How much an hour for a Babysitter?

nesf

jayok wrote:

Ageist, sexist, racist, price extortion, greed, laziness all exist. however, there's an upper limit I'm will to pay a 14 year old. Perhaps that's why minimum wage doesn't apply to minors?

Well, I think the idea is that minors shouldn't (ideally) be in the workplace to begin with. There are tight regulations on the hours that can be worked by young people etc.

dublad23

nesf wrote:

I used to strip down and overhaul industrial electrical motors for £1.20 an hour back in the nineties (which is a fair bit more difficult and skilled than mowing lawns). It wasn't a utopia of high pay for young people back then. I think €5 an hour is fine, assuming the person doing it is happy. It's not like you wouldn't provide food for them etc.

Jesus aren't you brilliant - Working for £1.20 shows stupidity and you were ripped off!

But in fairness I worked for myself so no need to boast about how skilled you think you were!

Sully

Two friends of mine will work from 8/9 - 12 and get 20 euro for it. Also get dropped home.

Personally, I think you should give them a decent wage. They are spending their time when they could be with friends stuck inside in some strangers house babysitting their kids -- and are probably only doing it to earn some money.

nesf

dublad23 wrote:

Jesus aren't you brilliant - Working for £1.20 shows stupidity and you were ripped off!

But in fairness I worked for myself so no need to boast about how skilled you think you were!

Nah, my point was that it was the only work I could find that gave me 40+ hours a week. Some people like to make out how well paid teenagers were back before the euro but the reality was that for the most part we weren't but since most of us needed an income in order to have a social life we got over it and just worked and were happy enough.

deisemum

littlebitdull wrote:

As a parent of teenagers i would say that between 25-30 euro is plenty to be paying them for one evening where they get to sit in your house watching your tv and more than likely eating the nice snack you provide them.

I honestly would not feel they were being exploited for this amount of money.

The boy next door (16) normally comes in to watch a film or play a playstation game with my two who are 11 and 9 (I'm not allowed say babysit as they say they're not babies). His mum will sometimes pop in to check things. We're only ever out for 2 or 3 hours 4 at the most and are normally home between 11 and 12pm.

We give him between €20 and €30 and his mother will not let us give him any more. She feels if he gets what she considers too much money from other sources it will make it harder on her to get him to do anything at home.

the_syco

You could get cheaper, with a younger babysitter, but it depends on the age of your kids. Example: I don't think you'd feel comfortable with a 16yo minding a 1yo or 2yo kid.

Finally, it depends who they're babysitting. Are your kids little angels, or little f*ckers when you're not around? Will they do as they're told, or will they ignore the babysitter if the babysitter is only a few years older than them? Example: a 16yo male may not accept the rules of a 18yo female, and go out with his mates.

Izzyone

We have two children, daughter is seven and son is 16 months, baby is always in bed and asleep when we go out, our babysitter is 17 and we give her €7 an hour but if we are out very late we always give her extra.

I dont think it is a very good idea to leave your precious children with fourteen year olds, our babysitter lives three doors up the road so if anything ever happens her mother can be with her within seconds.

dublad23

the_syco wrote:

You could get cheaper, with a younger babysitter, but it depends on the age of your kids. Example: I don't think you'd feel comfortable with a 16yo minding a 1yo or 2yo kid.

Finally, it depends who they're babysitting. Are your kids little angels, or little f*ckers when you're not around? Will they do as they're told, or will they ignore the babysitter if the babysitter is only a few years older than them? Example: a 16yo male may not accept the rules of a 18yo female, and go out with his mates.

I would hope a parent wouldn't get a babysitter for anyone who is 16!!!!!

kenzie

the_syco wrote:

it depends who they're babysitting. Are your kids little angels, or little f*ckers when you're not around? Will they do as they're told, or will they ignore the babysitter if the babysitter is only a few years older than them? Example: a 16yo male may not accept the rules of a 18yo female, and go out with his mates.

Exactly! There is some families who I would not babysit for regardless of the amount I was paid!

Of course a decent wage is important but it isn't everything. Been treated with a bit of respect from the kids and sometimes even more so the parents. I've seen some of my friends been treated like absolute s**t, like been left sitting in a cold house to like 4 or 5 in the morning with no food. The parents coming home totally out of it-hours after they were due back and then offering to drive them home

unkel

We're very lucky to have my MIL babysit on occasion. If we hadn't I reckon paying a 13-17 yo girl €5 per hour would be very decent. It's just for watching tv most of the time after all!

dame wrote:

8-12 years ago I was making £5 an hour for babysitting. That was the going rate back then.

That really sounds outrageous to me. My wife did a lot of babysitting 15-20 years ago and the going rate in Dublin then was £1 an hour. And the level of responsibility was way higher back then, with the absence of mobile phones and all

dame

unkel wrote:

We're very lucky to have my MIL babysit on occasion. If we hadn't I reckon paying a 13-17 yo girl €5 per hour would be very decent. It's just for watching tv most of the time after all!



That really sounds outrageous to me. My wife did a lot of babysitting 15-20 years ago and the going rate in Dublin then was £1 an hour. And the level of responsibility was way higher back then, with the absence of mobile phones and all

Sounds like the people your wife babysat for were cheapskates or maybe inflation rose by a lot in the few years...or maybe parents in Galway had more disposable income or were more willing to pay decently and keep someone they trusted happy and willing to babysit for their little darlings regularly....

It may just be sitting watching telly most of the time and MIL obviously doesn't mind, but asking a teenager to sit in your house for four hours and giving them 20 quid means you'll probably need to find a new babysitter for each time you go out! If the teenager was related to you or something then maybe €5 might be alright but for anyone else it is a part-time job. There is still a lot of responsibility and there's a lot of difference between sitting at home watching telly or doing what you please around the house, and sitting watching someone else's telly with an eye and ear out for their kids. I'm sure when your wife babysat she was provided with contact phone numbers too, such as the place they'd be, neighbours/trusted friends nearby etc. If she wasn't then the parents made a bit of an oversight.

I hope you show your appreciation for your mother-in-law!

cooperguy

dublad23 wrote:

I would hope a parent wouldn't get a babysitter for anyone who is 16!!!!!

I was thinking the same thing!

unkel

dame wrote:

I hope you show your appreciation for your mother-in-law!

Absolutely! She is brilliant. Not just that, we would not cope without her

abi2007

WOW, I used to get about seven to twelve pounds for a whole night and that was only about eight years ago. Thankgod for grandparents cause i just couldn't afford to pay a babysitter about 50euro, thats usually all i have for a night out.

deisemum

I paid babysitter €50 last Friday for sitting from 6pm to 12.30am. Her mother wouldn't let her accept anymore.

Our night out cost us €275 approx but we hadn't been out together in ages and it was an occasion. We certainly wouldn't spend that much on a normal night out, we wouldn't have been able to afford to anyway.

squire1

deisemum wrote:

Our night out cost us €275 approx but we hadn't been out together in ages and it was an occasion.

SSIA mature, did it?:D

We pay our babysitter €50 for 08:30 to 1am or so. She also gets dropped home. We only use her about twice a month so it is a bit like a retainer (to buy her loyalty :rolleyes: ). We live in a rural area with few willing and acceptable babysitters and as it is we share her with another family in the area. She is 16/17 (transition year) and has expensive shopping taste. €100/month off us and about the same from the other family is not very much for giving up every saturday night, is it?

Anyway, we think it's worth it as she is a star.

deisemum

squire1 wrote:

SSIA mature, did it?:D

1st May I get my SSIA

No, it was our 17th wedding anniversary so went for dinner in a very nice restaurant and then went to a race night fundraiser and didn't win a thing.

Rozabeez

I usually babysit for 6 or 7 euro an hour.

Edit: Someone said "It's just sitting watching tv for a few hours", I'd have to disagree. For me it'd be staying up later and staying alert in case anything happens. I don't think anyone just sits there for a few hours really.

Selphie

Rozabeez wrote:

I usually babysit for 6 or 7 euro an hour.

Edit: Someone said "It's just sitting watching tv for a few hours", I'd have to disagree. For me it'd be staying up later and staying alert in case anything happens. I don't think anyone just sits there for a few hours really.

I agree completely.

greine

My daughter is 15 and babysits once or twice a week for €10 per hour. People generally have no problems with this and always makes sure she gets a taxi home too. She makes a exception with my sister - gets €20 for the night (usually 9pm - 12.30) and stays overnight, but that's family for ya!;)

rachums

im 21 and have a FETAC and CACHE diploma in childcare. The people i used to babysit for (they've moved to NY) had two little girls. When i was babysitting for them I'd play with them, make their tea and put them to bed. The parents were happy to have some one they trust and the girls like and paid me about 11 euro an hr and up to 13 after mid night and if they hadnt been drinking would offer me a lift home,
Id suggest to the op to take into consideration how many children shes sitting for and what she'll be doing ie making tea putting them to bed.
At the end of the day they needed me more than i needed them plus your providing a service!

iguana

I used to do babysitting from the age of 12 up until I was about 23, from 1991 - 2002. When I started babysitting I got about £5 an night. When I was 14-16 I used to babysit two cousins in one of their houses and each of their parents would pay me £5 each. If only one set of parents was going out they would pay me about £7/8. When I was about 18 £10 a night was fairly standard. And the very last time I babysat for anyone I got €80 for 2 and a 1/2 days, Thursday - Saturday.

I always loved babysitting, the money was a bonus rather than the reason for doing it. You get to sit in someone's house, eating their food, watching whatever you want on tv. I was always very good with kids (I have 23 younger first cousins and my mum was a child-minder from when I was 13 so we always had lots of children around and most of them I babysat at weekends) so I enjoyed the time I spent with them.

Anyway, if a babysitter insists on too high a payment the people they sit for will go out less.

dosed

It depends on the time of day and what the babysitter is expected to do.
Fo example, if it is during the day, when they kids are awake and need constant attention, 10-15euro an hour would be nessesary if you want the babysitter to come back!
If its at night, when the kids are in bed asleep, then 8euro an hour is ok, since the babysitter likley won't have much to do. If it is a young baby/child who will wake up, maybe 10euro an hour.
Personally I think 5-6euro an hour is a pretty raw deal for the babysitter, even if they are only 14 or 15, they are taking time out of their weekend to mind your kids, i think 7euro should be the absolute minimum, anything else is taking advantage.

alana

The Fool

luckat wrote:

Wow, prices have dropped! I used to pay £5 an hour in the 1980s!

They must have been queueing around the block to work for you!!
Going rate for working in a shop in the late 80s was £1/hr.

Remember going for a job and interview consisted of "how little will you work for?"

angeldelight

When I babysit my cousin I get paid €50 for the night, I'm usually there from 7.30 and they come home around 2ish at the latest maybe. The child (aged 2) is in bed at 7 or half 7 so I never have to do that. I think in that case it's because her mam is a bit wary of leaving her with people and I'm one of the few babysitters that has been able to get the child back to sleep when she wakes up! Also my uncle picks me up from my house, I stay there that night and he drops me home or I head into college from their house

Edit: And even though people are saying it's sitting there watching tv eating other people's food... if I'm hungry, I order take away and pay for it myself, I usually tidy up all the toys etc so they don't have to do it when they get back and I'm constantly checking on the kids, listening to the tv really low etc. I know her parents wouldn't check as often as I do, as they're so used to it but for me it's actually an active rather than a passive thing as I'd hate if anything happened while she was under my care.

Moonbeam

iguana wrote:

When I was 14-16 I used to babysit two cousins in one of their houses and each of their parents would pay me £5 each. .

5 punds a night was pretty normal back then,When I used to baby sit back in the mid 90s there was none of this getting paid by the hour,you got around 8- 10 euro for a few hours babysitting and then maybe 20 for a long night.
Everyone got around the same,I didn't realise how much kids earn doing this now a days,tax free too;)
1.50 wasn't an unusual wage to get hourly for doing lounge staff work in a pub either.

mawk

dublad23 wrote:

I would hope a parent wouldn't get a babysitter for anyone who is 16!!!!!

Ive had to do it.. awful experience.

he was a little not-very-closet psychopath.. I was really there to protect the two younger ones from him. if i left them alone for more than 37seconds he'd attack them. temper like you wouldnt believe.

I had to spend the whole time pulling him off them and pinning him on the ground with his arms wrapped around his head until he'd calm down.

and the pay was terrible. MOST i ever got was about £45 for 2 days.

worst job ever.

The_Conductor

15 years ago...... yes, I'm showing my age....... I used to get £5 per hour (plus birthday/Easter/Christmas pressies). I bumped into one of the kids I used to babysit a few weeks back- hes in second eng in UCD......eeeek! I feel old.

It was good money- but I took good care of the kids, I was trusted by the parents and got on very well with the families. I know its unusual for a guy to babysit- but there was a shortage of lawns that needed cutting, and I get on great with kids (though they do see me as a pushover..... the kids that is), so everyone was happy.

I really hated babysitting late on winter nights (we lived in the country and didn't have any street lighting at the time). Neighbours had satellite TV and BBC though!

S.