my daughter babysitting...

Carmina_Piranha_3

it's been many years since i babysat, but i enjoyed having total control over the TV for the evening and would have done it for free 18 years ago i got paid £3 for about 4 hours, and £5 on new year.

did they pay her before going out, or when they got back? maybe it depends on how much cash they have in their pockets at the end of the evening?

my regular babysitting couple used to put my wages on the fireplace before they went out, but another family i sat for would pay me when they got back and the bloke tried to give me far too much when he was drunk, his wife stopped him from overpaying but he slipped me more money when she wasn't looking :rotfl:

were they drunker on the occasion they paid £15?

enor

Babysitting can be really varied. Sometimes you'll get there and the children will be exhausted from a busy day and will already be in bed; other times they'll be tearing the house down at ten at night. Its all part of the job and you won't be paid more if the children were harder work than normal.

The best way to solve it is to have a set fee before hand (If she hasn't had much experience its probably best charge half a local agencies fee). If you don't you'll find that people will give you what they've got left in their pocket after a night on the town.

Make sure the hours are worked out before hand so when someone asks you to babysit you can say an exact figure for the babysit. That way there should be no excuses when they don't enough money when they're back.

Its very hard to aggree on the right price for babysitting as £10 - £15 for an evenings work is fine for some people but there are plenty of others who will want £30. If she wants to earn the higher amount the best thing to do would be to print up some flyers and deliver them to posh houses. Well off people (with some exceptions) go out loads and in our experience are always looking for babysitters. The work will probably be harder and you may have to cook and put the children to bed but you will get paid well for it (usually because they're drunk and have got back two hours after they said they would).

Bamber19

i think the clear thing is you need to negotiate the price beforehand, there's also not really a standard price it's just something both parties have to agree upon.

wacko911

Minimum wage for 16-17 yo is £3.30 and £4.45 for 18-21 yo

pinkshoes

Unless a child is ill, then babysitting isn't exactly hard work. For £5 an hour, you'd expect a babysitter with childcare qualifications. If it's just an under 16 teenager, then £3/hour seems reasonable, and maybe more if a child pukes or they have to deal with "an incident"!

I mean, they can help themselves to food, watch tv, and do their homework, AND they get paid for it... not exactly difficult!

I used to babysit 4 kids when i was 15 (kids aged 4, 6, 9 and 10), and i used to read bedtime stories to the youngest two, then help the oldest put the 5 horses in the stables!! By 9pm they were all in bed and I got my entire weekend's homework done, and got paid £10 or £15, depending how late they were.

So I guess £15 would be reasonable now, or maybe £20 if it's very late.

SSB

When our children were 6 and 8, we had a babysitter from 19.00-24.00 and paid her £12 with unlimited snacks and a lift home.

Little_John

I used to babysit for free, it was for friends of mum and dad who only went out maybe 3 or 4 times a year, they had already got ready for bed so then they put n a show. The kids were brilliant showing how they had perfected the climbing up the door frames and hanging from the top. going up the stairs the wrong side of the rail and climbing over when they got the the ceiling. They totally ignored everything they were told to do. But by 10pm they were knackered and ended up asleep where ever they fell so I just had to carry them upstairs and put them in bed.

The parents would love it as the following morning the kids were asleep well past 9:30 and once as late as 11am the following morning and often asked what I had given them to knock them out. I just wore them out plane and simple. in the summer months I took them to Blackpool on days out when their mum and dad were going out for the night spent a fortune on the pleasure beach, took them to a resturant for somthing to eat where they behaved impecibly went to the pictures after. We had a few really good days out. I enjoyed them and I think the kids did they all still stop and speak to me if they see me one of them even has a kid of his own now now that makes me feel old.

As for the OP's daughter, she has now learnt an important lesson in that she needs to layout her stall before doing anything, tell them the price for the number of agreed hours, and inform them of any penalties for going over those hours if they turn up late and always insist on some way of getting home either escorted or a taxi if they arrive back after dark.
I don't think £5 an hour is alot to ask especially if she is looking after 4 kids, the fact that 2 may already be in bed doesnt matter she isnt there to be a mother she is there to be a slave to the kids pretty much if they wake she has to deal with them and sometimes it isnt easy to care for a child that wants nothing but their mum. £1 per child per hour is a good way to go and a penalty of double if they are late for any extra unagreed hours and part hours count as a full hour. It isnt fair to expect anyone to hang arround without telling them.

I hope she gets it sorted I would even consider asking them for more money based on the fact they gaver her £15 the last time why only £10 this time.

laurajayne

I used to babysit quite regularly for my next door neighbour (they'd stand and watch me get in through the door to make sure I got home safe lol).

I never really agreed a set amount with them, I knew that if they were coming home late then they'd give me more..although I genereally refused if they tried to pay me more than £20.

I babysat for their two sons, and started when the youngest was about 6 months old.

It wasn't really that difficult, I'd get access to their DVD collection, and food, and they did always offer me the beers in the fridge...although I never drank them lol. If I baby sat during the day (school holidays for instance) then they'd pay me about £25 for a full day as both the boys were up and active.

I'd agree a set rate before she babysits again though...

summerday

Miss_Behaving wrote: »

I pay £6 per hour for my babysitter and give her £5 on top for a taxi home. £2.50 an hour is definitely unacceptable - most agency babysitters earn £7.50-£10.00 per hour.

Really? I'm surprised as I work for a nationwide babysitting agency and earn between £5.10 and £5.50 an hour. Also the agency only hires people with childcare qualifications. But I can understand that London area etc would pay more.

Rachie_B

hobbesy wrote: »

I'm on the lookout for another reliable babysitter at the moment as sadly 16 year olds don't stay 16. They grow up and get jobs the annoying so and sos ;-)

They have usually been babysitting when I am at work, although I hardly make a fortune I still feel its fair they get a fair wage. At 15 with one child to look after my first babysitter got £3 per hour before midnight and £4 after (which it rarely was) and lift to here and back after. After my second child our second sitter was 16 and we put money up to £4.50 per hour before midnight and £5.00 after, or £5.50 if daytime so both kids were up, again with a lift home, drinks, snacks, etc. I know a qualified childminder or charges these rates if she does evening babysitting, both girls had much younger siblings but not first aid, childminder qualified obviously so i think we're fair.

Need to find a new nice young teenager lurking though now. Any suggestions? Was thinking of putting a card up at nursery asking for recommendations.

Keri -x-

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