What should I pay daytime babysitter?

lovelymama

I have a leaving cert girl available to help me over the summer with my two children. I'm wondering what to pay her. I asked around school - one mum said 6 per hour which I think it very, very little and taking advantage and another said 10 per child per hour which seemed steep.

Has anyone got a daytime childminder please? What do you pay?

I'm not looking for housework to be done - just for her to take care of / play with the girls. It's regular work each week - around 20 hours in all.

The children are 6 and 4 if that has any bearing.

Thanks.

RedXIV

lovelymama wrote: »

I have a leaving cert girl available to help me over the summer with my two children. I'm wondering what to pay her. I asked around school - one mum said 6 per hour which I think it very, very little and taking advantage and another said 10 per child per hour which seemed steep.

Has anyone got a daytime childminder please? What do you pay?

I'm not looking for housework to be done - just for her to take care of / play with the girls. It's regular work each week - around 20 hours in all.

The children are 6 and 4 if that has any bearing.

Thanks.

Kinda suggests €8 is the sweet spot then doesn't it?

If its any good to you, at her age, when I was working for a caravan park doing activies with the kids for 6 hours a day, 5 days a week for €200 so that'd be 200/5 = 40 a day 40/6 = 6.66 which isn't bad. I'd say round it up to €7 or €8 and just leave it at that, its cash in hand so it's pretty much the same as earning €10 in a shop

lovelymama

Thanks RedXIV - the second mum was suggesting 10 per child per hour so that's 20 euro per hour which seemed alot.

An updated price from one other mother at lunch was paying €5 an hour 'and isn't she lucky to get a job' answer - I was kinda shocked when she said it and probably let my face show it.

I'm not suggesting I'm going to pay that either - it's more a general question. Isn't it wrong to take advantage of a teenager just because they can't get a job. And more to the point, how could you scrimp on the very person that you entrust to mind your kiddies? It just doesn't make sense. That just seems wrong? What do you think?

Moonbeam

Maybe agree a weekly fee?
You will be in the house most of the time too?
I think 100 to 150 euro a week would be on the very generous side,in the same situation an au pair would cost alot less.

lovelymama

There are times when I won't be in the house - but I do like the weekly amount idea. It's a nice idea. Thanks for that.

implausible

€5.36 is the minimum wage for someone under 18/inexperienced, so €6 is quite reasonable. And this may sound harsh, but yes, she is lucky to have a job!

LilMissCiara

For 20 hours a week I'd say €130 for the week. That's €6.50 an hour, and if it is regular and it will always be 20 hours a week it might be easier for all if she's paid once a week?

I infrequently babysit for 2 families (will do it regularly this summer for 1). The first family I get €5 an hour, although she often under pays (€15 once for 9pm-3am ) and the other I get €25 for what ever I do (close family friend, although if it's the husband who pays me I get more..! :P)

Catari Jaguar

I used to babysit for about €40 per day (til about 1 or 2 am) when I was in college! 3 insane little boys and that included collecting from school, making their dinner.

Some nights I'd stay over, get them up for school, make breakfast and I'd get like €70. Thought I was rolling in it!:D

Always felt guilty charging a lot because I loved the kids and the Mam was a family friend. Unless there's a baby all you do is watch TV and eat sweets.

implausible

LilMissCiara wrote: »

For 20 hours a week I'd say €130 for the week. That's €6.50 an hour, and if it is regular and it will always be 20 hours a week it might be easier for all if she's paid once a week?

What part of the country are you in? Where I am, you could get a full-time childminder for that.

If the girl was working in a shop, she'd be on €5.36 if she was inexperienced.

unkel

€5-€6 per hour is generous. There's responsibility in the job, but apart from that it is very easy minding a 4 and a 6 year old for a few hours a day. As others said, she wouldn't be making any more working in McDonalds frying hamburgers

I'd say if you'd advertise the job, leaving cert school girls would be queuing around the corner...

LilMissCiara

deemark wrote: »

What part of the country are you in? Where I am, you could get a full-time childminder for that.

If the girl was working in a shop, she'd be on €5.36 if she was inexperienced.

Galway.. I don't see how people can pay tuppence with the attitude of it's easy money and they're luck to have a job. Surely a parent's children are worth paying the babysitter a semi-decent amount.

implausible

LilMissCiara wrote: »

Galway.. I don't see how people can pay tuppence with the attitude of it's easy money and they're luck to have a job. Surely a parent's children are worth paying the babysitter a semi-decent amount.

It's not about what your children are worth - if it was I'd be paying €500 a week (less when he's crabbit;)). Nowadays, it about balancing your household books. For some women, €130 per week is the difference between it being worthwhile to go out to work at all.

And again, I really don't mean to sound harsh, but how many LCs have been successful in finding summer jobs? This is just anecdotal, but in my area over half the students I know (college and secondary) are unemployed and the ones who aren't have been working in a part-time job throughout the year.

kelle

lovelymama wrote: »

another said 10 per child per hour which seemed steep.

:eek: What kind of planet or time-warp is that person living in

My childminder looks after my older two children aged 10 and 8 for €50 a day (8.30-5.30). They're very handy to look after, it's just the cooking she needs to do and play a little football with them. And a few times she was tired so slept on the couch for a few hours which I don't mind as long as she is there if they need her!

angeldaisy

I look after 3 kids, all siblings aged from 5 to 10yrs, on an occasional basis and get 10 euro per hour. I'm happy with that, I would often pick them up from school and feed them as well. I do their homework with them, but other than that they pretty well look after themselves.
However the going rate for full time care seems to be between 100 - 150 per week per child for most childminders (limerick)
I used to pay 25 a day for 4hours after school care for my 5 yr old.