What's the going rate for babysitting per hour?

[wonderstuff]

A friend has offered the services of her 16 yr old to babysit for a couple of hours while DH and I go to the pub 100 yards away for a drink. I have no idea how much is reasonable to give said 16 yr old. Ideas anyone?

We pay £6 per hour which is what most of the mums I know pay for teen babysitting.

These threads come up every now and then, and what people pay varies wildly.
My teens would be happy to sit in those circumstances for around £4 an hour (min wage for teens is less than that - around £3.75ish I think - so any earning they can do that goes above that is good for them).

I have run babysitting courses for 13-17yr olds and we recommend £2.50-£5 an hr dependant on age and experience ie - 13/14yr with no experience with babysitting course complete £2.50-£3 and 17yr with some mininal experience and babysitting course £5 an hr.

so maybe £4 an hr with a min of £10 per time and some crisps and drinks available.

We pay £5 an hour plus transport costs. Our babysitting pool is made up of dsd's friends so we are more generous than we might otherwise be.

If you are just 100 yards away, I'd probably pay £10 for 2 hours.

His dad is dropping his brother off at a nearby event, so we have him for 3 hours, 7-10 and we don't have to get him here or take home - I was thinking £15 - and from what you say seems fair. Feeling unreasonably anxious about going out - first time they have been left with people other than family, don't know the sitter very well, but have known his mum for years and she's lovely, and we are only over the road.

No idea what I think is going to happen.. 90% chance the kids will go to bed without hassle and not wake up - we aren't going out until they are down. Its going to be fine and I should go and not cancel because its slightly out of my comfort zone right!?

Mine used to LOVE it when we had babysitters come - people who actually wanted to play games with them, or who could be arm twisted into 3 stories instead of one . They were always disappointed if couaght one of us getting ready to go out, to then discover the other one was still here to look after them instead of a "fun" babysitter.