babysitter

[little me]

I need to find a babysitter for my 10 month old daughter. I am trying to figure out what would be a good amount to pay them. Thanks. I have not got a babysitter before.

[mommy42boys]

I think the standard rate is $10/hour, though some sitters charge more for infants.

[H.Starr]

Ten dollars an hour?!
I've never known of someone charging more than $3 an hour!
If someone needed a sitter full time, that's $400 a week!

[Zack_Jenn]

I know $10 sounds outrageous, but my older sister was a nanny and charges between $12-15 an hour. If you get someone less experienced, or a teenager I wouldn't pay them that much. I would say $3 an hour is more than enough especially if you only have 1. When I used to babysit (only like 10 years ago) I charged 1.50 for the first kid and .50 for each additional kid. You just may want to ask the sitter what they feel is fair before hiring them!

[Disco Lemonade]

Well, it all depends. Will you be hiring her full time Mon-Fri? Part time Fri-Sun? Base pay for a baby sitter where I live is $200 a week, flat rate.

[Saphira]

If I were to ever hire a babysitter, I'd pay the standard minimum wage. :]

[hardworkinmama]

If your talking about a night out with the hubs and getting the 15 year old down the street then $6-7 an hour should suffice. If you are looking for full time while you work then just call around to different daycares in the area and see what they charge. $10 an hour is high but if you are going to be gone all day and the sitter will be driving her around then $10 might make sense.

[little me]

Thanks for your advice. I am going to classes for 5 Saturdays in a row for 7 hours. My mom is watching our older son. The babysitter said she would do it for free but I want to pay her. She is going to have to bring my daughter down to the class twice so I can nurse her.

[big-mouth-burgher]

I babysit others kids as my job. I charge $30 a day for toddlers (that's what I have right now) and $15 for before and after school (I have 1 of these). Just a little FYI. I'd probablly charge $35 - $40 for an infant/day.

As for teenager on the evening/weekend, I usually pay $7/hour for both my kids.

[mommy42boys]

Wow, I'm guess most of you don't take your kids to daycare. The going rate for infant care is $200/week and that is at a daycare. Nannies and part-time sitters charge more because they come to your home. I worked at a day-care for a few years while I was in college. Anytime I watched kiddos from the day-care they paid $10 an hour. In fact, one night I watched two families at the same house because the parents were all going out together, both sets of parents paid me $10/hour.