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It's been about 3 years since we last used a babysitter for our 2 kids (now 15 and 12) but I'm not surprised by that $21 an hour rate. We routinely paid $20-$25 an hour for both our kids, and always guaranteed a 3 hour minimum. On weekends/vacations, or for housesitting, we compensated very generously. That's what gets them to say Yes
...seemed to me that babysitters were paid about half of the minimum wage.
That sounds about right when it's the teen from up the block doing it.
At $3-$5/hr MW then... that comes out to the $4-6/hr range. A 5hr evening out for about $20.
Working through an agency - the older women - would cost more.
Today, with a $10-14/hr MW ... that would come out to the $7/hr range. In cash. A 5hr evening out for about $35.
But the teen up the street isn't babysitting and her brother isn't mowing lawns any longer.
(The real issue here)
As with everything else, prices have increased dramatically and they're never coming back down. $20-25 an hour for a babysitter is standard these days. People making less than $40 an hour are America's new underclass. The same people that were poor 10 years ago, are still poor.
I see people complain about jobs making x amount of dollars a hour like school bus drivers acting like its a 40 hour job that also comes with benefits when its actually only part time with no benefits with no job security.
You are only going to use a babysitter for a few hours, pay going rate or do it yourself.
That sounds about right when it's the teen from up the block doing it.
At $3-$5/hr MW then... that comes out to the $4-6/hr range. A 5hr evening out for about $20.
Working through an agency - the older women - would cost more.
Today, with a $10-14/hr MW ... that would come out to the $7/hr range. In cash. A 5hr evening out for about $35.
But the teen up the street isn't babysitting and her brother isn't mowing lawns any longer.
(The real issue here)
I know teens who have done it, but they have done training courses to learn the basics and then get a certificate. I’m not aware that was the norm 20 years ago. My friend’s kid has been asked to nanny this summer (currently 16ish), but she hasn’t gotten her license yet and is unable to do so.
Even 10-15 years ago when my friend’s kids were small, I was hearing about how an evening out would be at least $50, if not much more. No one is paying $7 an hour now.
I have seen people asking for $30 an hour. Prices seem to be driven by wealthy people who will pay that amount and it sets an expectation for everyone. Plenty of people don't have $30 an hour to spend on a sitter or simply refuse to pay that amount because it seems silly. I see teens from well to do families posting on FB that they're available to babysit and that's the rate they're looking for.
If you're hiring someone full time then they deserve a decent salary so they can pay their own bills...but paying someone $25-$30 an hour to basically sit on the couch for the evening seems crazy. I guess people look at it differently in terms of it only being a few hours though.
I remember in the 90's as a teen, babysitting for 3 kids under 5 from like 6pm until 1am and they gave me $15. They were asleep for most of the time...but $15 was cheap for that back then. But I carried on and babysat for them again. That would never happen today. People have become more entitled when it comes to money and what they're worth to do any type of job.
I think it would be tough to trust a $5-7/hour babysitter with your kids today knowing how some sitters physically abuse babies and kids. If they're cheaper than normal, there's a reason, usually bad.
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