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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Original poster

How much for 15yo to charge for babysitting?

29 replies

NeedNewKnees · 30/05/2021 18:30

DD has her first babysitting gig this week (to her utter delight) and she’s been asked what she charges.

As Covid put paid to any previous babysitting for her and her friends, they have no idea what’s reasonable to charge.

It’s 2.5 hours with a Reception age child while his parents WFH upstairs. We’re in a pretty middle class area in Yorkshire.

What’s the going rate?

OP posts:
Totallyrandomname · 30/05/2021 23:05

Maybe £4 an hour And travel.

It’s one child, with parents home so fairly low Responsibility.

Maybe I’m tight though?

Neolara · 30/05/2021 23:06

£6 per hour.

Needanedittbuton · 30/05/2021 23:13

£15 for that gig.

caringcarer · 30/05/2021 23:15

Patents are wfh do will in fact be in house so £10. If parents out of home then she should charge more.

ILoveAnOwl · 30/05/2021 23:17

I always pay £20.

Milkywaysky · 30/05/2021 23:18

£4 an hour???
£10 an hour

LittleCatDog · 30/05/2021 23:18

£15 for that

Silkiecats · 30/05/2021 23:19

I would have expected about £20.

Totallyrandomname · 30/05/2021 23:21

@Milkywaysky

£4 an hour??? £10 an hour
Yea I do think I was a bit tight there maybe. Maybe £5 ph is more reasonable,

I wouldn’t pay a 15 yrold £10 an hr.

Needanedittbuton · 30/05/2021 23:21

I'd pay a 15 year £4 to feed my cat! She's occupying a child so two parents can work and deserves £15 min.

BackforGood · 30/05/2021 23:23

About £4 an hour is right.
She might want to make it a total to allow for travel time if it takes he a while to get there and back.

Don't be daft Milky - you wouldn't pay anywhere near that for a CM who has all her overheads to cover and full responsibility.

Elieza · 30/05/2021 23:25

A sixteen year olds minimum wage in the U.K. is £4.62 per hour.

Presumably she is hoping for more work from this family in future. So she can’t charge too much or she’ll price herself out of the market.

I’d go with £4.50 an hour because she’s 15 rising to minimum wage when 16.

GlueSuedeShoes · 30/05/2021 23:26

My 15 year old would be happy with £5 an hour, and I always paid teens £5 an hour for babysitting

BackforGood · 30/05/2021 23:27

@NeedNewKnees - "What to pay a babysitter" threads always go the same way, with people living in completely different worlds from one another. You'll never get a consensus, but there will be a bingo card to complete with phrases implying that parents who aren't wealthy clearly don't love their child as much as someone who can throw ££ at their sitter, and that parents who "leave their child with a stranger" clearly shouldn't be allowed to have dc Wink

Needanedittbuton · 30/05/2021 23:27

A child minder would have other children so would be earning more. And the child minder wouldn't be coming to parents' house so they'd have the hassle of dropping off.

anothernewtop · 30/05/2021 23:27

she’s been asked what she charges.

This is a really poor thing to do. The adults offering the 'job' should state the pay, not pass it back to an inexperienced child to try and work out.

Monkeytennis97 · 31/05/2021 06:22

I'd say £15 for 2.5hrs if parents are there and it's daytime. Sounds about right to me (teacher here).

traumatisednoodle · 31/05/2021 06:30

My 15 year old would be happy with £5 an hour, and I always paid teens £5 an hour for babysitting

My 14 nearly 15 year old gets this.
I always rounded it to £20.

HopeValley · 31/05/2021 06:32

What has being a teacher got to do with it?! I teach (and have taught reception very recently) and have still been unsure what to pay a babysitter in the past. Can't think of any part of my training that encompassed babysitting rates.

Monkeytennis97 · 31/05/2021 06:48

@HopeValley

What has being a teacher got to do with it?! I teach (and have taught reception very recently) and have still been unsure what to pay a babysitter in the past. Can't think of any part of my training that encompassed babysitting rates.
Nothing except I teach teenagers and hear what they say about how much they get for babysitting.
Soontobe60 · 31/05/2021 06:57

Am I the only person who thinks a 15 year old should not be being employed to take care of a 5 year old during the day? It’s one thing to babysit a sleeping child in the evening, but looking after a lively 5 yr old is a totally different ball game! It’s irrelevant that the parents are WFH. I look after my grandson and his parents WFH. I spend half my time keeping him away from them whilst they’re on calls 🤣

traumatisednoodle · 31/05/2021 07:00

Am I the only person who thinks a 15 year old should not be being employed to take care of a 5 year old during the day

Why not ? Presumably it involves taking them to the park/ a couple of board games/ a drink and or snack. Any NT 15yo could cope with that.

Original poster
NeedNewKnees · 31/05/2021 08:14

@caringcarer

Patents are wfh do will in fact be in house so £10. If parents out of home then she should charge more.
I think it’s far harder with the parents in the house - keeping a 5 year old from interrupting them and keeping the noise down.
OP posts:
Pinchoftums · 31/05/2021 08:15

£5 an hour around here!

Original poster
NeedNewKnees · 31/05/2021 08:17

@BackforGood - excellent point!

I guess I am a little surprised at the £5 an hour replies because we were paying that 10 year ago.

I’ll suggest £15 to her - thanks for everyone’s advice!

OP posts: