Going rate for babysitters please....

[Monkeybar]

I'm going out with my dh tomorrow night for the second time since my ds was born 9 and a half months ago. Last time we left him with the grandparents. This time we have got our old cleaner (can't afford to have her anymore!) to babysit. What is the going rate per hour for babysitting? I reckon we'll be back before midnight and we are picking her up and dropping her off.

where do you live? our cleaner babysits for us and we just pay her the same rate as for cleaning, £7 ph. But we don't provide travel, she drives herself.We are in London
HTH

The TitchHickers Guide to Bristol (a fantastic family guide) says that you should be prepared to pay £5 an hour for babysitters, with more after midnight. We pay ours £6 an hour because she is a close friend who has known DS since birth and is adored by him. She also provides her own transport. Also, we agreed on a minimum of £20 for an evening, because she has to give up one of her weekend nights off!

Thanks! We're in Staffs. Will probably split the difference and go £6 an hour. I doubt I'll have the stamina to be out after midnight, he's taken to wakingt 1-3am for no apparent reason, bless him, which has coincided with my return to work and I'm knackered!

This thread is topical for me too. What would the rate be for a teenage neighbour to earn some pocket-money looking after baby in daytime after school for say an hour?

bump

I think somewhere between £5-£7 is fair.