How much do you pay for babysitter?

[WonderGirl11]

Just that really. I’ve been looking for someone to come look after my daughter for a couple of hours 6-8pm while I go to yoga or similar. The person I found wants £15/hr. Seems a lot to me but is that normal?

I think I might be staying home.

DS gets £5 per hour babysitting for nephews and nieces. They are tucked up in bed though.

I'd aim for a swap.

My older dd had a babysitting job similar to this for nearly 2 years. She loved the fact it was so easy. 1 boy - 6 when she started I think and he sat and watched Scooby Doo or something until the appointed time when she said 'time to get your PJs on now' and he did so , she checked he'd cleaned his teeth and he got into bed. It was at the end of our road and she almost felt guilty taking the money when his Dad got in about 7.30 - she either watched TV with him, or got her homework done. Easiest money out there, and regular income for her in Yrs 11 and 12.

Swaps are tricky when you're single though. If you've got the kids with you they need somewhere to sleep. If you haven't, you don't want to be sat round someone else's house looking after their kids.

@wondergirl11
I would definitely! And most of the time i feel guilty for even charging that much, but to be fair it is cash in hand so it's a good supplement.
Also, I'm about to be a single parent (due in three months!) And I'm freaking out how I'm going to have time to myself, ever, as i imagine I'll be so strapped for cash.
But, one good thing about babysitting regularly and building up amazing clients is that I've received so many hand me downs and two families are even throwing me a baby shower.
Kindness, reliability, and friendliness goes a very long way in my experience!
To me babysitting is a privilege.

Good luck with your baby, parent! Who knows, maybe the kids you sat for will sit for your lo on day!

I’ve been doing a similar job to this in a rich town in Surrey and they pay me £10 per hour for 2 hours. Sometimes the dad gets home early and they still pay me the full amount. For other jobs I get around £8.50-10 per hour. I wouldn’t do a shorter job for less than £10 per hour and would want min 2 hours pay otherwise it’s a lot of hassle for me for nothing. I also wouldn’t want to do bed time routine unless the kid(s) actually listen and go to bed quickly. But then I work full time as a SEN teacher, which is tiring as it is, so I only do easy babysitting jobs as a but if extra cash! I’ve stopped looking after younger kids after some nightmare experiences!

@Parent19876 Congrats, and yes, it is tricky! I haven’t found the ideal balance yet, spending a bit too much time home alone. But it sounds like you got a bit of good support around you so I’m sure that will help.

I guess I really hadn’t considered it’s a lot of hassle to babysit for a short time. I teach music and often do half hour bookings, so 2 hours would seems like a very long booking to me. I am focusing on the ask around to find the right person strategy.

I got £10 an hour as an unqualified 16yo in Yorkshire - 8 years ago.