Babysitter rates?

[kgreenemama]

I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I've never had my 26-month-old DS stay with a babysitter. He's always gone to grandma's on the handful of nights out that DH and I have had in the past two years. (Overprotective? Yes, I am. )

The need has arisen this week. It will only be 2-3 hours and will not require her to feed our son or put him to bed. We live in a small city in Wisconsin. What do babysitters earn per hour these days?

THANKS!

[caned & able]

Do not worry about being overprotective. My mother used to say that she learned from another woman not to leave her babies with people outside of the family unless they can talk and relate stories.

My mom made $0.50 an hour in the 1960s. Some people tried to pay her this even when she drove to their home in her own car.

My mom used to pay minimum wage to the babysitters I had. She had few takers.

There is no tax taken out when the babysitter is paid. I suggest that you pay minimum wage or no more than $10.00 an hour; just a suggestion. If you want to know what babysitters are paid in your area, call a local babysitter service or ask a local hotel if there is babysitter service and what they charge for that to get an idea.

Remember that the baby sitter should also know CPR, first aide, and have some kind of knowledge of how to care for your child as preparing a bottle, diaper changing, and play time. Many young people today rarely have a younger sibling at the baby stage to play with. Often it is an occasional cousin or friend that a child today may encounter who is a baby. With smaller families now, babysitting a younger sibling is a rare thing.

[spmamma]

I don't have any idea how much kids are charging for babysitting these days, but I did want to chime in to say that you are not alone. DD just turned 3 and has never been watched by a babysitter, just my parents or DH's parents. I don't feel weird about it at all.

I think the PP covered it well.

[terrordactyl]

i do local babysitting and around here the pay is between $10-$15 an hour unless u want a younger teen. anyone over 17 is probably going to charge you that

[just_lily]

Are you getting a teenager or an adult? Around here the going rate is about $8 to $10 an hour for a teen, and $10 to $15 an hour for an adult, depending on experience.

[scrappin-mama]

I'm in Louisiana. Our sitter (we rarely use one though) charges $7/hour. We have 2 kiddos, 2 and 4. I'm not sure what the rates are for babies and/or more kids at once.

[JessieBird]

I pay $15/hour for a young adult who is ECE educated and works at our local preschool. All the neighbourhood parents know and love her. She is wonderful with DS and has tons of calm confidence. Though her credentials aren't absolute requirements for me, I have 110% peace of mind with her so I've never bothered to shop around (she was a referral). If I did, I think the range would be $9-12.

[astra]

I think $10 an hour for a teen is what I have paid in the past. We rarely use a babysitter!

[Peony]

Even the cheapest ones in my area of CO charge $10.00 an hour, I don't pay more than $15.00 an hour, I have interviewed some more professional sitters that charge 20. I almost always use college students, easy to find here and often I get a early childhood major.

[Artichokie]

as an aside, my 2.4 yr old has never been left with a sitter or a family member - she has always been with either my dh or myself. The one except was when dh and I had a meeting to attend at church and we paid a 14 yr old $5/hr to play with dd in the church nursery while we were in the next room.

[kgreenemama]

THANKS for all the great advice on babysitter rates and what to look for, in general. Some tips I'd not considered...

I'm relieved that my mom will be able to watch DS tomorrow. Her plans changed (I suspect that she canceled them for me, knowing my apprehension about getting a sitter. I hope I'm that kind of mom when my kids have kids!), but I know the day will come when we'll have to hire a sitter in our home. I feel much better informed now!