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How Much Is Fair To Pay A Teen Babysitter?


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#1 Andrea V

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Posted 10 June 2007 - 07:32 PM

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<3

#2 Dustyzz

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Posted 11 June 2007 - 02:04 PM

QUOTE(Andrea V @ Jun 10 2007, 08:32 PM) View Post
The babysitter is CPR certified, and has a lil brother or sister (for the experience part)....

What is considered to be "fair-pay" and what is GREAT-PAY!?????

Of course it depends on how many kids they are watching, and how old the kid is..... but still

What if the kid is 8, and good behavior?


I don't know if it's fair or not, but I pay our 16 yr old neighbor $8 bucks an hour for watching our 3 yr old....

Hope this helps,
/dusty
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#3 MikeinFolsom

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Posted 11 June 2007 - 04:52 PM

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.

#4 MikeinFolsom

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Posted 11 June 2007 - 04:53 PM

Oh yeah, forget the part about CPR. Ever seen a grown adult in a crisis situation try to attempt CPR? Ineffective at best. Now throw a teenager in there, or better yet, a 12 year old. Not a chance. I don't care what you say.

#5 D's TK

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Posted 12 June 2007 - 08:08 AM

QUOTE(Andrea V @ Jun 11 2007, 07:12 PM) View Post
I FULLY agree, but they all seem to claim to be CPR certified.... and that is the ONLY thing that seems to stand out between the choices of teen babysitters.


Hi there, A.V.

I agree with MikeinFolsom...I know adult/child/pediatric CPR, and while it is not so hard to learn...in a crisis situation, I think most people would be lucky to be able to focus on doing it correctly...let alone a teenager. It's a great skill to have if you have kids or are around kids, but it's not something I would count on. As long as you have a phone, I would instruct any babysitter to dial 911 in an emergency situation and let the professionals handle it. Definitely the key is to find someone who will interact with your child(ren) and not camp out in front of the TV or spend their whole time on their phone, talking or texting. Don't be shy about insisting that they interact with your child...that's what they are getting paid for smile.gif! The pay sounds about right...they seem to be charging about $8 - $10 per hour, which I think is a fair price to get out of the house for awhile tongue.gif When I was a teenager (way back in the stone age! lol!) I charged $1.00 per hour for babysitting....wow, how the times have changed...I guess inflation affects everyone...even teenage babysitters! laugh.gif

**On a side note - I am a "retired" daycare provider who lives in Natoma Station and I still do occasional childcare @ $7.00 per hour. I am currently going to school (although I don't have to leave the house because it is a distance learning program) so I am available most anytime, if you are looking for someone smile.gif. I love to interact with young people and I really like to engage them in art projects and scientific stuff! Please feel free to contact me if you are interested, and I would be happy to tell you more about myself and answer any questions you might have rolleyes.gif.

#6 supermom

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Posted 12 June 2007 - 08:19 AM

ha- you're getting gipped. No way in heck I would pay that much for a baby sitter unless the kid is under 5 years. After that they pretty much sit themselves for two or three hours and just need a arm to reach the cupboard or someone to PLAY with them. You guys are paying way to much. I have an occasional sitter and this is what I tell her.

I'll buy a pizza for you to share with kids, and I'll pay you a fair wage depending on what the kids tell me how you sat.

If you catch them doing something naughty and stop it before it gets crazy (like pulling a bag of flour out of the way and accidently dropping it on the floor) I will give you a bonus. If you answer the phone within 2 rings when I call and I know you haven't been sitting on my phone I'll give you a bonus.

I pay $10 bucks for 2 1/2 hour services and I give a five buck bonus total if the sitter has done well.

A kid CPR trained is invaluable in a crisis. I watched an 11 year old clear the airway of a kid choking on a Dorito one time. The kid did it all right and even followed through with an immediate call to the 4 year olds parents and then her own parents.

If you really want to be conscientious about the kid you hire-don't just take the CPR certificate for granted-quiz the kid.



#7 tessieca

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Posted 12 June 2007 - 09:18 AM

Folsom has an ongoing babysitter certification program through Parks & Rec. It includes a CPR component. I'm sure that's what they're talking about when they claim CPR certification. The good part about the course is that they deal with lots of babysitting related issues, including but not limited to emergencies. Every teen has a cell phone these days, and they should all know to call 911 in an emergency. If they have at least had the CPR training, the 911 operator will be better able to talk them through what they need to do. Kids are more likely to cut or burn themselves than to stop breathing, though, so you should ask the babysitter if they know what to do if there's a deep cut or the child touches something hot and burns a finger, etc.

The rates you guys are quoting sound close. Kids 14 and over can get $7.50 an hour if they find work elsewhere.

My daughter co-babysits with her friend. She is babysitter certified; the friend is not. It's a really good plan because they can handle 3 kids a whole lot better than one 14-year-old could. If they have a challenge, two heads can be better than one. They don't charge more, just split the earnings between them.
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#8 D's TK

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Posted 12 June 2007 - 10:13 AM

QUOTE(tessieca @ Jun 12 2007, 10:18 AM) View Post
Folsom has an ongoing babysitter certification program through Parks & Rec. It includes a CPR component. I'm sure that's what they're talking about when they claim CPR certification. The good part about the course is that they deal with lots of babysitting related issues, including but not limited to emergencies. Every teen has a cell phone these days, and they should all know to call 911 in an emergency. If they have at least had the CPR training, the 911 operator will be better able to talk them through what they need to do. Kids are more likely to cut or burn themselves than to stop breathing, though, so you should ask the babysitter if they know what to do if there's a deep cut or the child touches something hot and burns a finger, etc.

The rates you guys are quoting sound close. Kids 14 and over can get $7.50 an hour if they find work elsewhere.

My daughter co-babysits with her friend. She is babysitter certified; the friend is not. It's a really good plan because they can handle 3 kids a whole lot better than one 14-year-old could. If they have a challenge, two heads can be better than one. They don't charge more, just split the earnings between them.


I have to disagree with part of this...all teens DO NOT have a cell phone these days. And cell phones should be used as a last resort. Anywhere a teenager is babysitting, there should be a working land line, as this will bring help much faster in an emergency since the address will come up automatically at the dispatch center. Also, performing CPR is challenging, at best, with both hands...you can't do it while holding a phone. If a child stops breathing or is choking and starting to turn blue, it's time to call 911 and get help on the way prior to starting CPR. CPR does not have a very high success rate, even when performed properly, and should be left to professional emergency medical technicians or paramedics, if possible. I mean, CPR is better than nothing, and I think it should be started right away if help is more than a couple of minutes away, but it has a much better chance of working when performed by technicians who have the right equipment and training.

I do agree with the fact that babysitters should be informed as to how to handle other, more common emergencies such as cuts and burns. The dept. of parks and rec (I believe...not 100% sure) also offers a pediatric first aid class. I would be more inclined to hire one that had taken this training than the CPR.

#9 October15

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Posted 12 June 2007 - 03:12 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.


This sounds like what our daughters get. If you have girls...it's GENERALLY but not always easier...so I'd up the dollar value on active boys!

The other thing we considered was...how hard is it to keep a good babysitter--that our kids know...and how motivated do we want them to be to change prior plans when we call to see if they're available. Sometimes we paid MORE than we thought fair because we wanted motivated sitters.

There's another thread on this topic from a few months ago...

#10 cybertrano

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Posted 14 June 2007 - 08:46 PM

I paid my babysitters hamburgers and whoppers. mellow.gif

#11 ambrno33

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Posted 14 June 2007 - 08:55 PM

I think $7-8 dollars an hour is way too cheap! You're paying someone to watch your children... Maybe for a twelve year old, but if a high school student is watching your kids there should at least be some incentive. Working at a real job and gaining job experience while getting a good discount at your favorite store looks better on a future resume than taking kids to the park and keeping their shoes tied.

#12 Suzyque565

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Posted 14 June 2007 - 09:28 PM

Don't get me wrong, but I have a hard time with the idea of paying a babysitter $8.00 an hour if the child is sleeping at night. Why are babysitters getting paid so much? I know they shouldn't get the $ .50 an hour like we did.. but how do they justify making almost more than someone working at McDonald's? Usually providing them with dinner, snacks, and I would think $ 5.00 an hour for evenings to late night should be sufficient or a flat rate which is discussed prior. If I was to pay $ 8/hr, then they better not be hanging on any phone talking with their friends or parked in front of a TV. If there was more than one child I could see a higher amount... times have changed I guess...

#13 cybertrano

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Posted 18 June 2007 - 01:16 PM

I would pay babysitters 10 dollars/hour.

#14 stacycam

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Posted 18 June 2007 - 03:36 PM

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.

#15 FabGab

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Posted 07 July 2007 - 01:34 PM

I only higher babysitters that are 18+. I pay $10 and hour for 3 babies (1, 2, & 3), plus my 12 year old (isn't a baby). My sitter doesn't have to make them dinner or bathe them. They are fed and put in PJ's by the time she arrives. My 1 year old is already in bed asleep. All she has to do is read my 2 & 3 year old a story, put them to bed. Then she just kicks back and relaxes while watching TV with my 12 year old.






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