What would be a reasonable babysitting rate?

[Aspasia]

I'm thinking about asking a neighbor to watch my kids once a week for three to four hours, just so I can have some time out. This neighbor is a stay-at-home mom with her own 4-year-old, who loves to play with my kids. I have four kids: 8, 6, 4, and 2. We live about an hour outside of DC, just for cost of living reference. What would be a reasonable hourly rate to offer her? (I know that she won't assert herself to ask for something fair.)

[vonfirmath]

Is there a drop-in babysitting place somewhere nearby?

 

If so, I'd see what you would pay for 4 kids there and think about that as a high-end babysitting cost.

 

[LucyStoner]

Here it would be a minimum of $15/hr, with $20/hour not being unheard of. I assume DC is similarly or even more expensive.

 

What about if you offered to take her one child for a different four hours a week plus kircked in a bit of cash since you have 4 kids and while I am sure they are all lovely, 4 more is more work than 1 more. I bet she'd love some time here self and that she wouldn't charge you the full going rate with the trade.

[Aspasia]

There's one drop-in place that charges $6 per hour per kid! $24 an hour! We can't pay that much. I'm open to maybe $15, but anything higher than that DH probably wouldn't be on board.

[Aspasia]

Here it would be a minimum of $15/hr, with $20/hour not being unheard of. I assume DC is similarly or even more expensive.

 

What about if you offered to take her one child for a different four hours a week plus kircked in a bit of cash since you have 4 kids and while I am sure they are all lovely, 4 more is more work than 1 more. I bet she'd love some time here self and that she wouldn't charge you the full going rate with the trade.

Yeah, the fact that I have far more children than anyone around me is why I've never asked anyone for a swap. It would definitely be unfair. Unless I took her kid four times for every one time she took mine. Hers is a bit of a handful, though, so I don't know if it's worth that! It would definitely be worth it a couple times, plus some cash. Maybe a combo is the way to go.

[Misha]

Maybe try this to figure out a rate that is fair. 
http://www.care.com/babysitting-rates

It looks like $16.95 is the going rate per hour for three children in DC (four wasn't mentioned).

[vonfirmath]

There's one drop-in place that charges $6 per hour per kid! $24 an hour! We can't pay that much. I'm open to maybe $15, but anything higher than that DH probably wouldn't be on board.

 

Ah. Here in LCOL Texas I pay $5 per hour per kid (my two are 8 and 4) for babysitting so that sounds reasonable to me.

Edited March 31, 2016 by vonfirmath

[Aspasia]

Apparently I just have too many kids to have some time out! 

[Daria]

I'm also outside DC, and I was going to say $20.  I think you could get away with $15, and an equivalent number of hours with her kid, basically $5 an hour and you're trading an hour with her 4 for one of your 4. 

[Aspasia]

I'm also outside DC, and I was going to say $20.  I think you could get away with $15, and an equivalent number of hours with her kid, basically $5 an hour and you're trading an hour with her 4 for one of your 4. 

That sounds like a good plan. :)

[Pink and Green Mom]

When I lived in the area a few years ago, I used to pay $10-$15/per hour to my teenaged neighbor for babysitting.  This was for 2 children (and they were not infants or toddlers).  I lived in Loudoun County, VA.

Edited March 31, 2016 by Pink and Green Mom

[Aspasia]

Maybe try this to figure out a rate that is fair. 

http://www.care.com/babysitting-rates

It looks like $16.95 is the going rate per hour for three children in DC (four wasn't mentioned).Screen Shot 2016-03-31 at 12.00.14 PM.png

 

This is awesome! Thank you! With my specific city and 4 kids, it said $18 an hour. So I guess pretty much in keeping with what everyone is saying here.

[happi duck]

Another vote for $20.

[zoobie]

$15-20, depending if all kids are awake and needing care. My 12 yr old doesn't need care, so I'm back in $15 territory.

[bettyandbob]

I'm paying $15/hour with a $20 minimum for one teenbwho has disabilities. He doesn't need special care and isn't difficult, he just needs supervision. That is the sitter's rate for typical children as well. I am outside of DC. the sitter is an adult.

 

For 4 children I'd expect to be charged at least $20/hour.

[luuknam]

Maybe try this to figure out a rate that is fair. 

http://www.care.com/babysitting-rates

It looks like $16.95 is the going rate per hour for three children in DC (four wasn't mentioned)

 

I noticed that checking "any" for experience will give you a higher rate than checking "0-1", at least in my area. I figured "any" would give you the lowest rate, but apparently not. "Any" gave me $15/hour for 2 kids 5 hours/week, whereas "0-1 years experience" gave me only $11.50/hour for same, which sounds more reasonable.

 

Our YMCA has free parents' night out sometimes for members, and $5/kid iirc for non-members (parents' night out is 3 hours long). I put my kids in day camps sometimes as a break - obviously 2yo is too young, but it'd be easier to get someone to babysit a 2yo than 4 kids.

 

I think if I was trading babysitting hours, I'd trade 2 hours of someone babysitting my one kid (if I had one kid - I have two) for babysitting someone else's 4 kids for 1 hour, so a 2:1 ratio, not 4:1. 4 kids are significantly more work than 1 kid, but not 4 times as much work.

 

Also, your siggie is out of date.

[Aspasia]

I noticed that checking "any" for experience will give you a higher rate than checking "0-1", at least in my area. I figured "any" would give you the lowest rate, but apparently not. "Any" gave me $15/hour for 2 kids 5 hours/week, whereas "0-1 years experience" gave me only $11.50/hour for same, which sounds more reasonable.

 

Our YMCA has free parents' night out sometimes for members, and $5/kid iirc for non-members (parents' night out is 3 hours long). I put my kids in day camps sometimes as a break - obviously 2yo is too young, but it'd be easier to get someone to babysit a 2yo than 4 kids.

 

I think if I was trading babysitting hours, I'd trade 2 hours of someone babysitting my one kid (if I had one kid - I have two) for babysitting someone else's 4 kids for 1 hour, so a 2:1 ratio, not 4:1. 4 kids are significantly more work than 1 kid, but not 4 times as much work.

 

Also, your siggie is out of date.

Our YMCA has parents night out, too! It's one of the main reasons we joined (in addition to homeschool fitness.)

[Ali in OR]

If I'm the caregiver and I enjoy the kids and it's for a neighbor I like and have a friendship with, I don't need to charge the highest going rate. I would be thrilled to be handed $40 cash for 4 hours if the kids don't present any unusual challenges.

[LucyStoner]

She's a neighbor and it sounds like a friend. I agree with Ali- I would be glad to trade and consider the cash a bonus. Ask her and see what she thinks is fair. She probably wants a break as much as you do!

[BooksandBoys]

As a friend, I care for my friends' children for 5 dollars per kid with a max of 10 dollars per hour no matter how many kids.m (going rate in my area is 10 for 1 child plus 5 per each additional child). They are my friends; I'm not interested in gouging them. They do the same for me, which is lucky because I have 3 kids and can't afford 20 an hour. In addition, my friends and I have chosen to pay each other for childcare only when we are working for pay. If I am going to a doctor's appointment or another friend is going out with her husband, we treat that as s swap (and we don't keep score because it works out). In contrast, my friend who isn't comfortable caring for my kids pays me for most childcare I do for her, even her doctor's appointments, because there can't be a swap. Even so, because she's my friend, I offer to watch her kids for free sometimes. I wouldn't expect to pay a neighbor the full going rate for childcare, but I would discuss options as above. Would she like a swap? If not, I'd offer about 10 an hour and see what she says.

 

PS, only 15 years ago, I earned 8 an hour for 2-3 kids in the (very nice) DC metro area. Times have changed quickly!

[Mom22ns]

I think the rate your calculator came up with is probably accurate. Here, I would probably expect to pay $10-15/hour for 4 kids. Dd made $10/hour watching a family with 7 kids once a week, but that was for a 15/16 yr old sitter, not an adult. I'm in a low cost area and would expect a significantly higher rate near DC. $20 would have been my guess, but $18 sounds quite reasonable - although quite painful! I'd watch your kids for $20/hr lol.

[Daria]

I thought some more about it, and I think that you could do less than the $15 I suggested if you are thinking of this as "inviting the kids over" rather than as "babysitting".  

 

If you really just want "me time", and can be flexible about the time so that she can say "We don't have anything planned for Tuesday, can you send them then?" then to me that's not the same burden as if you decide that you want your "me time" to be Thursdays from 8 - 10 so you can take a specific spin class, and she then needs to keep that time free.  

 

Also, when I've been babysitting, or hired a babysitter, I think of them as working for me for that time.  So, I tell them what I want them to feed my kid, and what time I want my kid delivered where, and what the rules are for TV, and they follow those expectations because they're an employee of mine.  On the other hand, when a friend calls and says "it's a emergency,  school's closed for the snow and I have no one for Joey" and I say "send them over" then, in my opinion, I can do whatever I want with Joey.  If I decide to turn on 3 Disney movies back to back so I can get a work project done, or to drag Joey on a bunch of boring errands, or to serve Kraft Mac and Cheese from a box, or to do anything that I'd reasonably do for my own kid even if it's not model parenting, that's fine.  In that case, I don't charge at all, but if it was every week and 4 kids, I'd be happy with $10 or even less, because I'm not doing a job, I'm just incorporating your kid into my life.  

 

Does that make sense?

[Spryte]

I'm also outside DC, and I was going to say $20. I think you could get away with $15, and an equivalent number of hours with her kid, basically $5 an hour and you're trading an hour with her 4 for one of your 4.

I like this plan. I'm also an hour out of DC, and immediately thought $20 - $24. But we are new to being this far out, so I could be off slightly, on the high side, since I haven't adjusted to being so far out.

[clementine]

In our area normal would be $8-10 for one child (increase $2 per additional child) so $15-20 for 4 children.  

[J-rap]

I'd probably offer a flat rate of $50 for the afternoon and leave it at that.

[Chris in VA]

I charge $14 for one 1yo, and go down to ten dollars if it's at night, because I want to support the parents in being able to have some time together. The mom says she is thrilled to pay that. Her previous sitter charged $20.

I am 25 mins from Dc.

Of course, a 30 minute dog walk here is $12 -$15.

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[BlsdMama]

Apparently I just have too many kids to have some time out! 

 

 

I was just thinking my teenagers have earned living at home until they are 40. :)

[AimeeM]

We live in a low COL area and pay $10/hr for one child; a few more dollars per hour for each additional child. For four children I would think $20/hr.

[Reefgazer]

The going rate here is about $10/hour, but when our kids were little we paid about $12-$14/hour to encourage sitters to be available for us.  We're in Norfolk, VA, so I imagine DC would be at least that, if not more.

Edited April 2, 2016 by reefgazer

[lovinmyboys]

I think if you are flexible with your me time you could pay less. I watch my neighbors kids occasionally, but I never charge them. The kids just play with my kids and we do whatever.

 

I had a neighbor ask if I could watch their kids every Wednesday from 3-5 and they would pay me and I said no. I didn't want to have to plan my life around that schedule-even for $20 an hour.

 

I think if you are flexible and don't have a lot of requirements while the kids are there, you can pay less than the going rate. Especially if you reciprocate.