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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to think that £20 for 8 hours babysitting isn't great?

222 replies

Hennypenny95 · 17/12/2021 19:45

My daughter is almost 18 and has agreed to babysit tonight for someone on our street from 5pm until 1am and she's received twenty quid for the 8 hours. Is this a reasonable rate? We're in the Midlands? She should have agreed a rate beforehand, I know, but she didn't as she's squirmy talking about money to people. What's a reasonable rate for her to ask for in future? She's on over £6 per hour in her part-time pub job, washing up and collecting dishes.

OP posts:
PaniniHead · 17/12/2021 19:46

£2.50 an hour, no chance. Minimum wage for under 18s is nearly double that

DorothyZbornakIsAQueen · 17/12/2021 19:46

I'd be embarrassed giving someone £20 for 8 hours babysitting. They're taking the piss.

I would have given £40 minimum and even that's cheap.

Deux · 17/12/2021 19:48

At least £5 an hour and maybe an enhanced rate after 11pm.

5 years ago round here in the south east 18 yo babysitters were charging £10 an hour and a cab home.

UpToMyElbowsInDiapers · 17/12/2021 19:48

Yikes! I usually pay £110 for that amount of time!

Katshouldnotswim · 17/12/2021 19:49

So did she have to feed them and put them to bed ?

All for £20 ?…ffs

WheelieBinPrincess · 17/12/2021 19:49

No OP you know very well that’s not a reasonable rate.

Although at 14, I used to babysit 3 kids overnight every Saturday. They were a nightmare! For £10! I thought that was a good rate at the time because previous to that I got £6 a week for my paper round 😂

TestingTestingWonTooFree · 17/12/2021 19:49

That’s a piss take.

blueflowersinthesnow · 17/12/2021 19:50

Absolutely not.

I'm in the South East and we pay £10 an hour for our babysitter, that seems to be about average.

duvetdayforeveryone · 17/12/2021 19:50

@Hennypenny95 Can she eat all she wants in the kitchen?

RedWingBoots · 17/12/2021 19:51

She should at least be charging the same as her pub job.

She needs to be unavailable when they ask her to baby sit again.

MyDcAreMarvel · 17/12/2021 19:51

I would have paid £50 for a teenager.

LaBelleSausage · 17/12/2021 19:51

I have two kids in nursery school and went out 8-12 the other day.
Both kids were already in bed before the babysitter arrived, but she is a member of staff from nursery so I paid £50.

How many children and how old are they? Did she have to actively do anything or just be in the house?

I think £8 an hour is probably the lowest I've seen anyone charge

Youdoyoutoday · 17/12/2021 19:51

We pay our babysitter £10 an hour.

Your daughter has been done here.

AnFiaRuaNua · 17/12/2021 19:51

Wow, that is taking the piss. I paid 7 euro an hour but rounded up iyswim. So 4 hours was 30 euro.

AnFiaRuaNua · 17/12/2021 19:52

That was 5 years ago

RedRobyn2021 · 17/12/2021 19:52

@UpToMyElbowsInDiapers

Yikes! I usually pay £110 for that amount of time!
£110!? I'll babysit for you!

Do you get free food, sofa and a tv too?

SleighbellsZ · 17/12/2021 19:53

Piss take

flamedancer · 17/12/2021 19:53

Surly that's just for her takeaway dinner order? What about the other £80 to babysit?

Maray1967 · 17/12/2021 19:53

I pay £10 per hour, no less. That is a disgrace. Presumably she’s had to sort out a meal for the children and bedtimes if she’s been there from 5, not just be in the house while they’re asleep?
I would go round there tomorrow and tell them you’re disgusted and that she won’t be sitting for them again - unless you think she might lose other jobs as a result. If so, just advise her not to bother with them again.

TurnUpTurnip · 17/12/2021 19:53

£110 for a baby sitter this is why I don’t go out 😂

KnottyKnitting · 17/12/2021 19:55

£2.50 an hour??? I got paid twice that an hour for baby sitting in 1979!

BendicksBittermints4Breakfast · 17/12/2021 19:55

@Youdoyoutoday

We pay our babysitter £10 an hour.

Your daughter has been done here.

When our girls were baby-sitting if it went after midnight it was 50% more too,
CrimbleCrumble1 · 17/12/2021 19:56

If say at least £50 would be reasonable.

MakingTheBestOfIt · 17/12/2021 19:56

Up to £8/hour round here* for an older teen/adult babysitter with their own transport. £5 for a younger teen who needs picking up and running home. Mine are too old for a babysitter now, but I pay local teens between £3.50 and £5/hour to keep my DOG company when I’m out all day!

Minimum payment is 4 hours (so can end up costing quite a bit if you only need one for a couple of hours), but many charge a lower rate after the first 4 hours.

*East of England

Hennypenny95 · 17/12/2021 19:57

[quote duvetdayforeveryone]@Hennypenny95 Can she eat all she wants in the kitchen?[/quote]
No, no food or snacks been left. I just took her dinner round.

OP posts:
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