How much to pay a babysitter

claire16c

hermum wrote: »

Mum will be doing, (actually I've been saying Friday Saturday night) but it's actually Saturday & Sunday night.
So the sitter will be taking him to school on Monday morning.
The sitter will have complete sole charge, unless there was an emergency that meant Mum leaving work to deal with it, there is nobody else, so lots of responsibility.

Thank you.

I had to get up, get the kid ready for school and take them there, and then get home, then yeah I would want an hour or two added on for that. Making sure they get to school is obviously an important job!

KiKi

Wilma33 wrote: »

Wouldn't it be easier if the boy went and stayed at the childminders house for the weekend for a fixed amount (say £150/£200?). If it was me, I would rather the child came to stay than me spending all weekend in the child's house. I would want paying less if I was in my own house as you could get on with chores etc.

The amount would also depend a lot on the child! Firstly how he behaves during the day and also how well he sleeps, whether he wets the bed regularly, etc.

Are you sure she can do this without being registered (I'm not sure either way)?

I'd say it's FAR worse at your own house - IME, a child is much more settled at night in their own home, with their own bed, and during the day has all the toys and games they need. In someone else's house the child would be under much more 'instruction' as they won't necessarily have the freedom to do as they would in their own home.

I would be much happier with the child being in bed in their own house than in mine. Even at ten years old, it's quite unsettling for some children to be away from home with an adult (as opposed to being away with friends their age).

My house would be more convenient for me, but the child may require a lot more attention and settling, so I wouldn't do it.

KiKi

Spendless

hermum wrote: »

Thank you for that, the evening when she pays £25 is for 4-5 hours, so she can class it as £6.25 an hour, it's the overnight she's most stuck with really & also not sure whether she should pay more for the Saturday as the sitter would only have a few hours off late afternoon early evening before she has him again.
Basing it more or less on what you get paid, if I understand it correctly
Evening £25
Overnight £100
8am -4pm £50 (8 hours @6.25 per hour)
£175 for Friday evening Saturday day

Evening £25
Overnight £100
8-9am £6.25
£131.25 for Saturday evening & overnight

£306.25 for the weekend:eek:

This sitter has been doing the odd evening for most of the lads life, I think she's on the schools contact list if he's unwell etc. Almost a surrogate Gran, so will always be reliable. That's one of the reasons that my friend doesn't want to seem to be taking the mickey.
She just wants to be sure that she's paying her fairly as she knows that he's safe, happy and well cared for.
The perfect sitter really.

Does she have a contingency plan for if surrogate Gran becomes ill/needs an op/dies (especially if she's an elderly lady) :eek:? I know several people who have come unstuck with childcare arrangements due to health problems or death of relatives who were providing care.

hermum

Spendless wrote: »

Does she have a contingency plan for if surrogate Gran becomes ill/needs an op/dies (especially if she's an elderly lady) :eek:? I know several people who have come unstuck with childcare arrangements due to health problems or death of relatives who were providing care.

No she's not elderly, older as in not a kid, I put that badly. I think she's only in her 50's so should hopefully live long enough to see through the years that he needs someone with him, fingers crossed.
I guess that there's as much chance of illness with Mum as with the sitter. He could stay with friends for occasional emergencies.
Sometimes you have to get on with living & not worry about the what ifs.

lindsaygalaxy

My friend does babysitting including overnights through a local nannying agency (she is a qualified nursery nurse with qualifications and first aid training) and gets on average £10 an hour,

liney

Does she have a spareroom for an au pair? eg - http://www.aupair-world.net/index.php/faq/ Itwould also give the child the opportunity to learn about another culture, and possibly aquire some foreign language skills. I assume these shifts aren't every week, so an arrangment could be made to suit both.

Where is the child's Father; he must have some weekend contact too?

hermum

liney wrote: »

Does she have a spareroom for an au pair? I assume these shifts aren't every week, so an arrangment could be made to suit both.

Where is the child's Father; he must have some weekend contact too?

It would be once a month, or once every 4 weeks. She wouldn't want an au pair or anyone else living in the house with them.
She has a sitter, it's just the amount to offer her when they formalise the new working hours she was a little stuck on.
She's a widow, so obviously no contact.

flutterby_lil

OMG i'd never be able to afford to go out if i paid so much!!!

I pay my sister £5 for babysitting for my little lad.

She looked after him Friday from 12 - 5 whilst I was at work, then we went out for a meal in the evening, getting home at 1am, I paid her £10. She was more than happy with that.

Is dad not on the scene?

Another family member?

liney

hermum wrote: »

It would be once a month, or once every 4 weeks. She wouldn't want an au pair or anyone else living in the house with them.
She has a sitter, it's just the amount to offer her when they formalise the new working hours she was a little stuck on.
She's a widow, so obviously no contact.

If it's 2 days, and 2 nights it works out to around 40 hours. 40 hours at £5.00ph (which does not even meet the NMW) is £200.00.

However, the lady isn't qualified, and i'd betting that she won't be registering as self employed and declaring her earnings for tax or benefits purposes. If it was a one off then i'd not be concerned, but on a regular basis I don't think i'd personally be happy with this arrangment as it just isn't 'above board'.

If it's once a month, i'd be more inclined to speak to a friend or family member with children and work out an arrangment where no money changed hands. Or see Grandma.

Nicki

I have a part time nanny who I pay an hourly rate to. A few years ago my husband and I went on a long weekend and the nanny moved in with her husband and child for the weekend to look after the children. At the time I had two children, aged about 7 and 8, with the younger with special needs, and her hourly rate was £12 per hour. For that long weekend I offered £100 per day, which she was happy with, and made sure I had some very nice food in the house to feed everyone with minimal effort. I would have been prepared to negotiate though to make sure it was a figure we both thought was fair.