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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask how much you’d expect a babysitter to cost on NYE

519 replies

ThatMauveRaven · 30/12/2024 18:15

20yo DD has been asked (last minute) to babysit her manager’s two young children tomorrow night. They’ve offered her £60 in cash to be there from 8pm-1am. The two kids will most likely be asleep in bed, so she won’t exactly have to do much work but I still think that this is quite stingey considering it’s New Years Eve!

Thoughts?

YABU - £60 is enough
YANBU - I’d expect to pay more

OP posts:
peachystormy · 31/12/2024 00:31

Whaaat? She’s a fully grown woman! It’s barely minimum wage!
minimim £100, plus pay for her transport home and some food for her.

But babysitting has never played by minimum wage rules. Ever! It’s an easy part time gig. If she doesn’t want it, say no. I’d be tempted to do it for £60! Avoid all that NYE hassle!

--- this , since when did part time wage come into babysitting ??

peachystormy · 31/12/2024 00:34

It’s not a strange comment in the slightest. The vast majority of the country will be at some sort of celebration or party to ring in the new year when the clock strikes midnight. Babysitters are in high demand - surely this is common knowledge

@ThatMauveRaven will they? A lot of people dont want to go out and plan on staying home. So not the vast majority at all

PyongyangKipperbang · 31/12/2024 00:35

shuggles · 31/12/2024 00:25

@Trendyname t's not about lazy jobs. It is about awkward timing, plus needing 20 mins car drive one way.

How is it "awkward timing"? If being awake from 20:00 until 01:00 is not awkward for socialising, then why would it be awkward for working? Have none of you never worked an evening before?

Would you say a security man should be paid peanuts because he does not do much 'work'?

Except the pay isn't "peanuts." It might be peanuts in mumsnet world, but in reality, £60 for light baby sitting is reasonable.

I work in hospitality, evenings is all I do.

I still think that £60 on NYE at the last minute is not reasonable. The OPs daughter could offer her services on their town FB group at £200 and get a dozen takes by the time she wakes up tomorrow.

peachystormy · 31/12/2024 00:36

Catalogs · 30/12/2024 19:36

If she is not happy with 60 quid, then she doesn’t need to do it. I’ll do it for her.

😂😂👏🏼👏🏼

shuggles · 31/12/2024 00:40

Does anyone on mumsnet have evening work that needs to be done for £60?

Original poster
ThatMauveRaven · 31/12/2024 00:47

peachystormy · 31/12/2024 00:34

It’s not a strange comment in the slightest. The vast majority of the country will be at some sort of celebration or party to ring in the new year when the clock strikes midnight. Babysitters are in high demand - surely this is common knowledge

@ThatMauveRaven will they? A lot of people dont want to go out and plan on staying home. So not the vast majority at all

Kindly, you’d have to live under a rock to suggest that New Years Eve isn’t a big party night.

OP posts:
shuggles · 31/12/2024 00:50

@ThatMauveRaven Kindly, you’d have to live under a rock to suggest that New Years Eve isn’t a big party night.

It won't be once you mature past the age of 25.

peachystormy · 31/12/2024 00:54

@ThatMauveRaven - I didn't say it wasn't a big party night- it is. I was responding to your comment about the majority of people out celebrating it. They won't, as other people have said also.

PyongyangKipperbang · 31/12/2024 00:59

shuggles · 31/12/2024 00:50

@ThatMauveRaven Kindly, you’d have to live under a rock to suggest that New Years Eve isn’t a big party night.

It won't be once you mature past the age of 25.

Oh behave!

The reason that people in their 30's dont do NYE is because they cant afford the fucking baby sitters! And good on the babysitters for cashing in, as taxi drivers, takeaway delivery drivers etc do, to make some extra money!

I always did a massive NYE celebration, but at home with all the kids invited, again because no one could afford the prices and moreover....usually couldnt get one anyway as they were all booked up in advance. With taxis and sitters you can easily spend £200 before leaving the house, thats why a lot dont bother.

You sound like my mother......"I dont so no one else should"

PyongyangKipperbang · 31/12/2024 01:00

shuggles · 31/12/2024 00:50

@ThatMauveRaven Kindly, you’d have to live under a rock to suggest that New Years Eve isn’t a big party night.

It won't be once you mature past the age of 25.

Unkindly, her DD is 20. whats your point again?

treesocks23 · 31/12/2024 01:02

Wow - I'm with some of the other posters who just think remortgaging would be needed with these figures! We are Midlands based as well as a few other posters. I think the tricky part is to me there's different levels of babysitters .e.g. family friend, someone you know well but isn't doing anything that evening is surely a different price to a professional, paying tax, DBS checked etc? A bit like paying your mate to trim your hair or going to a fully kitted out salon with a professional (maybe not the best example).

There's no way we would have ever been able to afford these figures as well as going out for the evening. I guess that's why we hardly ever went out when our kids were little! We are early 40s with teens now but it always seemed so tricky with babysitters for this reason.

Original poster
ThatMauveRaven · 31/12/2024 01:07

shuggles · 31/12/2024 00:50

@ThatMauveRaven Kindly, you’d have to live under a rock to suggest that New Years Eve isn’t a big party night.

It won't be once you mature past the age of 25.

Is there a reason that you’re being so deliberately nasty? Take your frustrations at not being invited to any NYE parties out elsewhere!

OP posts:
shuggles · 31/12/2024 01:08

@PyongyangKipperbang The reason that people in their 30's dont do NYE is because they cant afford the fucking baby sitters!

Many people, including myself, don't have children and have no need for baby sitters, so that's not the reason.

Turophilic · 31/12/2024 01:14

Good for your daughter, kicking against such a low wage for NYE babysitting! It’s good to have a sense of her own worth.

£10/Ph has been standard rate for a couple of years around here and NYE rates are usually double.

Bbq1 · 31/12/2024 01:19

KimFan · 30/12/2024 19:00

At least £100.

As a qualified Nursery Nurse and mum, i need to take up babysitting for sure! We personally never needed sitters as we had mum and dad and pil's but I think for a girl aged 20, £60 for babysitting sleeping children is easy, decent money.

healthybychristmas · 31/12/2024 01:19

I think she should refuse and maybe say that she was paid £100 for the night three years earlier or something like that. I wouldn't want to do him a favour as I think he has a bad attitude.

Twototwo15 · 31/12/2024 01:20

People saying they pay more than that, is that for an experienced babysitter with years of experience? I presume if you were asking someone who didn’t do it on a regular basis you wouldn’t expect to pay as much?

DressOrSkirt · 31/12/2024 01:22

But her daughter doesn't have plans or other offers. She's been offered double minimum wage for a job that she doesn't normally do and doesn't have qualifications for.

PyongyangKipperbang · 31/12/2024 01:23

Twototwo15 · 31/12/2024 01:20

People saying they pay more than that, is that for an experienced babysitter with years of experience? I presume if you were asking someone who didn’t do it on a regular basis you wouldn’t expect to pay as much?

Cant speak for others but for me I would feel morally obliged to pay more in this instance. You are asking for a massive favour.

NYE, last minute and kids that sound like a handful. "So sorry to ask but our babysitter has cancelled, is there any chance you could do it as we have tickets for x? We normally pay her £100 but we would be happy to pay you £150 if you could as we know its very cheeky to ask. Totally understand if you cant!" That sort of thing.

YouCantTunaFish · 31/12/2024 01:26

@ThatMauveRaven if he does agree to the £100 make sure your daughter gets it at the start of the night. If he doesn't have it she should walk away because if he doesn't have it at 8, he won't have it at 1am. She also needs to make it clear if they are late, they'll need to pay more, if they're early tough shit.

Blibbleflibble · 31/12/2024 01:29

£100 definitely especially since it's a baby and a preschooler. The chance of the 18 month old getting up in that 5 hour window is very high, she has to price it as the worst case scenario. Two screaming under 5s who won't settle without Mummy or Daddy for 5 hours! Can't believe the cheeky fucker tried it on with £85.

PyongyangKipperbang · 31/12/2024 01:30

shuggles · 31/12/2024 01:08

@PyongyangKipperbang The reason that people in their 30's dont do NYE is because they cant afford the fucking baby sitters!

Many people, including myself, don't have children and have no need for baby sitters, so that's not the reason.

Its YOUR reason for not going out, not everyones.

You really are very small minded if you cant see that not everyone is the same as you! You clearly are very bitter and whilst I sympathise, its not fair to be so unkind to others. It wont make you feel better.

PyongyangKipperbang · 31/12/2024 01:33

DressOrSkirt · 31/12/2024 01:22

But her daughter doesn't have plans or other offers. She's been offered double minimum wage for a job that she doesn't normally do and doesn't have qualifications for.

For a job she doesnt have to do.

He wants to buy her time and she has named her price. He has a choice whether or not to pay that, and if he chooses not to, fine. No skin off her nose it sounds like, the OP is not giving the impression that she needs the money.

She doesnt need to be grateful for peanuts, he should be grateful if she says yes. But I strongly hope that she doesnt because this sounds like a "roll in a 7am after they got pissed at a mates" scenario where he has "lost" his wallet and she gets no money at all.

WearyAuldWumman · 31/12/2024 01:35

Twototwo15 · 31/12/2024 01:20

People saying they pay more than that, is that for an experienced babysitter with years of experience? I presume if you were asking someone who didn’t do it on a regular basis you wouldn’t expect to pay as much?

It's more complicated than that.

This is isn't just any night of the year. The OP hasn't applied for the job - she's been asked to do it as a favour, presumably because babysitters are in short supply at that particular time of year.

shuggles · 31/12/2024 01:38

@PyongyangKipperbang Its YOUR reason for not going out, not everyones. You really are very small minded if you cant see that not everyone is the same as you!

That was my point, not yours.