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The babysitter I just hired for this weekend charges $5 an hour...I felt that was too low, so I am aoffering her $20 for the evening. (7:30 until 10) The kids will be in bed at 8, so she will have to give them some milk in their sippy's, watch an episode of Thomas, change their diapers, brush their teeth and then put them to bed.
We used to pay about $6hr in FTW but it was the daughter of a close friend so she was likely a little more reasonable to pay because of that fact.
We were in a jam once and had to pay this other girl like $10/hr. Not that it wasn't worth it but it's not like she actually cared more for my kids than the other girl did who wanted nearly half that.
Recently we went out and had a girl here in Wichita watch our kids. Her policy was $5/hr per family. She watched our 3 kids and 2 of the neighbor's kids for about 4 hrs and we both tipped her for an extra hour because she did such a good job. (effectively $6/hr)
I charged $8 an hour for all of my neighbors- all had either 2 or 3 kids and they were hell on wheels. :P
I also had a very strict policy about late parents. It's unbelievable to me how I would get walked all over by parents who would tell me they'd be home by 11 and would waltz in at 1:30AM without so much as a phone call ON A SCHOOL NIGHT for me. The final straw was when one family was 5 hours late getting back. It was a weekend, but I was only 14 and had to walk home across my neighborhood at 4AM because the parents were too drunk to give me a ride. From then on I made it clear that if they were late from the time they told me, I would charge the hourly fee for every 10 minutes. If they called to let me that they would be late, instead I'd get time and a half like normal overtime.
Some of the kids I sat for were so bratty that I was the only babysitter who would stick more than once, so I got the payment I asked for.
When I worked evenings about 6 yrs ago, I paid a 13 yr old $5/hour for 3 kids (for about 2 - 3 hours). Looking back I should've paid a little more, but I was broke so it was the best I could do. She didn't seem to mind b/c at that age she couldn't get a regular job. The minimum age to work @ McDonalds is 15.
Personally I don't believe in paying someone under age 16 with no vehicle more than $6 or $7/hour. One of my neighbors sent out little flyers saying she charges $7/per hour for 1 kid, and more for additional kids. She was 12 or 13 and still in middle school. I don't think a child that age has enough wisdom or experience to expect that much $$ for babysitting.
Of course I don't need to pay babysitters anymore b/c my "baby" is now 7, and I have a 14 & 12 yr old that can babysit her if needed. I don't pay them since they don't babysit often. If there is a need for an outside babysitter, I use a drop-in daycare center in town that charges $6/hr. I have learned that my experiences with drop-in daycares have been much better than teenagers coming to my home. I don't have to deal with someone eating all my food, inviting their boyfriend over, talking on the phone, etc.
Once I babysat for a family so they could go to a superbowl party. She paid me $10/hour for 2 kids. I was an adult in my late 20's with my own kids (although they didn't come with me), and CPR/first aid certified. I think that was fair considering my experience with kids.
Last edited by wilmingtonangel; 12-02-2008 at 06:55 PM..
Reason: spelling error
but I'm 20, cpr, first aid certified, have been doing this for 5+ years, provide my own transportation etc.
I'd rather pay less than half that and hire the 17 yr old around the corner. She has her own transportation as well. They're called feet. And if something happens that requires CPR or first aid she's fired.
The people is baby-sit for gives me 7 dollars per hour!!
well basiclly minimun wage
hehehe
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