs. 🤷

(and rate goes up after midnight, and you include diner/ snacks etc..)

DigitalGhost · 30/07/2021 10:58

Christ I used to get a fiver for the whole night!

pleasedonttextmyman · 30/07/2021 11:03

@DigitalGhost

Christ I used to get a fiver for the whole night!
even if it was decades ago, they were taking the piss!
FreeBritnee · 30/07/2021 11:07

i wouldn't pay any less than £10 an hour for a babysitter, I would be embarrassed to offer any less or would feel like taking advantage of someone, it's not fair. And it's not the market rate.

It’s not the market rate in YOUR area. I assume you realise that mumsnet caters to people in all different areas in the UK and across the world. So you have no idea what the market rate might be elsewhere.

pleasedonttextmyman · 30/07/2021 11:12

Thanks Hmm

but it's also obvious from this thread, that the world is full of CF expecting to take advantage of others, and thinking someone should be grateful for whatever petty change they give, while they are happy to spend a fortune going out.

I mean, a fiver for someone babysitting all night? £4 an hour?
I am sure they are laughing at how they took advantage of a naive teen, but I don't have to agree with them.