To not pay the babysitter?

[Coolcoolcool]

We know two 17 year old girls (sisters) through a hobby club that my family are part of. We’ve known them for 6 years and my DH and I, as volunteer leaders, have invested quite a lot of time into their lives over the years and consider them friends of our family. Anyway, they love our kids and have been begging for years to be able to babysit them. We always said when they turned 17 they could. We’ve asked them to babysit next week so that dh and I can attend a meeting for said hobby and they are delighted.
I wasn’t planning on paying them, just leaving them a meal or some nice snacks and drinks or something, as I would usually for a friend who babysits, but another friend thinks we should be paying them. Really we only need one of them to babysit, but they kinda come as a package deal - should I be paying for them both?! What’s the going rate? It would be for two hours and the kids will be in bed.
Wwyd?

Of course you should pay them. £10 each at the minimum.

A chat beforehand about payment might have been better .

I think you definitely have to pay them! Even if they were desperate to spend time with your kids, you said that they would be in bed so these girls won't be able to do that.

Presumably they aren't wanting to sit on your sofa for two hours for the hell of it!

However, I would tell them that you can't pay twice the going rate so if they want to come as a pair then they get half each.

Yeah you have to pay them.

But just one, you can't be expected to pay both.
You don't need both!

We used to pay ours £8 an hour but she originally asked for £10, that was beyond our price range though.

Of course you need to pay them!

Not sure what the going rate is but you should definitely pay them!

Maybe say that you only need one of them, the other can do it next time. If they insist on doing it together, they can split the payment.

Paying people means they take the job seriously, it's a subconscious thing.

Plus maybe you should ask them what they're expecting? They might be excited about the prospect of earning their own money.

£10 each plus food

I think the decent thing to do is to pay them. Didn't you consider that before agreeing to have them babysit?

Errrm yes. Of course you need to pay them. Unless they have been begging you to let them do you a favour and give up their space time to look after you kids. Which I doubt. They are 17 they want to earn money! I'd give them £10 each if it's a package deal

Yeah a chat before would have been good 🤦🏼‍♀️. I think cos they have been begging us to babysit as they’ve said they’d like to help us out (they know kids will be asleep!) and have said getting to hang out at our house for the evening away from the madness of theirs would be good. But you’re right, probably should pay them! I will chat to them about splitting it (and next time won’t waste a babysitting op on a boring meeting!)

I would guess they’re desperate to babysit your kids so that they get paid for it! There’s no way you should treat it like you’re doing them a favour to let them do it.

If it’s a friend your own age who usually does it then maybe you would also babysit for them in return, so wouldn’t need to pay them, or you are on a more equal footing financially with them so it wouldn’t be needed/appropriate to pay them.

Money is why teenage girls want to babysit though, so I’m sure they would be very shocked if you didn’t pay them!

Yes you should pay them! I pay my teenage neice a fiver an hour to babysit

Definitely pay them. As 17 year olds I doubt they think that they owe you something because if all the time you've invested in their hobby club. Of course you have, but that doesn't mean you should be getting free babysitting out of it. You presumably did that willingly. They actually owe you nothing.

You should pay them the going rate. Yes they want to do it, but it's hardly fair to say "You asked to babysit, so I'm going to pay you less."

However, you should not be paying 2x. They can split it or come individually.

Hope you can work it out and the evening goes well for you and them.

Yeah that’s a good point @DoNotGetADog - they are doing us a favour so we should pay them, and they are saving for driving lessons so probably are expecting it.
Ok, £10 each it is!

It’s interesting you say you’ve invested a lot of time into them over the years - it’s almost now you expect them to pay this back even though they don’t know about it
Teens are eager to earn money
You have to pay them
It’s not a favour - babysitting comes with responsibility and you need to pay for that

I'd say £10 each plus snacks would be completely reasonable.

It’s not about thinking they owe us anything - of course they don’t - I said that more to explain depth of relationship. But they have always talked about repaying kindness we have showed them.
BUT - you’re all right, teenage girls are definitely keen for babysitting as a money-earner.

Of course you have to pay them! £10 each plus snacks sounds OK.

You would be paying £10 per hour to one babysitter so if they choose to both come then they have to split the cost - so a tenner each for 2 hours is fine. Leave a few snacks out but I certainly wouldn't be giving them a meal.

Unbelievable
Of course you have to pay them!!

I do think they need paid for doing it but I think £10 an hour is excessive!

I work in childcare in a private nursery and don’t even make that an hour.

I'd pay teenagers about £6 per hour. I think £10 per hour is a lot.

@2pinkginsplease

I do think they need paid for doing it but I think £10 an hour is excessive!

I work in childcare in a private nursery and don’t even make that an hour.

But you work for more than two hours once in a blue moon. That makes a difference.

The OP has taken the advice on board and said quite clearly she will pay them, stop sticking the boot in.

I can’t believe you weren’t going to pay them… we pay our babysitter £10 an hour.