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Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

Childcare

Is £8 too much or reasonable???

53 replies

vix1 · 22/06/2006 19:46

Im going to start advertising as a Babysitter in and around the Newbury, Berkshire area, would you say that £8 an hour is reasonable or too much?
Im qualified, police checked, excellent references, and drive, if that helps!

Comments appreciated

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nzshar · 23/06/2006 11:45

Just want to make it clear that i charge £4ph as a childminder if i charge more than that i wouldnt get business. But if i was going to offer my services as a babysitter i would prob charge nearer £7ph. Funny isnt it a babysitter dosent have to be qualified or anything yet they can charge more

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scarymamma · 23/06/2006 12:28

I had a temp job in a school doing admin for school lunches and I only got just over £4ph, so personally I don't think the same money for sitting on your backside watching telly is bad!. In most homes the kids tend to be in bed by the time the BS arrives. He/she just sits and eats your food & watches your TV. I guess you need to pay the going rate for your area. Market forces really.

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bossykate · 23/06/2006 12:32

i agree with nzshar, ok if you will be feeding the children, bathing them, putting them to bed etc, but too much if you are just there on duty after they have gone to bed iyswim.

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southeastastra · 23/06/2006 12:33

this is terrible being paid under the min wage for any job is awful!!

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Pamina3 · 23/06/2006 12:42

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nzshar · 23/06/2006 12:47

Nope i choose to take only one child on as I have a 2 year old as well and feel that both my ds and mindee would suffer with lack of attention needed if i took on more. Though he is with me 42 hours a week termtime and 55 hours a week in holidays!

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Pamina3 · 23/06/2006 13:37

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Pamina3 · 23/06/2006 13:39

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nzshar · 23/06/2006 13:49

Pamina3 your point about childcare is a very valid hence the reason most parents cannot afford to pay too much more than i get for full time care.
I had worked in nurseries for 14 years before i had ds and left as a deputy head, if i went back to that job i would have gone home with £100 a month after paying for childcare, very silly huh.

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sandradee · 23/06/2006 13:53

I'd say £8 is fine. We pay £8.50 but I have friends who pay £6.00 I think it all depends on where you live. We live in London.

Do you have your own car? If you do then even better since at least people won;t have to pay you to get home in a taxi. You can sell that as a benefit.

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nannyj · 23/06/2006 18:17

I'm in Kensington and charge £7 per hour but that is for the family i work for as a live in nanny so have no travelling time or anything. Our other babysitters charge £8-9 an hour which i think is fine for our area.

Definately think £8 an hour for Berkshire is too much i would go for about £6.

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vix1 · 23/06/2006 18:51

Thanks for all your advice, I too think £8 an hour is expensive, but i know that there are people that can afford it, so I will be targeting them! If I knew people that needed a babysitter desperatly, and couldnt afford it, then of course I would lower my price, but I work during the day as a Nanny, so I wouldnt really want to rush off to another night of babysitting for £6 an hour. (although we may sit watching tv, its not the same as being in your own home, and you cant relax, and I value my sleep!)
At the end of the day, I know I do a good job, am reliable, experienced and honest, so I will try for the £8 an hour, and will maybe lower to £6.50 if need to.

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lottiesmummy · 23/06/2006 22:14

I used to get £8 per hour for baby sitting but that was in the london area, with companies like sitters etc around offering babysitting at £5.85 per hour it might be hard to find work

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nannynick · 24/06/2006 01:42

Pricing any service is always tricky. You need to decide what your target audience is and then set your service standards and price accordingly.

I was told by a recruitment agency that no one would ever pay £10 per hour for evening babysitting. Yet I charge £10 per hour quite happily - on Berkshire/Surrey border.

Not all my clients are rich... 3 are single mothers on quite low incomes. So while someones income is relevant, don't forget how much parents value having someone responsible caring for their children.

Try to establish what your local area would pay... perhaps do some tests by having different adverts at different prices, in different areas. It can also help to do a marketing course of some type - there are some quite good ones available via the internet.

Contact me directly if you want further info. I've been marketing my babysitting service for many years now - so I know what works and what doesn't.
Google my username if you don't already know my contact details... or send a CAT.

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threebob · 24/06/2006 06:58

People aren't paying you to watch TV as such, they are paying for the assurance that if something happened (from kid getting upset to kid getting seriously ill) that you would be able to cope with it. Go for it!

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ssd · 24/06/2006 18:47

I get between £5 and £7 in Glasgow.

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vix1 · 29/06/2006 19:36

Hi everyone, Id just like to say that I have had a lady contact me about babysitting for £8 an hour, and she isnt loaded, she was a Nursery Nurse like myself, with a boy and is pregnant, so in this case, people do may £8 an hour for piece of mind, she was more interested in paying for somebody who is expierenced, qualified and police checked.
So anyone in this area, up your rates!!

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southeastastra · 29/06/2006 19:42

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QueenPeaHead · 29/06/2006 19:49

vix I live not a million miles from newbury and have a lot of friends in lambourn hungerford etc. they all pay 6.50 - 7 - 7.50. they might pay 8 if they really needed someone, but wouldn't call you back on a regular basis.

hth

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vix1 · 29/06/2006 20:09

I am soo thich but what is hth?? Not caught up with all the abbreviations!!
To be honest I am advertising at a high rate because I dont want to be doing lots of babysitting. If I advertised at a lower rate I would probably get loads of cals and have to turn some away. So I see it as if I advertise at a high rate I can do it once a week or less. (If that makes sense)

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vix1 · 29/06/2006 20:09

I meant thick, that says it all! Hee Hee!

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southeastastra · 29/06/2006 20:13

hope this helps

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vix1 · 29/06/2006 20:16

I was about to say 'does this help what'? Sorry im a bit slow tonight! But I do get it now!

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southeastastra · 29/06/2006 20:21

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sandradee · 29/06/2006 20:26

I agree you should go for it. I use my DS old key worker and pay her £8.50 I know that sitters are cheaper but they are not police checked and I'm still slightly nervous. Would rather use someone I know is definitely OK and pay her more. Also DS know here and she knows him.

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