What is the going rate for babysitters. I am going to have the neighbour girl watch my 8 and 5 yr old for a few hours a couple days a week. And I'm not really sure what to pay her. Does anyone hvae any suggestions? I could really use some help w/ this cause the parents really don't care thay just don't want it to be too much. And half of what she makes has to go in the bank the other half she is saving for an ipod. I offered to go w/ her and get the ipod, and then figure out how much she would get an hour subtract that from the hours she watches them, and then pay her the difference when we reach the price of the ipod, please someone HELP

I suspect the responses will vary widely....but when my son babysits for a local family with 2 pre-teen boys, he is paid $8/hour.

cj/

I think you should ask people in your area what they pay. I think it is different everywhere. When my son was 14 the neighbor used to pay him $5 an hour for 2 children. When they were out late they gave him much more. Sometimes I wished that I was the one babysitting. LOL Sure is a lot more then the 50 cents an hour I used to make.

Yes, it depends on your area. Here in my area I pay an adult to watch my DD $1.00-2.00 (one charges 1.00 the other charges 2.00) an hour. We live in a low cost of living area the minimum wage is $5.15 an hour, so this will make a difference.

I pay my neighbor girl $5 an hour to watch my two boys ages 9 and 6. That seems to be a fair rate around here!

I babysat for a friend's baby for 10 1/2 hours a day. I made $22 a day which included food. I babysat in my own home. I did this for a year and then I wore out and she found someone else who did it for the same price (I think?).

We figured out this rate by checking with local daycare centers as to their going rates.

As others have said, it really varies as to where you live.

This may be a helpful reference for you:

DOL WHD: Minimum Wage Laws in the States

Yikes!! I am thankful that I don't have to pay a sitter!!!

At the same time, I refuse to allow my teen to babysit, because of all the whackjobs out there that would rather sue you for something than to pay for the childcare! No Way!!

When I used to babysit, even as an adult, I would charge $2.00 an hour PER CHILD. So, if the family had 3 kids, $6.00 an hour. Anytime I kept the kids past midnight, the rates went up to $3.00 per hour per child.

In reading the OP--I would NOT go get the iPod for this child and then have work it off---NO WAY. You are setting yourself up for a lazy babysitter, and shortly after that she may try to back out altogether... would you take the iPod back? (probably not).

Better for her to have to work for the money to buy it herself than to have work off the product.

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SPJRNTGADL!

I watch children in my home and I charge $4 per hr for 1 child and $6 per hr for 2. My full time rates are $125 per week. We're in Charleston, SC and those rates are pretty cheap compared to most here!

My babysitter when best friend doesn't watch them, is her daughter. We decide on a total ahead of time, not by child, by hour, because she's aware some things I can't control. Sometimes she watched them for 6-7 hours and 40 bucks, which for her is a lot of money and since it's decided ahead of time, she knows exactly what she'll be getting. Of course, when it's not a last minute thing I try to rent movies that she wants to watch and have snack around for her, too. I would suggest asking the babysitter what they expect to be paid and tell them what you can pay, and go from there....


HTH

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"You can never really pay back. You can only pay forward."

Wayne Woodrow “Woody” Hayes

O-H-I-O

DD makes $8 per hour for 1 or 2 kids. She is 15.

I pay by the event rather than by the hour. For neighbor kid watching my 6 yr old and 4 yr old during the day it's $5 each time she does it. She would be playing with them anyways, it's just that I'm not here to run to. For evening events that go past midnight it's usually $50. or more.

Like everyone said check in yor area. $5-$7. an hour sounds pretty typical.

my teenager makes $5 to $10/hr depending on the # of kids. for just one child, the parents pay about $5/hour and for the families with 3 or 4 kid they pay around $10/hr. that is the norm in my area. all her friends make about the same amount.

I'm moving!


I pay my neighbors girl ( 11 yo) $8 an hour for my two toddlers for an hour here and there and the adult sitter that I use for nights and longer outings $10 an hour.