11 Plus Exams Forum

If you use a babysitter...
How much do you pay?/ How much do they charge?
Who sets the rate? You or them?
What sort of age are they and would you pay more for someone mature and experienced?
Does more get charged after a certain time?
Any help gratefully appreciated!

E.M.

I'm not a lot of help really - when kids needed a babysitter I used to sit for friends kids and they used to sit for mine. Otherwise when we lived in village there were assorted "mature " ladies who enjoyed and evening looking after kids and didn't want to get paid

My DD is 16 and very much enjoys the occasional babysitting income. (She's done occasional sessions, mainly for friends of mine, since 14-ish) The going rate seems to be about £5 an hour (rounded up, not calculated to the nearest minute!) with more after midnight. These tends to be junior school aged children, though she has sat for neighbours with younger children. A lift home is appreciated too....

We pay £20 before midnight and £25 after, even if only a couple of minutes after. We hardly ever need a babysitter as we have 2 older children who often babysit for others who seem to pay about the same. Our DC prefer to babysit elsewhere, if they can, as we only pay £5 for looking after siblings, but also give younger children £2 each if they've been well behaved.

Find out from others what the going rate is in your area, as we once got told off for overpaying this is not uncommon as my sister also got a telling off when she moved to a new area.