Tell me about babysitting rates...

[dimpleknee]

I'm gobsmacked by babysitting rate- just been quoted £7-10 per hour! Possibly because I'm an older Mum who only got a fiver a night back in the day. Say you go for a meal and drinks with friends, leaving home at 7, back at midnight- £50??? Really? On top of night spends? Who can afford this?

I am one of dozens of people who do not live in the U.K.

£20 and munchies for the night here. Have an abundance of teen neices and nephews.

I used to pay £10 an hour years ago! It seems expensive but I wanted someone sensible and a little older.

When my DS babysat it was £10 an hour with full access to the fridge and he could eat!

You might be able to find a sensible mid range teen who would babysit cheaper?

Are we talked local teen or qualified professional? I pay my dd £10 a night for babysitting. If my friends dd does it I give her £20.

@coffeecupsandwaxmelts nope. But I can feel confident enough that they are not likely to need to do anything to leave them with numbers for us/ local relatives/ neighbours/ if needs be their own parents they can call, rather than pay someone with the skills to deal with it. I don't know pediatric first aid, I don't feel the need to pay extra to employ somebody who does on the offchance that tonight is the one night it's needed.

No I cannot afford or justify £50 plus the cost of eating out when I can cook for so much cheaper.
Or what, £70 to watch a film?
Unfortunately we don't have family to help or share with.
That's why I haven't been out for a meal with my husband for as long as I can remember.
I do think babysitting is too expensive.

My 17yo DD gets £10 per hour and they usually leave food or order in food. She’s very responsible, happy to play endless games with the slightly demanding kids. Makes them food etc. Everyone seems happy and the kids obviously like her.

She would probably accept less but at least £9p/h is fairly standard for teens here (not London).

I babysat for a neighbour recently and though 30 pounds for 4 to 5 hours was fait. The kids didn't need much though. I only get about 14 an hour for a very responsible day job so as I am not a childcare professional ant more to sit and watch their tv seems cheeky

We only do a couple of times a year. Everything else being so expensive makes babysitters too expensive for many! At the end of the day, you’re paying for someone’s time, as with any job/ work. Babysitters have bills too.

To be fair, when I was a teenager I was happy to babysit for next to nothing. The parents would leave me out a glass of wine and some nibbles and I’d have the TV to myself for the evening. I never used to turn down a chance to babysit.

It’s probably a bit different now I suppose.

If you want someone cheap, ask a teen. Sure there are many childcare collefe students who would do it.
Can't expect anyone else to give up their evening and not pay them a decent rate.

We're in London, only use qualified people from my son's nursery and they charge £10/hr. They all seem to charge the same.

We don't do it that often, a few times a year maybe?

I am surprised by the people saying £15+ /hr, I wouldn't pay that

That's a lot more than this company which friends of mine use

https://www.wimbledonbabysitting.co.uk/fees

Was when I looked, this is one example but most are the same or more

But it's not just sitting watching TV sometimes is it?
I'm a x trained children's nurse and now nanny/housekeeper..
I've been babysitting since I was probably 10..so hundreds of sits..
I've dealt with anything from a fire..(small electrical) to suspected meningitis requiring emergency admission to hospital.. I had to take both children in the ambulance..(pre mobiles..but even nowadays if you're somewhere noisy it's not instant contact)
You are paying for expertise in case anything should happen...
I've babysat lots for people to eat in a famous restaurant (in an adjacent hotel) and the mobile reception is awful so they want someone who doesn't panic and would know what to do just in case..
In a hotel I always check nearest fire escapes and in their home I always know exactly where all the door keys are..back and front..
So yes.. sometimes getting a babysitter can be expensive..but we are giving up our time to safely care for your DC..

What Marylou62 said....I pay for a proper babysitter so I know that someone is in charge should the worst happen. It's unlikely, sure. But if it happens I want a responsible experienced person who won't panic and can deal with the emergency. And I am happy to pay for that peace of mind.

I agree

We pay £5 an hour for a 14 year old friends daughter to babysit.
When the kids were younger we’d pay a lady who worked in the nursery and she charged £12 an hour back then. Which was a good 5 years ago.
Seems reasonable to me. We’d only be out around 7pm to 11pm so £20 for a night out

I know, I can’t afford it either so I don’t go anywhere unless they are with their Dad.

God I would loooove to pay only that. How much do you think your kids safety is worth?

I think it’s important to note that most people nanny/babysit as a profession and often rely solely on these earnings. Whilst they stay late, and awake, away from home, in your home and may have to do a range of things for children they don’t know, are you expecting to pay them £20 which can just about buy a lunch nowadays?

Can’t understand why you would need to pay your adult children to babysit . I mean , then why not pay grandparents ? Im a grandparent but obviously I’ve never charged . Wouldn’t dream of it.

Those are not the latest figures, now £6.40 is the under 18 rate and £11.44 for over 21s. You might not be required to pay that, but we feel it's only right even if babysitter is only 14 or something.

How much would you want to be paid to look after other people's children for one evening?

I pay £15 which is a little expensive but we didn’t have many options where we live and she was the one with the best qualifications and references - plus, my child likes her. I interviewed some people charging minimum wage and they didn’t have the same level of references, it is what it is. I’m not going to skimp on my child’s welfare and even when he’s in bed my sitter is still responsible for him so I don’t think she should earn less. It’s a big responsibility!

She’s a star, she constantly offers to do housework when she sits, I tell her not to! She’s cheap compared to our £20 an hour cleaner, and slightly more expensive than our very good gardener who is £12 so frankly it’s my slightly shit cleaner I feel is more of a rip off.