Your fees for babysitting - increased for multiples?

[lollipopmother]

I charge £7 an hour for evening babysitting. I was approached by a lady who wants me to look after her two children, they're 6 and 10y/o so I said no problem, £7 an hour.

Then today I was approached by a different family who'd like me to look after four which is an 8w, 2y, 4y and 7y/o. That to me sounds like seriously hard work and I know that all of them will be up when I get there.

What would you charge? I have to admit that I feel £7 isn't enough but I wouldn't know what would be acceptable - any ideas?

Thanks.

Thanks for replying Cat64.

I just have no idea what to do wrt fees.

I feel that if you've got multiple kids you should expect to pay more than someone who has one. I think I'd feel a little miffed if I were paying the same amount for my DD to be looked after as someone was to get their four looked after, but equally I feel bad doing it to someone too. After all, if you have lots of kids you'd surely expect them to cost you more than just having one, that's part and parcel of having a large family.

It's the same with sibling discounts for my CM fees, I kept myself up half of last night worrying about how much I should offer because I don't really think it'd be easier to have two from the same family thus I don't really feel I should offer a discount, but it's the done thing isn't it .... arrgghh, I hate thinking about fees!!

I would charge £12 per hour with a minimum of 4 hours, and then if they think thats a bit much you could come down a bit.
I also don't discount for siblings when cminding.

Usually you dont charge more.

But the case you describe sounds more work so i can see your point.
You said they ll be awake when you go. Are you going to help with bath and bedtime? You could charge that time as 'nannying' say about 10p/h, then 7p/h for the rest of the night.

Yes Laquitar's idea sounds like a good compromise - charge more (even £10 seems low to me!) until they are asleep then £7 after that.

I had one babysitter tell me her rate was 1/3 more for 2 kids than one and I was a bit miffed (they were going to be asleep the whole time anyway). But 4 is a different kettle of fish. How much would you earn if you were childminding 4? A lot more than £7.

In fact I wouldn't really want to do the job so I would ask a lot, and not be upset if they decided against. But I'm lazy.

Thanks for your replies ladies. I think that what I'll do is make it clear on my website that it's £7 an hour but may be increased for larger families consisting of younger children.

Alarkaspree - I agree with you, I don't really want to do it either but it's necissary as I'm taking the two youngest one day a week starting next week, so I sort of said I would do this to get to know them in their own setting and of course the parents get to go out on their own for a few hours, which I bet they haven't done in a long time!

I'm a childminder but do babysitting occasionally.

I arrived once expecting to babysit 2 children - to find nine.

Yes, nine. The parents had invited two more sets of parents out with them and had decided that it would be 'easier' if all the children were looked after in one place. Only one, 4 month old, was asleep.

She saw my face and suggested that the eldest girl, who was 10, could 'help' and offered me £100 to stay for 6 hours.

Most of the kids didn't like each other and bickered all night.

It was a nightmare. Never again.

Four children would be my maximum now and I may charge more depending on their ages, whether or not they would be asleep when I got there and if they were from different families.

Sweet Jesus - NINE?! , that woman had a nerve Malovitt that's for sure! £100 doesn't sound too bad but to hang around with a bunch of bickering kids it'd be worth that amount!

Cat64 - Thank you for mentioning your lack of sibling discount, I've just scrubbed it off my website as it doesn't sit well with me and I really didn't want to do it, I just thought that was what everyone did!

If this is a one off I would charge more, unless they are already expecting to pay £7 per hour, but if you are going to be working for them in future then maybe let it go. Of course, if you don't want to do it don't but why then are you going to be child minding for them?

I use an agency and there are higher charges for more than 3, and also if under5s are up past a certain time. "Nanny" charges apply before 5:30pm.

For a 6 and 10yo it is money for almost nothing in one sense, so I tend to use babysitters where possible. For under5s though, I used someone with experience, and I think that it is worth a premium.

Blimey my DD babysits for three children and only charges £7 an hour!

I think she needs to be negotiating a pay rise.

i have the same hourly rate regardless number of children from one family (have never had more than 4 - so far .....

BUT

if there are several children from other familys/relatives/friends etc then i charge time and a half so £15 in my case (normally £10ph) and each family would pay £7.50an hr

i do a lot of wedding childcare work and if have 3 children then i ask for another adult as if one child was ill/very upset etc,then i couldnt take all 3 to the room and find the parents

I charge the same no matter how many children however if there are more than 4 children from different families I charge rate and half.

when night nannying I charge 1/3 more for twins than singles as its alot more work at night initially each feed can take upto 2hrs instead of 1hr etc.