Babysitting woes

[Saffron]

Old thread but interesting for current views. I don't differentiate between day/night pay.

I'd pay closer to ?8/hr and also provide dinner, eg pizza. For teens, I think it's fair to pay for their transport home at night. You want to make sure they got home safely at night in a reputable taxi.

We usually have adult babysitters and expect them to make their own way home, unless some unusual circumstances.

Also, it's nice if the babysitter is first-aid trained. In which case ?5/hr is way too low, IMHO. I was first-aid trained as a teen when I did babysitting. It's just a useful skill to have in general, and a good way for teens to build confidence.

[Belle]

Ultimately they may have to do nothing - but you don't know that for sure. The child could wake up or get ill, or (less likely I know) there could be a fire for example. I see it as paying for the responsibility rather than the task as such. I think I've always paid ?7 p/h and have no problem with that, not least because I have two kids (but have paid ?7 when I just had the one too). I'd usually round it up rather than down.

[susyp]

I used to babysit as a teen and got about ?10 an evening and that was about 25 years ago!

I gave it up after one night when the little girl woke up crying wiht a tummy ache so bad that i had to call her parents home (wouldn't you want to be called!)

they told me to keep the cat in so I did and it pooed i the kitchen - my first experience of cat poo and I couldn't believe the smell so i just shut the kitchen door and pretended i had no idea

when they got home they were pissed off to be called home as they said daughter was making it up and couldn't believe the cat poo hadn't been cleaned up

that was me done .

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I would pay someone properly just so they take it seriously in any case - if you get proper pay then you feel like you are doing a proper job surely?

love this thread

susypx

[canela]

I think it depends a lot on how old the kids are and how far you are going and for how long. If I was just going out for a quick drink at the end of the road and could be home in 5 minutes, I'd be happy using a teenager on a casual basis - and hope to be doing more of this as the kids get older! but whilst they are still small if I ever (unlikely - sigh!) get to go out a bit further afield I would use someone with experience. There are childminders who babysit for ?8 an hour. I remember babysitting as a teenager and just not having a clue what to do if the little one woke up crying - as they sometimes did. I think it's unfair to put someone in that situation.

[yeknomyeknom]

?5 an hour is far too cheap!

[traveller1]

I think ?5 is a bit low for babysitting. We pay teenagers $6 an hour in the evening and ?8 after school. Sometimes my husband does walk them home (if local) because we (and their parents) are uncomfortable with putting them in a minicab alone at night. I would never use a 'young' teen for a late night or one that is a bit further afield.

I'm always surprised that people are willing to underpay someone who is tasked with looking after their children. We have had many different babysitters over the years and the ones that i really like, I definitely pay more to hold on to. We have been very fortunate that we have had lovely and, crucially, reliable babysitters over the years. I would suggest that your daughter turn down future jobs as there is plenty of demand out there for good babysitters!