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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to find £6 per hour expensive for a 17 year old babysitter?

121 replies

evansmummy · 18/05/2009 09:48

It's been a long time since i employed a babysitter and I was shocked when she told me this is what she charges! My childminder charges this, there are meals thrown in and she actually looks after my ds, whereas a babysitter would just have to sit!

Am I out of touch?

OP posts:
TrillianAstra · 18/05/2009 15:11

Minimum wage:

  • £5.73 per hour for workers aged 22 years and older
  • A development rate of £4.77 per hour for workers aged 18-21 inclusive
  • £3.53 per hour for all workers under the age of 18, who are no longer of compulsory school age
TrillianAstra · 18/05/2009 15:15

Sorry, I see you have that already, conversation had moved on more than I saw.

Laquitar · 18/05/2009 15:16

Ok first of all you didn't 'employ' her she provides service. Secondly you can not compare it with childminding because a childminder has more children = more income. You should have negotiate the pay in the begining. Why did you 'employ' her and you are asking opinions now??? £4 is very low in my opinion. But most importantly if you expect less responsibility then WHY you 'employed' her in the first place? Why not bloody pay proper rates and have peace of mind????

Sassybeast · 18/05/2009 15:23

Way too expensive. £5 an hour, drinks and nibbles laid on and a lift there and back. She is taking the p*.

Libra · 18/05/2009 15:27

My son (15) charges five pounds an hour. He is normally expected to put the children to bed, read story, etc, before sitting down to watch the television, so I do think he earns this.

PuppyMonkey · 18/05/2009 15:30

Now I remember why me and dp never go out. Anyone up for a babysitting circle?

YorkshireRose · 18/05/2009 15:32

I pay Sitters £6.50 an hour for qualified nursery nurse to sit. She gives DCs tea and gets them ready for bed. This is in outer London.

I would not be prepared to pay £6 for teenager to sit for DCs already in bed. If was particularly good and could be trusted to get tea & deal with bedtime might be prepared to pay.

BONKERZ · 18/05/2009 15:37

i always get blasted when i say what i pay my 17 year old next door neighbour to babysit, reading this thread i know i am VER lucky but also my neighbour knows if we paid her more we would not be able to afford to go out and therefore she would get no money! The amount we pay is a nominal fee really because she has to do nothing at all as kids are in bed and 99% of the time stay in bed, she gets dinner, treats and full internet and tv access and she dont have to sit in her house with her mum or brother! It does even out though cos she gets paid this nominal rate even if its 20 mins (usually if DH late home and i need to be out) or if its 4 hours (max time we need her for!)

missmiss · 18/05/2009 15:39

I babysat regularly from the age of 14-16; I got £20 and was usually around from 7pm to around midnight. That was looking after three children, including a 5 month old baby.

Actually, I think that I came damn cheap; I put the kids to bed, changed nappies and gave bottles. I'm shocked that they entrusted all that to a fourteen year old in retrospect, but I loved it

BonsoirAnna · 18/05/2009 15:42

The amount you pay your babysitter ought to be dependent on the type of work you ask of her. If she arrives to a house where the children are already asleep and likely to stay asleep and she can do whatever she likes all evening (read, watch TV, study) undisturbed, she obviously doesn't need to be paid as much as someone who is proxy-nannying a child who is going to eat a meal, have a bath and want to be entertained for several hours...

scaredoflove · 18/05/2009 15:43

I can't understand the people saying it's too expensive. You are leaving your children and paying someone for the responsibilty regardless of age

As a teen I had some interrupted nights of study/tv watching BUT I also had to re settle or put children to bed. Keep older ones occupied then struggle to get to sleep. I have dealt with power cuts and scared children, a fuse tripping, nightmares, dirty nappies and quite a few vomiting episodes and many 'I want my mummy'

In fact, most nights there was something I had to deal with, I got paid £5 an hour 20 years ago

snowmummy · 18/05/2009 15:44

I'm going to be paying a preschool teacher £6.50 an hours to babysit my two kids. I don't mind paying that because my DS knows her and I know I can trust her. She's about 18 I think. I think its reasonable.

Makeda · 18/05/2009 15:53

When I was 16 I got between £3-5 per hour (depending on who I was babysitting for - I wasn't enterprising enough to give a rate). When I learned to drive people tended to give me more on average (£5-6) and I got LOADS of work (joy for them to just fall into bed and not worry about taking babysitter home. Having said all that, I usually did bath/play a game/read stories etc as well, though the majority of the time was in front of the TV or pretending to do doing homework.

YorkshireRose · 18/05/2009 15:57

Also depends on age of DCs. I think sitting for my two if they are already in bed or soon on way to bed is a doddle as they pretty much look after themselves (9 and 7).

BitOfFun · 18/05/2009 16:01

I agree with BonsoirAnna, even though it physically hurt to type that

I have a child with high needs, so I save big nights out for the time she is with my ex. If I want to pop out locally, within 5/10 minutes of home I have now and again used a babysitter, but it's on the understanding that I would simply come straight home if the sitter hears her wake up and cry. It's bad enough for me dealing with the carnage of her trashed bedroom or stinky nappies...I don't think I could afford to pay anyone to do it for me! As it is, up to £20 from 7-midnight, a tenner if I'm back by half nine or so, for someone to sit and amuse themself and keep a listening ear open is more than enough in my book.

SnowWoman · 18/05/2009 16:10

I pay £5 per hour and double after midnight. The babysitter gets herself here, but we take her home. This is the third sister we have used from the same family - they are the eldest of 7 kids, and I have 4, so they have all 3 been brilliant at dealing with my lot, which many teenagers could not have done. Also, the parents were available if backup was necessary.

Original poster
evansmummy · 18/05/2009 16:11

Laquitar, no need to be arsey! I never said I 'employed' her, and was just asking her about her rates BEFORE arranging anything with her. Of course, if I'd already arranged everything I wouldn't back out on now. I was simply enquiring!

I still think £6 is a lot for someone who is literally going to sit. There will be no bedtime stories or dinners or baths or anything else. Ds will most likely be asleep.

I would mind less if it was someone qualified, and in that case I would say regardless of age, I would pay more. But she's not qualified, and I have to get her here and home afterwards.

With regard to the minimum wage I'd only use that as a guideline anyway, and wouldn't have paid less than £4. But as I noted in my op, I am very out of touch as my folks used to do it til they moved away. So I can accept that £5 is probably more acceptable and will just have to get over it!

OP posts:
Original poster
evansmummy · 18/05/2009 16:18

Oh, and a pound extra for a 17 year old wouldn't buy my peace of mind either!

OP posts:
Laquitar · 18/05/2009 16:29

I am not arsey! You asked for opinions and you 've got them! If doesn't buy you peace of mind then stay home! You don't pay a babysitter for sitting on your sofa but you pay for the POSSIBILITY that your child might wake up and need comfort and even worst for the very slim possibility of a medical emergency.You said on a previous post that you don't expect much responsibility from her and my question is why do you leave her with your child then?

Original poster
evansmummy · 18/05/2009 16:36

I don't want to get into a fight but to me, 'Why not bloody pay proper rates' is arsey. I don't leave her with my child, I'm merely enquiring into her service as, as i said, my parents have recently moved, my regular babysitter is doing finals and is unavailable, and I've noone else!

You're right, I do pay for the possibility of needing her in an emergency, but the fact is that she (most probably) will not have to do anything.

My only other experience with a teenage babysitter was to get home at 11 to find her asleep on the sofa. That's not responsible, and I'm not saying that all teenage sitters are like this, I know they're not, but that's where my hesitations come from, I guess.

And I also didn't ask for opinions about which babysitters I choose and why, only about the pay per hour.

OP posts:
BitOfFun · 18/05/2009 16:39

What's irresponsible about dozing off on the sofa?

Hang on, I'll do another thread, I am interested in what people think, and I'm not having a go at you, just wondering...

TheOtherMaryPoppinsDiets · 18/05/2009 16:39

DD charges £20 plus they sort out her lift or taxi home.

Original poster
evansmummy · 18/05/2009 16:44

Falling asleep on the sofa in itself isn't irresponsible, but it is if you're being paid to watch over someone's children. What would happen if there was a fire or something like that?

OP posts:
Laquitar · 18/05/2009 16:44

But you are the one who got into fight! In your previous post you called me arsey for giving my opinion. Did you want everybody to agree with you and pat you on the back? Calling me arsey is swearing and very rude and it is personal attack

ellingwoman · 18/05/2009 16:47

Well hopefully your smoke alarm would wake her up...

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