I was wondering what the going rate is to pay a teenager who babysits? I have a trusted teenage girl who hasn't babysat for me for a long time, and she's going to sit for us this week. I just never know how much to pay her. Like what would you suggest as an hourly rate? I have two kids who are well behaved, just need prompts for bedtime and supervision and that's pretty much it. Any suggestions would be helpful. I don't want to be a cheapskate, but also want to be fair to the sitter. Thanks!
Peace of mind should be your immediate concern. The 'cost' if you allow someone to watch your children and they do it poorly for a cheaper price may be larger than you will be comfortable with. I'd suggest ensuring that your sitter is, as a minimum, CPR trained, 1st Aid smart, and be sure to feel comfortable with their attention to your kids. Bad sitters are a dime a dozen, good ones go for top dollar, just for the Peace of Mind. When my DD was sitting, she was getting about 8-10 bucks per hour. For that, she ensured that bed times and bed time rituals were followed, and that anything that she felt out of the ordinary was reported to you. She helped with some homework, and also some household chores, unloading dishwasher, watching pets, etc. She was booked weeks ahead, especially during times when sitters are needed..Christmas, New Years when adults want to go out... Good Luck....
We just went through this "research" too... I think 8-12 is the "going rate"... We lucked out and paid the lower end of that spectrum with a fantastic sitter!
Thanks for the info. Our babysitter is top notch. I have known her since she was four years old and she's 17 now and has always lived across the street from us. Also, her parents are home so they are available in case of an emergency and always have an eye out. I have complete confidence in her, but just wanted to make sure that I wasn't shortchanging her when she has been over to help in the past. $10 an hour is our usual, but she's WAY too polite to tell me if that's not what other babysitters are getting...lol. I appreciate the feedback!
$10 is definitely enough. I know and have used several teenaged babysitters who don't charge even that, and they are very good sitters and CPR/first aid certified. Don't forget that they usually don't work enough to have taxes taken out of that money so technically $10 is almost double minimum wage when you consider the taxes that would be taken out at a regular job. Based on what i know other sitters get paid, your sitter should be more than happy with $10.
