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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

£10 per hour for babysitting? Is this reasonable

78 replies

Yena · 10/08/2007 12:21

This is the first time I'm having to pay a babysitter for my little one. Her childminder has said she can do it over the weekend at £10 an hour, we'll drop her there and pick her up. Is this reasonable? I know she will be in an environment that she is familiar with since she is there during the week, but I thought £10 an hour was abit steep. Any thoughts on this please?

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yelnats · 11/08/2007 21:30

my cousin is 17 , is a trainee nursery nurse and one of the parents in her nursery recently paid her and another trainee friend of hers £50 each for looking after 3 sleeping children and a baby for 5 hours!! And paid their taxi's home! BTW cousin didnt give price - took what was offered. needless to say she will jump at chancee to babysit again.

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blueshoes · 11/08/2007 22:13

£10/h is speny. The ladies who work at my dd's nursery do babysitting on the side for £7 to 7.50/h. They come to my house. I have paid £10/h but that was to take my dd (3.5) and ds (7 months) out of the house for softplay and the park during the day.

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mm22bys · 12/08/2007 10:06

We use Sitters, £5.50 per hour every night except Saturday, Saturday £6.50, all straight to the sitter. They are an agency so you also pay £12.75 per quarter, and £4 per booking, to the agency.

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ELLIELULU · 14/08/2007 07:33

i know i based in manchester but the sitter i use is and older child now (19) that used to go to my eldest daughters (13) childminder with her and with ED we paid £15/£16 per night and with youngest in equation now (14 mths) she still charges thes same as ED doesnt need looking after. we could be out 2/3 hrs or more and its still the same.Baby sitter has lots of little cousins (who are in fact at same CM as my youngest know) (So lots of practice already) i agree with some others doesnt anyone you know have an elder daughter etc that could do it for you.My childminder has looked after charges in past but not very often as she likes to go away at weekends. + its always been in parents home, other CM round this area it looking after any baby at weekend they would stay overnight and mum/dad would pick up next am.

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sar123 · 14/08/2007 07:38

Yena the most important thing is that you relax and enjoy yourself knowing your dd is with someone you know and trust. I wouldn't care if teenagers charged £5 an hour there's no way I'd leave a teenager I'd never met before in my house with my dd for an evening!!!! I'd much rather pay someone responsible (like a childminder that already knows my dd and vice versa) £10 an hour for the peace of mind .

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casbie · 14/08/2007 14:39

£20 for the night and £25 if over midnight.

starting anytime from 7pm.

this is usually with a student at our local college.

can't believe some of you pay £10 per hour!

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moljam · 14/08/2007 14:47

we pay £10 for 3 children for whole evening but this is just local people we know

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meandmyflyingmachine · 14/08/2007 14:48

Oh thank God for that post. Was starting to think we were seriously exploiting our next door neighbour's (teenage ) son...

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moljam · 14/08/2007 15:26

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JennaJ · 15/08/2007 16:14

Hi

Just saw your post..for the future Im a nanny with 10yrs exp, first aid, crb, own car, non smoker (and 2 small children of my own).

I babysit (at your house) in west and south west London for £25 an evening (as long as you are home by midnight). (I cover Putney and Roehampton area)

If you need anyone to babysit in the future why not email me on sixpetitfleur[email protected] and I will pop round for a chat with my refs etc.

Kind Regards
Jenna

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Yena · 15/08/2007 21:12

DH and I had a fabulous time out I only wish I had put this message out before we made the arrangements, but being the first time we were going to use a babysitter, I think I'll just say we paid a premium for the piece of mind (have to agree with you on that sar123). JennaJ I think you'll definitely be hearing from me soon. Thanks for all your posts

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lindseyfox · 12/06/2008 21:49

i charge £10 an hr in leicester and am a qualified childrens nurse (min of £40 per sitting) and i go to the families home so child can go to bed at normal time and be kept in normal routine.

dont expect to be fed even if i sit at teatime, i just like a nice cup of tea.

mind you number of families who buy me a bottle of wine and put in fridge is amazing a) i am driving and b) i would never drink when caring for someone elses children.

its a nice thought though and pleased they think of me!!

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JannaT · 13/06/2008 20:41

Remember this is overtime for your childminder, she should be able to charge whatever she likes.
You could find someone cheaper like a local teenager or go through an agency like sitters but surely the comfort of knowing your child is with someone he/she already knows is worth the extra expense?

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laura032004 · 13/06/2008 21:11

Some of these posts are a year old.

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littleredrabbit · 13/06/2008 22:29

I just can't bealive you guys need to think for so long how much to pay to Nanny or a babysitter. Why don't you just take some homemade soup and she should be happy with it. It's not like she will do some extra job-just look after your child.
You just go and have fun, and girl who is working should be happy with anything given...

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hellogoodbye · 17/06/2008 23:35

littleredabbit - What???

I do charge £6 per hour babysitting BUT if I was (and hope to be soon) a childminder and had plenty of buissness and wasnt desperate for the extra money, I probably would charge the extra, depending on if your DD is asleep or awake. I would maybe say £10 an hour for hours where DD is awake and £5when asleep. AT the end of the day, your CM has cared for children all week, she probably looks forward to the weekend off, but is sacrificing it as a favour to you.

It is alot cheaper to get a normal babysitter, but it depends on what you want from it. You need somebody who would know what to do in an emergency and who would put yoru DD first

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SmugColditz · 17/06/2008 23:36

No, it's outrageous.

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sushistar · 17/06/2008 23:38

Seems a lot tbh.

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SmugColditz · 17/06/2008 23:41

Seriously, £10 an hour to sit on her arse and watch her telly? Your child will be asleep, and you would then have to wake your child to take him home.

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imananny · 18/06/2008 12:55

i dont think there is anything wrong with charging/earning/paying £10 ph for a good babysitter, esp asyour CM knows your child INCASE they wake up

BUT

this would be for someone in your own home so your cm really needs to do the bs in your house, it is unfair to wake up your child and move to your house, when there is no need to.

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Booh · 18/06/2008 13:15

Well that is what I charge.

I was a nanny and am now a childminder, I do go to the child house, but I will not do it any less than £10 an hour!

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imananny · 18/06/2008 13:18

ditto booh

thats what i charge and as i turn down bs a lot, people in my area are obviously happy to pay it

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Booh · 18/06/2008 16:40

imananny

No one who uses me has ever had a problem with what I charge and I am always turning down work!!

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imananny · 18/06/2008 19:22

im agreeing with you booh - bit puzzled by your remark to me?

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nannydd · 20/06/2008 13:32

I am a nanny.
when I babysit,in the families home I charge £30 min fee and £8per until midnight and the £10per after midnight.
I provid some activites that are calmimg and relaxing, I am willing to do bed time routines, and do dream feeds for babys.
I also do 1/2hr bed checks on children under 5yrs and then 1hrly on older ones, I also record what has happened during the evening, including phone massages etc. If needed I will prep' baby bottles, tidy up any mess the children and i have made etc.
I consider babysitting just as responsible a job as a day time care. I am also insured and drive myself to the jobs, so I have to make sure that I cover my costs.

Nanny DD

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