I stumbled upon a babysitting rate calculator a while back. Mostly out of curiosity I entered the information which fits our household and our normal babysitter. I was given the rate of $5.75 per hour, which is in the ballpark of what we've paid in the past. I usually feel like an idiot when it comes time to pay our babysitter, because we have never really discussed her rate. Why is it that I trust this girl to watch my kids, but yet feel uncomfortable asking her how much she expects to be paid? Of course as someone who babysat plenty as a teen, I don't think I ever gave parents a set rate, just accepted whatever they gave me. I was likely underpaid then, when I made $2.00 an hour for watching FOUR kids, the youngest of whom was in diapers.
Anyway, I am posting this mainly because I'm curious to see how accurate the calculator is for other areas. Is it in the ballpark for you?
6 comments:
It was accurate for me (and I am surprised). The one time we went out we had one of the teachers from the day care center sit for us and we were asked to pay and did pay $10 an hour. The calculator came up with $9.25-$10.25 an hour for us, depending on how many years of experience the sitter had (0-1 vs. 2-4).
$13.25 an hour
Gah.
Good thing grandma's services are free.
I should add that our normal babysitter is 15, and is the daughter of our regular DCP...who lives two blocks from our house. If she were older the rate I get is $7.75 per hour. I guess we live in a "cheap" area!
$13.25? I think I'd start babysitting on the side if I could make that much, oh who am I kidding I wouldn't want to watch another kid!
I don't know anyone around me to babysit the children, and I wouldn't trust any teenage with Lauren anyway. Good thing grandma and the godmother are free.
We do get respite services from the autism centre, but I haven't used them yet. I feel funny calling up a complete stranger to come into my house and watch my kids while I go to a movie.
It came up with $7.75 for me too, which is completely WRONG! That's about half the going rate here AND it's customary here to add a tip too(!). I suppose that explains why we've never hired a babysitter...
It told me $11 for 2 kids with an inexperienced sitter in California. I offered my neighbor $10 and I'll tip her a free hour, which helps to not feel bad if we're running a little late. Effectively she's making between 12 and 13 an hour, which isn't too shabby, and my kids are worth it.
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