Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Work

Chat with other users about all things related to working life on our Work forum.

Original poster

Babysitters - how much do you pay them?

32 replies

Freddiecat · 04/12/2003 09:52

We are thinking of asking one of the girls from DS's nursery to babysit whilst we go to see Eddie Izzard. We've never had a paid babysitter before.

How much should we pay them? They'd probably need to be at ours from 7 until about 11 to 11:30. I am also happy to leave some dinner out if they want it.

We are in South Wales btw so hopefully extortionate London rates do not apply!

OP posts:
Gem13 · 04/12/2003 09:54

We are outside London. We pay £3.50 an hour, pick up and take home and DS is always asleep. We're not big partygoers so ours is always home by 11. Not the miserable 1am I used to get stuck doing!

Ours is 17 and studying childcare at college.

Northerner · 04/12/2003 10:02

We are in Harrogate and pay £5 an hour. She is 19 and a trainee nursery nurse ad ds's nursery.

M2T · 04/12/2003 10:23

Northerner - Isn't £5 an hour more than they get paid as a qualified Nursery Nurse??

I would probably pay about £3 per hour. I used to babysit 2 young children when I was 19 (6 yrs ago!) and I only got £2.50 per hour and yes they were sometime out until 1am. And I didn't get a lift 2 and from their house. I was a student and desperate though!!

I have asked my Brother to watch ds . He's 15 soon and I was going to give him a £10 for the evening from 7.30pm - 11.30pm. He seemed more than happy with that..... not that I'm exlpoiting his good nature.

Northerner · 04/12/2003 10:29

I'm not sure what a qualified nursery nurse gets, but I thought £5 was a decent rate seimg as it's unsociable hours and the like. I believe an agency would charge about £10 an hour.

M2T · 04/12/2003 10:35

Up here (Scotland) at the moment they are all striking as they get paid a pittance. I'm sure its just above Min wage.

£10 per hour???? That would make for an expensive night out!

Fair enough, it is unsociable hours, but I know when I babysat I spent most my time watching their TV, eating their food (with their consent) and speaking to my pals on the phone (they would call me). I thought it was a right skive!! Then I would get handed £15 for the pleasure. Fantastic! Obviously I would expect to pay more for a babysitter through an agency. But I think I would prefer to have someone the I know and knows ds to come into our home and babysit him.

Northerner · 04/12/2003 10:36

I had loads of babysitting jobs when i was younger and I thought it was a right skive too! I only got paid £1.50 an hour though

salt · 04/12/2003 10:36

I pay £5 per hour for my friends sister. She's just qualified as nursery nurse but round here everyone wants £5 per hour!

Northerner · 04/12/2003 10:41

Actually I've just remembered when I was working on a hotel reception (I was about 17) and I babysat for an American couple, they had 1 ds about 3 years I think. Basically I went up to meet the little chap and he took an instant dislike to me. The parents were attending a function in the hotel. As soon as the parents left this child started screaming histerically and punching and kicking the door trying to get out. If I tried to stop him he kicked and punched me. Anyway this went on for about half an hour and I had to contact the parents as the child was so distressed. The Dad came to relieve me, paid me £50 and said go home! So I was there for less than an hour and I got £50.

miranda2 · 04/12/2003 10:42

NOt sure if I'm stingy or lucky - I tend to pay £10 for an evening (7.30 to c.10.30/11), to a schoolgirl (c.14/15). I work on the principle that if they live nearby they can call mum in an emergency - and I KNOW that my ds will stay asleep unless there's an emergency, cos he always does. Hardly ever do it though - its such a hassle planning in advance, booking theatre tickets and babysitter in conjunction - and I like them to start when he's in bed and asleep at 7.30, which counts most things out as you need to be there by that time. Normally just go to friends houses for dinner and stick him in a travel cot in the spare room...

Original poster
Freddiecat · 04/12/2003 10:46

I think I will consider £5 an hour as we do know them and they work at DS's nursery and we don't do this that often. Nurswery nurses don't get paid all that well and Eddie Izzard's getting over £50 from us for about 2 hours (ok plus all his prep time).

My last memory of babysitting was for two boys age 4 and 5. They emptied a box of lego on me from 2 floors up and all the parents had left me to drink was tea with soya milk (yuk). I left the lego on the hall floor and told the parents not to ask me again.

OP posts:
doormat · 04/12/2003 10:49

Like Miranda we pay £10 an evening (usually between 9.30pm-1.00am)to a local lad who the kids adore.If dd2 is home she will gladly babysit.

Going rate round here for New Years Eve is £20.After 1.00am it doubles.

M2T · 04/12/2003 10:54

Doormat - £20 for the whole evening of New Years Eve??? Or is that per hour?

doormat · 04/12/2003 10:57

Up till 1am in the morning where we live.Not hour.

M2T · 04/12/2003 11:06

Thats really reasonable for Hogmanay isn't it Doormat! I know at the millenium there were teenagers around our way offering their babysitting services for £15 per hour!

doormat · 04/12/2003 11:30

Yes it is good M2T but that is the way the teenagers can earn a bit of extra money for themselves as they are in a catch 22. Too young to go out and too old to hang around street corners.

judetheobscure · 04/12/2003 12:33

Agency rate here is £5.50 - £6.50 per hour depending on what day of the week it is. (outer London). All childcare qualified , first aid certificates etc. £10 sounds extortionate.

katierocket · 04/12/2003 13:06

I pay £5 per hour to one of the nursery nurses from ds's nursery.
I couldn't pay her any less as I'd feel mean - it's the going rate and she gets paid hardly anything as a nursey nurse anyway.

codswallop · 04/12/2003 13:07

OUr is under 16 so we pay £3 but all she does is read ds1 a story - the pther two a re asleep - noce work if you can get it!

codswallop · 04/12/2003 13:08

Like Doormat we round it up to 10 an evening - never very late

CountessDracula · 04/12/2003 13:26

£5 per hour and we're in London. Dd's nanny does it mostly.

suedonim · 04/12/2003 16:03

Dd1 got 25quid for a couple of hours b/sitting my neighbour's 8 and 12yo. I said I'd do it for that money!!!

kayleigh · 04/12/2003 16:23

Freddiecat, we're off to see Eddie Izzard in London on the 20th. Am so looking forward to it - just adore him.
And my mum is babysitting - so it's a freebie !

hmb · 04/12/2003 17:19

We pay £4.50 an hour to two of our baby sitters. The other charges £10 up to midnight. To be fair, it is an easy night for them as the kids are already in bed, and asleep when the sitters arrive. Most of our sitters have never seen our kids awake!

tigermoth · 04/12/2003 18:35

I just going to throw in a question here - one that's bugged me for a while. I haven't got a ready answer to it.

Do we think babysitters should be paid the goverments minimum hourly wage or not?

doormat · 04/12/2003 19:20

Tigermoth my answer is NO
otherwise I wouldnt be able to go out for the evening.