Cheryl in NM Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 How much is babysitting going for these days? I babysit a 7 yo, 6yo and 9 mo for 3 hours one day a week, in the afternoon. Sometimes I have to feed the baby. She usually takes a 2 hour nap. The boys are very active and I usually have to work to keep them quiet during baby's nap. Sometimes I do their homeschool art project with them. It is a trade for tuition for a class. I'm wondering what the babysitting is actually worth. FWIW, I think I'm getting the better end of the deal because I can't afford the $60/month tuition. She thinks she's getting the better end of the deal. I think that makes a perfect trade! I'm just curious what one would pay for this babysitting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 The rate around here is 15-20 an hour. More than one kid, add an extra 10 bucks a kid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollhouse Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 I pay a babysitter $10-12/hr for watching my kids. I have four (7, 5, 3, and 1), but I generally only leave her with 2 or three of them at a time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheryl in NM Posted November 9, 2011 Author Share Posted November 9, 2011 The rate around here is 15-20 an hour. More than one kid, add an extra 10 bucks a kid. An extra $10 per kid per hour? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 For three children, one being an infant? $15 an hour...minimum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheryl in NM Posted November 9, 2011 Author Share Posted November 9, 2011 WOW! I had no idea! I don't see how anyone can afford to go out! No wonder date night is vanishing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celia Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 Are you serious?????? 15-20 an hour????? I know people that have gone through a couple years of college and don't make that hourly. What's minimum wage where you're at? I pay sitters 10/hr, tops. My kids are 7,5, and 2. That's just under minimum wage for an employee. For a liscenced daycare, rates are about $40/day for a toddler. To hire and experienced nanny to take care of my kids on a regular basis would be under $15/hour. I can't imagine paying a casual sitter that!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 I pay $5-7 per hour for a friend/niece to watch dd5. She is a demanding child and while they deserve more for the work, it is what I can afford (barely). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LidiyaDawn Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 it's 3am..i thought you were looking after someone's rats. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snickelfritz Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 Our sitter charges $5 per hour, for my 2 kids (no baby.). We pay her $7 and round up to the next $5 (so, if it was $14 for 2 hours--we would just round up to $15 and $21 would round up to $25) plus dinner/snacks. ETA: We pick her up and take her home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houseofkids&pets Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 The "average" going rate around here is $10 an hour, which explains why we don't go out much. I know that our neighbors pay an older teen $75/day to watch their 8 year old son during the day over the summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amy g. Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 I'm paying my 13 year old to babysit on the weekends when I'm working in Miss Good's soap booth. I thought it would be about 10 hours each day, but we leave the house at 7am and often don't get home until 10pm. She watches my 5 and 1 year old for 15 hours at a time for $100 a day. She is actually at the fair with us, so there is backup help if we have an emergency. I'm starting to feel like I'm getting a really good deal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheryl in NM Posted November 9, 2011 Author Share Posted November 9, 2011 Irregardless I think it's a fair trade. Rates vary wildly by location, age/experience of the person doing the sitting, etc. Oh yes, I think so too. I heard a mom mention that it was $100 for a babysitter for her and her Dh to go on a date night. I didn't know her well and the conversation glossed right over that moved on quickly so I didn't get a chance to ask her what she was paying. She has 3 elementary school aged kids. I'd like to be HER babysitter! We never did date night, we got a sitter once and she ignored the 4 year old to play with the 10 year old (the sitter was 15!). We just gave up! We have date nights now and Ds stays home or goes to a friends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PIE! Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 We pay the neighbor girl $4 an hour for three kids. Her mom says $3-$5 an hour around here is average. I don't think we could go out if we had to pay $10 an hour! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 Irregardless I think it's a fair trade. Rates vary wildly by location, age/experience of the person doing the sitting, etc. :iagree: It's like the saying about selling/buying something: There's only one real price, what one person is willing to sell if for and what the other is willing to spend for it. FWIW, I think it's great you've found a way to pay for tuition. I think it's a fair trade. I trade out cleaning services for tutoring and we are both very happy with the arrangement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 The going rate around here is $12-$15 an hour for 2 kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ByGrace3 Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 If the sitter drives I pay $10/hour. Our regular sitter is senior in high school and that is what we pay her. However, she often feeds them dinner, washes dishes, bathes them. A younger teen (14) watches them some and I pay her $7/hour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 We rarely use a babysitter, but when we do it's usually a friend's 17 year old daughter. She charges $5 per hour for one child, and then $1 per hour for each additional child. So for us, it's $7 per hour. I think that's a fabulous rate, and I usually give her a little more because I just love her. Of course, she doesn't have to do too much for my 11 year old, but my youngest can be a handful. :D All in all, I think you've got a GREAT trade-off going, for both of you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltop Posted November 9, 2011 Share Posted November 9, 2011 We pay $10/hr for a babysitter. It is usually the most expensive part of a date night, which unfortunately we rarely do. I don't mind paying that much, though. I wouldn't pay less than minimum wage for someone to care for my children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matrips Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 around here, it's $15/hr for just one kid, though some will pay more. More kids would be more money. This is why my we don't go out! Paying that kind of money is too sickening to me; I wouldn't be able to enjoy myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 Once again this just seems SO high. My dh, working in the prison system with Level 3 inmates---rapists, murders, etc. was only making about this much per hour AND he had a college degree, and his life was in danger daily inside the fence........as well as paying taxes on that money, etc. It is no wonder parents can't afford to go out on date night or with other couples anymore. When minimum wage was $3/hour, I was getting $1/hour (occ. up to $1.50) for up to 6 kids including feeding, bathing, clean up, etc.===so 1/2 of minimum wage. Now it looks like sitters are getting twice minimum wage and up for babysitting. Maybe dh should look for a babysitting job vs. going back to the prison (he is currently laid off). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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