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How Much Is Fair To Pay A Teen Babysitter?


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#16 October15

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Posted 07 July 2007 - 02:14 PM

QUOTE(stacycam @ Jun 18 2007, 04:36 PM) View Post
We pay our 20-year-old babysitter $9-$10/hr. I think she is worth every penny. Just having someone we can trust and that our kids are comfortable with is worth it. I do have a very active 2-year-old boy, so I know she is working for her money. I think you get what you pay for. Also, I have to pay her more than (or as much as) she can make elsewhere. I know I wouldn't give up my Friday night to hang out with kids if the pay wasn't right.



$10 seems like a good price from my experience with our youngest (going on 17) who sits. If you have someone you like...pay them well...our experience was that a good babysitter can be hard to find! Some people will disagree with me...and more power to them if they can keep a good one for a lower rate. The other poster said that she only hires over 18. At that point I'd pay at LEAST $10 as our experience has been that 16 and up are hard to keep as they have busy lives themselves.

#17 supermom

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Posted 07 July 2007 - 02:29 PM

QUOTE(October15 @ Jul 7 2007, 03:14 PM) View Post
$10 seems like a good price from my experience with our youngest (going on 17) who sits. If you have someone you like...pay them well...our experience was that a good babysitter can be hard to find! Some people will disagree with me...and more power to them if they can keep a good one for a lower rate. The other poster said that she only hires over 18. At that point I'd pay at LEAST $10 as our experience has been that 16 and up are hard to keep as they have busy lives themselves.

Perhaps that is the difference in rates. FabGab and StacyCam both have young toddlers. No way I would pay that much for a teen to hang out with my 9 and 10 year olds. Really--it's more like hanging out for that age group than actually babysitting.

However--I have been known to trade--One or 2 sessions (2 or 3 hours each) in exchange for movie tickets and $10 bucks in cash. Yeah it doesn't sound like much--but I pay for a friend as well.

Once I paid a teen $20 bucks (last summer) to take my kids to sunsplash. All tickets paid by me. Plus my spending money for all of them for snacks and video games. I think the teen had fun-my kids actually listen to the teen and I got to enjoy a day IN the house without kids!! Too funny--long story---basically I just needed a break.

Anyway--my point--when pricing sitters you can't just base the prices by education and age of the sitter. Also compare just how much the sitter is going to need to do with your kid. That makes a big deal, I think.

When my two kids were little 12 weeks and 20 months--I went to a wedding. I was gone for 4 hours. Another mom had a baby about 20 weeks old and I think there was other kid there around 3 years old. We hired 3 college aged sitters and paid a small fortune--+ $300.

That was worth it.

#18 FabGab

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Posted 07 July 2007 - 02:54 PM

I just came back from Disneyland with the family. I hired a soon to be senior to come along.
She rode down with us in our cute little minivan (we left at 3am). She slept and kept the kids happy with water, games, and watching DVD's. She stayed with us in our hotel suite. Hubby, I and 2 kids(12 & 1) in one room and her and my 2 & 3 year old in the other room. Her responsibility was to help with the 2 strollers in the park, ride on the kiddy rides with the kids and overall, be our extra hands - so as to not enslave our 12 year old on her summer vacation too!

Her reward/payment...2 day park hopper to disneyland and her meals paid for. Also, one night my husband stayed in the hotel with the kids and I returned to the park with her and my 12 year old to do all the fun adult rides from 9-12pm. She had a blast! We all had a blast!

So I guess it just comes down to finding the right babysitter and what makes them happy.

#19 October15

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Posted 07 July 2007 - 08:53 PM

QUOTE(FabGab @ Jul 7 2007, 03:54 PM) View Post
Her reward/payment...2 day park hopper to disneyland and her meals paid for. Also, one night my husband stayed in the hotel with the kids and I returned to the park with her and my 12 year old to do all the fun adult rides from 9-12pm. She had a blast! We all had a blast!

So I guess it just comes down to finding the right babysitter and what makes them happy.



Wait...that was HER reward? How did you score another session of the fun rides, FabGab...you gotta good husband there...hold onto him. :-)

#20 FabGab

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Posted 07 July 2007 - 09:20 PM

QUOTE(October15 @ Jul 7 2007, 09:53 PM) View Post
Wait...that was HER reward? How did you score another session of the fun rides, FabGab...you gotta good husband there...hold onto him. :-)


LOL...he is a AWESOME husband...no need to trade this one in...LOL

#21 Newbie

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Posted 13 October 2007 - 06:16 AM

I'm 12 and I charge $5.00 an hour for 1-2 kids. If you have three or more, it's $7.00. I've had experience with if you charge too much, no one will hire you.

-Hannah tongue.gif

#22 Jolene

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Posted 13 October 2007 - 07:13 AM

I am willing to pay more because, hello? Watching my child? I'm willing to pay to make it worth it to them to do a good job.

Now thankfully, I don't have to hire a sitter all that often (close family and good circle of friends where we often trade off), so perhaps it's easier for me to say so. But just today, we are hiring a sitter for the first time. She said she usually leaves it up to the parent as to what they think is fair, but generally gets between 5-7.00 for one kid and 10-12 for two. She is 15 years old and is incredibly responsible and I trust that she is going to do a great job with Jessica today.

For today, I likely will simply pay her a flat rate, because she is going to be here for over 8 hours. She will come in the morning to be with Jessica, while Jesse and I head out to our birthing class, then around noon, she will take Jessica with her to the dance studio where she (the sitter) has some dance lessons and then she will bring her home. We will be gone all day, and because she is 15, she needs to rely on her mother or her sister to transport the two of them back and forth. Because I know her well and trust her with Jessica and because I know the inconvenience that will be put forth for her mom and sister in transporting the two of them, I will likely pay more than what other people would.

Generally, in a lot of cases, I pay on the Joy/Duck scale. That dictates that you pay until your heart feels you have fully compensated the person for the service they have provided. Again, she is providing care for my daughter. Even taking her with her when she has lessons to attend to today. I am grateful that she was able to help us out on such short notice and will pay her accordingly for the care and convenience that she is providing us.

I also believe that teenagers have just as much of a right to be paid fairly as adults do. Why should sitters get paid more than a McDonald's worker? Have you SEEN some of the kids that require babysitting out there? I think that it can definitely be a harder job than flipping burgers.

And I think they deserve something for getting out there and working.

Just my thoughts.
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING MY GIRL.
We could not be doing this without you.
Much love and gratitude.

#23 LexHillsmom

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Posted 14 October 2007 - 04:31 PM

QUOTE(cybertrano @ Jun 18 2007, 02:16 PM) View Post
I would pay babysitters 10 dollars/hour.


Cyber, your kids are so cute a babysitter should have to pay you!

#24 TOOK-er

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Posted 14 October 2007 - 08:10 PM

QUOTE(MikeinFolsom @ Jun 11 2007, 05:52 PM) View Post
Yep, we pay $7-$8 an hour for one kid, usually $10 for two. We have 7 and 4 year old daughters. Haven't left the 8 week old with anyone yet, but i'm guessing we'll be on the hook for $10+ when we finally do. That is...if they're good and play with the kids, not sit on the couch and watch tv.


ok so im turning 17 and for 3 boys i charge 10.00 the kids love me. im CPR certified and a lifeguard. and i just want to say you give YOUNG ADULTS too little credit for CPR i have been trianed for 2 years now and i KNOW that i could hold out until an Ambulance got to the place. us "kids" are more competent than people give us credit for. i mean i hate to sound overly proud (can't think of the word) but i have lifeguarded for 2 years. i don't see how you can say that i am incompetent in crisis, when i have been trained and drilled to learn and practice how to do it. i have also been in the Boyscout programs (yes i am male) for a little under 11 years. each year i am in boy scouts for different merit badges (mostly aqatic stuff) you have to know CPR. i am very confident in that respect.

#25 TOOK-er

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Posted 14 October 2007 - 08:14 PM

QUOTE(Newbie @ Oct 13 2007, 07:16 AM) View Post
I'm 12 and I charge $5.00 an hour for 1-2 kids. If you have three or more, it's $7.00. I've had experience with if you charge too much, no one will hire you.

-Hannah tongue.gif


hey hanna don't sell your self short. i have been doing this for a while, and if you have ANY expirience with kids bump up your prices just a little. i have three sisters all under 7 years. i work at a preschool and am a life guard, so i charge 7.50 for one kid (minimum wage) 8.50 for two (extra work) and 10 for three (gotta keep all three entertained). so if ur new ok, but get going, i mean i use this money to help pay my car!!!

#26 TOOK-er

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Posted 14 October 2007 - 08:16 PM

QUOTE(FabGab @ Jul 7 2007, 03:54 PM) View Post
I just came back from Disneyland with the family. I hired a soon to be senior to come along.
She rode down with us in our cute little minivan (we left at 3am). She slept and kept the kids happy with water, games, and watching DVD's. She stayed with us in our hotel suite. Hubby, I and 2 kids(12 & 1) in one room and her and my 2 & 3 year old in the other room. Her responsibility was to help with the 2 strollers in the park, ride on the kiddy rides with the kids and overall, be our extra hands - so as to not enslave our 12 year old on her summer vacation too!

Her reward/payment...2 day park hopper to disneyland and her meals paid for. Also, one night my husband stayed in the hotel with the kids and I returned to the park with her and my 12 year old to do all the fun adult rides from 9-12pm. She had a blast! We all had a blast!

So I guess it just comes down to finding the right babysitter and what makes them happy.


if you ever need a babysitter i am at your service!!! email me smile.gif

#27 cw68

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Posted 14 October 2007 - 09:20 PM

QUOTE(TOOK-er @ Oct 14 2007, 09:10 PM) View Post
ok so im turning 17 and for 3 boys i charge 10.00 the kids love me. im CPR certified and a lifeguard. and i just want to say you give YOUNG ADULTS too little credit for CPR i have been trianed for 2 years now and i KNOW that i could hold out until an Ambulance got to the place. us "kids" are more competent than people give us credit for. i mean i hate to sound overly proud (can't think of the word) but i have lifeguarded for 2 years. i don't see how you can say that i am incompetent in crisis, when i have been trained and drilled to learn and practice how to do it. i have also been in the Boyscout programs (yes i am male) for a little under 11 years. each year i am in boy scouts for different merit badges (mostly aqatic stuff) you have to know CPR. i am very confident in that respect.

TOOK-er, you rock. I know you and know that I could completely trust you in any situation. You're more mature and confident that half the adults I know! Now that I know you babysit, too, you're going to get some bidness from me! But my kids might want your little sisters to come with and then you'll have your hands full. wink.gif

#28 Ras712

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Posted 15 October 2007 - 05:20 AM

QUOTE(Suzyque565 @ Jun 14 2007, 10:28 PM) View Post
but how do they justify making almost more than someone working at McDonald's?

Uhhh.. how about, THEY ARE CARING FOR YOUR CHILDREN, NOT A CHEESEBURGER!!! Sheesh...
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#29 TOOK-er

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Posted 18 October 2007 - 07:16 PM

QUOTE(cw68 @ Oct 14 2007, 10:20 PM) View Post
TOOK-er, you rock. I know you and know that I could completely trust you in any situation. You're more mature and confident that half the adults I know! Now that I know you babysit, too, you're going to get some bidness from me! But my kids might want your little sisters to come with and then you'll have your hands full. wink.gif


Why thank you *blushes* laugh.gif

#30 _john_doe_

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Posted 19 October 2007 - 09:20 AM

We pay $20 / hr.

What work I have done I have done because it has been play. If it had been work I shouldn't have done it. Who was it who said, "Blessed is the man who has found his work"? Whoever it was he had the right idea in his mind. Mark you, he says his work--not somebody else's work. The work that is really a man's own work is play and not work at all. Cursed is the man who has found some other man's work and cannot lose it. When we talk about the great workers of the world we really mean the great players of the world. The fellows who groan and sweat under the weary load of toil that they bear never can hope to do anything great. How can they when their souls are in a ferment of revolt against the employment of their hands and brains? The product of slavery, intellectual or physical, can never be great.
Mark Twain




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