babysitting charges

mocolo

Hi,

I posted this on debt free board and was advised to try you guys.

Can anyone in the know advise me what the going rate for babysitting is now? I am thinking of trying it to supplement, but I do not have a clue what I could be earning. I could do it when I was 16, so hope that I still remember how,

thanks, mocolo

wendyl1967

We pay out 15 year old babysitter £10.00 for the evening whether we are out for 2 hours or 6 hours. It is usually around 4 hours. The children are usually up for about an hour or so and then go to bed so it then an easy 3 hours. They are also 11 and 8 so it is not a hard job!!

This seems to be the going rate around here in our area. Preston

emma_b_4

hiya i have a babysitting job and get £25 per night, for three kids 7pm till 11.30 (extra fiver after) it might seem a bit pricey for some but i was poached by the parent i work for from a nursery i worked at, as they wanted some1 police checked and experienced.

i would say depends on your age and exp too.

Counting_Pennies_2

If you have any form of childcare training it is possible to sign up with your local babysitting service. You get paid anywhere from £5 - £10 depending on the agency you are with.

They text you when a job comes up in the area (parents have to pay a membership fee to the agency, so they are known to them) and you call back and confirm the details.

Alternatively I would suggest putting a card in your local shop windows and not put an amount, and when you get a call say £5 per hour.

Paying out anything less than that to me suggests the carer isn't being paid sufficient to look after the most precious part of their life!

wendyl1967

When they were babies and toddlers, I paid a neighbour who was 21 and nneb qualified £5 an hour.

Now they are older I pay a neighbours daughter less. Her mum set the rate. She gets to chill out watching our tv, (she has three brothers so enjoys the time alone!!) eating our snacks with one friend, watching dvds. Not exactly hardly work!! My boys are 8 and 11 so they do not need running around after. Her parents are usually home so if there is a problem (never has been) they are in.

emma_b_4

younger children need more "care " so i would expect to be paid that bit more, for older children, they usually entertain themselves dont they so i would expect a bit less.

£5 per hour sounds about right for younger children

Rachie_B

we used to use an agency, https://www.sitters.co.uk and paid £5.25 per hour for a saturday evening

the rate varies depending on area i think

i now do some babysitting myself and charge £5 per hour

waterlilyann

I get about £20 - £25 for the evening but the children require quite a lot of looking after so it's well worth it! But for other families I get as little as £10 for the night. I always let the family decide how much they want to pay me - seems to uncomfortable to say £?? per hour!!

welshliz

i used to get £15 per night from my auntie, i used to sleep over aswell though and get up with the kids and make breakfast for them.

suki21

I used to charge depending on the age and number of children, and also the family! Started at £3.50 per hour for one lovely child, but if I knew it would be hard work then I would charge about £5...which I also used to charge for babysitting for 4 absolutely gorgeous girls all under the age of 4 but so perfectly behaved. It's always best to have an idea in your head of the minimum amount you're willing to work for but make sure the family is happy with what they will pay - sometimes they will have a really clear idea of what they want to pay and sometimes they'll want you to just tell them. one family used to pay me £10 an hour and I wasn't going to complain! Generally, though, £5 an hour is a pretty good going rate and double or 1.5x after midnight.

Spendless

wendyl1967 wrote:

We pay out 15 year old babysitter £10.00 for the evening whether we are out for 2 hours or 6 hours. It is usually around 4 hours.

This is exactly what I do. I think I answered the OP on the DFW board. I pay £25 for 9.5 hours at a nursery, a childminder would be £3 an hour so I would find £5+ an hour for a babysitter a lot.
I'd definately look into childcare prices within your own area before deciding how much you are going to charge.