Babysitting etiquette

[sallycinnamon]

We've asked dd's key carer from the Nursery if she does any babysitting as we trust her and dd adores her. We've only ever used family members before so how much do you pay? I've no idea. Also she doesn't drive so do you pay for a taxi to get her home again? Do you provide any snacks? All info greatly appreciated.

We pay £4.50/hr through Sitters, an agency. I'd expect her to get herself home IF she drives and has a car, otherwise you pay for a cab, and yes, I tell babysitters to help themselves to wine/whatever but don't leave snacks out particularly, we don't really have them in the house. Since they usually arrive at 7.30 I expect them to have eaten already.

in my youth, i used to do babysitting, and i got £4 per hour, (it was london) and snacks brough for me, at the end of the nite i either got the taxi fare or a lift for the parent that was driving that nite anyway. we have also had friends babysit and have given them lots of snacks and in most cases a case of beer of v nice bottle of wine. HTH

Think I might be in the wrong job! I suspect the babysitting is going to cost more than the night out!

We pay ours approx £5/hr - a bit high probably but the competition is high and we don't want to risk losing someone we like and trust! We don't leave out snacks especially but tell her to help herself to soft drinks/biscuits/crips/fruit. If we're going out especially early, like 6 or 6:30, we do offer to pay for a pizza but she never takes us up on it. In fact she rarely eats anything in our house but the offer is there. She doesn't drive yet but only lives 5 min away so we always pick her up and drive her home again. Sounds like ours is a bit younger than some though - she's still only in school so I wouldn't be happy letting her get a cab home (or helping herself to the wine for that matter!).

sallycinammon..yes, it does end up costing more than the bloody night out!

whenever I babysit, I usually get walked home by the childrens dad and his mate because its only 5 mins away, otherwise they would get me a cab. They pay me 5 pound an hour and i wont let them have me for any less than 2 hrs, otherwise it prob wouldnt be worth my while. they always leave snacks on a tray, which consist of 2 bags of crisps, a chocolate penguin type bar, a bag of jelly tots, a yoghurt and a chalk lolly! and let me help myself to anything else in the fridge and any drinks i want.

In London the rate would be a minimum of £5 per hour, more (up to £7) if sitter is qualified (e.g. NNEB), plus cost of taxi home if they haven't got their own transport. Wouldn't expect snacks though, just tea or coffee -- and I wouldn't offer a babysitter alcohol while they are looking after my kids. Why don't you ask her how much she wants to be paid?

I used to pay my sitter £5 per hour. That was for 5 kids, she was invited to help herself to anything she wanted from the kitchen and we would either pay her to get a taxi home or me or dh would drop her off.

She would bath the baby, feed him then put him to bed, read stories to the older ones or play a game with them. Once they were all in bed (9pm) she would settle down in front of the tv and usually be asleep on the sofa when we got home.

Really sorry to have lost her now as she has moved to the states.

I also paid for her to join us on a weekend to DisneyLand Paris a few years ago, so she was very well looked after, IMO.

I pay £4 p/hr to all of my babysitters and I live in London. If I remember to get snacks then they have snacks.

I agree that you should ask what she would like to be paid. You may find that she doesn't want a lot. And yes you should pay for the cab home.

QE when you go abroad again, I'll come and babysit for you. Could you do the Seychelles next time please?

My babysitter is young and I pay her £3ph. I guess it depends where you arem, but we couldn't afford to go out if we had to pay any more!
Also, she can help herself to any hot/cold drinks and biscuits etc, but would have had a main meal before coming.
We always leave her home.

@ MarsLady

You give alcohol to your babysitters???

Thanks for all the info. The beauty of MN- go away for a few days and lo and behold lots more posts! I asked the nursery nurse how much she charged and she said "whatever parents are willing to pay me". Hmmm, get the impression she's never babysat before!

Just reread what I wrote. Would like to point out I asked nursery nurse what she charged for babysitting and not anything more dodgy. Sorry, thought that needed clarifying.

sally cinnamon - what a cute name!

I babysit for two famillies, one of which pays by the hour, the other for the night. I was asked what I charged an hour by the family who pays for the night and I said whatever you'd like to pay me as I'd feel way too cheeky dictating how much to be paid. IMO it's up to the family how much they give you and how much they can afford (I know the family who pays by the hour is slighly more well off then the other family so I can hardly demand the same rate) It might be that your nursery nurse is too polite to ask for money and is happy to get whatever

HTH,
Carla