A recent thread on our Facebook page addressed this question and quite a few people chimed in with their experiences and opinions. There seems to be quite a range!
Sittercity.com has lots of information (including a matching service), both for parents seeking sitters and sitters seeking babysitting jobs. The best part, though, is the rate calculator! I was shocked to find that the "going rate" in my area for two kids, a sitter with 1-2 years experience, who is 18-21 years old (youngest option) is $9/hour! That's $1.75 higher than minimum wage...but then again, I'm trusting this person with the most precious people in my life.
Try out the rate calculator and see what pops up as the going rate for your family. Outrageous? Appropriate? Tell us what you think.
All who post a comment to this blog entry by midnight tonight will be entered to win a random drawing for a $5 gift card!
This is Nuts! Well and the reason we don't go out very often. We do pay $8-9 and hour for 3 kids who are potty trained. But it costs more in childcare for the night than the date night its self. Thanks for the post, hopefully this will show people and answer their questions too!
ReplyDeleteUnbelievable! $9 an hour is ridiculous. I understand that these are our most precious people in our lives.... but seriously! When I was a babysitter, I was paid a $1 an hour and minimum wage was $4 an hour. $9 an hour is more than a lot of people make an hour at a regular job (I could never afford to go out at that rate.) Grateful for the girls that babysit for me - who take much less!
ReplyDeleteI think it all depends on what your wanting the baby sitter to do. I think for a couple hours to just come hang out while the kids sleep or play with them then that is way too much but if its more of a nanny situation and they are cooking meals, putting them to bed, driving the to and from activities or school, ect I think that is reasonable. I think it also depends on the age of the sitter. Thank goodness for Grandma's and close friends.
ReplyDeleteThat is a hard one. I haven't had much experience. I am looking for a babysitter currently. Any tips on finding one and how much to pay them would be helpful.
ReplyDeleteBy using the rate calculator, my pay scale is said to be 10.00 an hour. That's more than I make per hr at my job. I put that I have 2 children but I have a infant and a 11 year old. So in reality I really only need a sitter for one child. The older child takes care of himself but needs someone to just be around in the evenings or at night so he is not alone.
ReplyDeleteI understand that we are trusting our most precious people in our lives with these babysitters, but 10.00 is to me, outrageous. Daycares don't even charge that amount. I now see why so many moms or dads choose to stay home while they have younger children at home because they would be paying a babysitter possibly more then they make per hour.
I guess I am a little more in shock then some, as It has been 11 years since I have had a baby around until now. I ususally pay my sitters a flat rate for the day or if they r watching so I can go out and relax or have fun with friends I pay a bit more. If I am working I pay 2.50 hr which is about what wa state pays. I don't know, maybe I'm just cheep?
Wow $9 and hr - I'm in the wrong business! I think$2 an hr is pretty fair - considering most of these girls (or guys) that babysit are teens or preteens that wouldn't be able to make minimum wage anyways. A server minimum waga in idaho is $3.35, so for any mom that's a waitress, most of her paycheck goes for childcare anyways - where's she supposed to get money for diapers and food?
ReplyDeleteit gave me 10.25 an hour! thats why my husband and i never go out because we cant afford to go out AND pay a sitter. we have 8 kids. we do baby sitter swapping with families in our church if we have an appointment the kids cant go to. but otherwise we dont go out. that is EXACTLY why i watch kids for single moms and charge only 1$ an hour per kid. i was a single mom of 4 and my paychecks went solely to pay my sitter so i could keep working. i know what its like not to be able to afford to work.
ReplyDeleteWe have 3 kids and I typically pay $10 an hour for all 3 kiddos. So, it comes out to just over $3 an hour. I baby sat a lot when I was a teenager and I hated giving up my free time on the weekends to baby sit unless I was earning decent money. Also, it is more convenient when the baby sitter is able to drive to and from my house and come to my house. So, it can depend on different variables.
ReplyDeletejust checking
ReplyDelete