Today a bunch of girls in our ward all went out to lunch for those of us who had birthdays in Nov, Dec, and Jan. We had all the kids with us... probably close to 15 or 20 kids... so we went to Peter Piper Pizza. The kids had a blast, and we had a great time visiting.
One of the topics of conversation was "what to pay a babysitter." We were comparing how it was when we were all babysitting... $2/hr -even if there were 4 or 5 kids, we ALWAYS left the house cleaner than it was (and not just picked up toys - I know I did dishes, swept & mopped etc. on occasion) and we all grew up with the general rule that you didn't accept payment if the couple was going to the Temple for.
What was it like for you as a babysitter? Are your babysitters all that you think they should be? What is "fair" payment when you only have one or 2 kids? Mind you, none of us are trying to be cheap skates... but what is fair? Do you pay per kid/per hour? Or just a flat rate? And do you come home to a bigger mess than when you left? I'd really like to know what you all think.
(To those of you who just leave the kids with your parents... remember how blessed you are to have them close!)
11 comments:
I have 9 nieces and nephews and the rate always changed! Sometimes they would buy me pizza and rent a movie then give me a few bucks or they would give me like $20 for the evening. I always cleaned the house and sometimes I spent the night! I guess it just depends on you! My mom said she always found out what everyone else was paying that specific person and give them at least $1 more an hour so that her kids were better taken care of!
Oh yeah, I remember getting paid little as a Young Women. We have our in laws in the same town but they are unreliable so we were starting to contemplate finding someone from our ward to watch the kids, which will be hard at first. We have 3 kids and if we have the money I would like to pay 10 an hour. The last time my sister in law watched the kids, we wanted to pay her and she got close to that. We aren't rich at all but I have always wanted to pay well.
I remember babysitting and cleaning house, and it was around 2-5 an hour depending on who you sat for. We pay 6 an hour but we have four kids and they are not always the easiest of personalities. I figured it would be 1.50 per kid but it seems always to be the four so I guess I would say just a flat rate of 6.00. (We don't go out a whole lot, it just adds up fast).The few girls that we have had seem to do a good job at feeding the kids and cleaning up any mess from it. My kids seem to like them as well, that to me is more important then the condition of the house.
Hey Tiffany!! It's Kristin (wilcox)! How are you? I came across your blog and had to say Hi! It's so fun to see people I knew in Vegas and what they're all up to! Katie just made me do a blog, so you'll have to check it out! jksharp.blogspot.com
So, I had this coversation awhile ago and I agree with you. I cleaned the house, did dishes and made sure the house and children were all squared away by the time Mom and Dad came home. I usually made $5 an hour. Now it is so different. I was told once by someone that their babysitter charges $15 an hour. That's more than I made an hour when I worked (minus monthly bonuses)! How the world has changed. And thankfully my parents do live near by and watch my kids. We also started a babysitting exchange with my neighbors. So much cheaper!
Things have changed. I used to charge a dollar per child per hour (and that was if the parents asked me what I charged). Sometimes two if the kids were REALLY rough to watch. And I always cleaned up and did dishes and all that stuff. The house was always cleaner than when I got there. But most of the parents didn't ask me and paid pretty well. I was pretty popular with parents when I was younger and did a lot of overnights and weekend watches. Those made me the most money.
We have both sets of parents near by plus my sibs and brady's sibs so we don't ever have to pay anyone. I have no idea what kids are charging these days, but in some cases it must be worth it if you can trust them.
k so i'm wondering how you know jim and monica mcdowell...are they in your ward in az???
I don't have kids yet, but my sister pays a flat rate of 8 dollars an hour. She also leaves a to do list for them on the counter for when the kids go to sleep. It's not heavy cleaning, but she just explains what she expects. She leaves them with a clean house, she expects to come home to one too! I think that's fair.
i can't say it enough...small world huh? jim is my cousin! well, 2nd cousin. his mom and my mom are cousins. we pretty much grew up together, and we were in the MTC at the same time too!
I used to babysit triplets from the age of 2 to 7. I got paid $25 for 6-8 hours!!! I always cleaned up while I was there and they were a handful!!! My friend yold me she got a sitter for her 22 month old who they paid $10/hr. They'd go out around 6 and the kid goes down at 7. So the sitter just watched tv until midnight
I am lucky enough to leave them with family...but have to go down that road pretty soon..I think it should be per kid/per hour...and the house should be as clean as when you get there!
I visit teach Candice...jeremy's sister! What a small world!
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