my daughter babysitting...

January20

Spendless wrote: »

A lot of people seem to be paying their babysitter £5 an hour. Considering the min wage is £5.05 (I think) and only applies to people 21 and over, (again I think), which most babysitters aren't, doesn't anyone think this is expensive?

Spendless I am quoting your post but just using it as an example for my argument (not picking on you as I know others have made the same point)

My question is: these babysitters are looking after your children, making sure they are safe and well. What price do you put on that? £2.50 - 3.00 an hour? Is that what the safety of children is worth? Also whether the children are asleep or not, it's still the same amount of responsibility isn't it? There could be an emergency and that is why we do not leave our children alone. I am frankly quite aghast at how little some would pay their babysitters!

7 years ago I used to pay my babysitters £10 for 2 hours (7-9 pm) whilst I was at work.

Of course I have to come clean and admit my DD has started babysitting...

Idiophreak

I'd just state up-front that it's £5-6/hour and it's double that if they're not back when agreed. Sounds fair.

Spendless

January20 wrote: »

My question is: these babysitters are looking after your children, making sure they are safe and well. What price do you put on that? £2.50 - 3.00 an hour? Is that what the safety of children is worth? Also whether the children are asleep or not, it's still the same amount of responsibility isn't it? There could be an emergency and that is why we do not leave our children alone. I am frankly quite aghast at how little some would pay their babysitters!

Well for me it's about who I trust to look after the kids. And I trust my neice who is happy to earn £10-£15 for the night. That is her only income as she does not have a w/end job. I wouldn't trust my friends eldest to look after my goldfish, even if he did charge £5 an hour for doing so.;)

[Deleted User]

for a good, reliable 16+ babysitter. £4 an hour £6 after midnight and a taxi, or escorted walk, home. Plus magazines and a tray of nice snacks.

If it were me babysitting, an experienced reliable granny. I would expect £6 an hour before midnight and I would be prepared to settle children down for the night. They would have to be completely ready for bed though. I would drive myself to and fro

Poppy9

January20 wrote: »

Of course I have to come clean and admit my DD has started babysitting...

After reading this thread are you sure you want her to do that:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

N71

I was paying £4 per hour, for a 16 year old babysitter to look after my two (9 and 6), who were both in bed before we went out. Plus she had use of tv, pc and fridge, and we'd either take her home ourselves, or put her in our taxi and pay the taxi driver.

The only problem we had was on the last couple of occasions she sat, she'd be ringing my mobile from 10.30, asking how long we were going to be as she had to get up for her Saturday job in the morning!!! Don't advertise yourself as a babysitter, if you aren't able to babysit. Its not like we were going clubbing - we were always back before midnight!!

Now, i've got a friend of a friend, who's a qualified Nursery Nurse happy to earn some extra cash. We pay her £6.50 an hour - she drives herself home. Kids are normally in bed, but she's happy to go up and read bedtime stories etc. She's a godsend!

Pink_butterfly_3

Theres a woman who works at the kids nursery that does babysitting to earn a bit of extra cash.

She babysitting for us on Thursday and she charges £5.50 an hour!! Bargain!

1012donna

I've only used a paid babysitter once. We were at a friends house and it was her normal babysitter. We left about 8.30pm and got back about 1am. There was a 3 and year olf (mine) and a 7 and 10 year old (friends) and we gave her £15 each. I thought £30 was a good few hours wages considering the kids went to bed when we left.

I have a girl babysitting later in September and she'll be here from 7.30pm till about midnight and I've offered her £20.