How much to pay Babysitter for three kids

We have just recently moved to a new area and I am having a tough time
finding babysitters... so I am wondering if I am not offering enough
money. We have three kids, (8, 7 & 5)... I normally pay $6 an hour
with a minimum of $20... meaning if we only go out for two hours, we
pay $20 instead of only $12... just wondering what other parents are
paying for sitters?

wrote:
We have just recently moved to a new area and I am having a tough time
finding babysitters... so I am wondering if I am not offering enough
money. We have three kids, (8, 7 & 5)... I normally pay $6 an hour
with a minimum of $20... meaning if we only go out for two hours, we
pay $20 instead of only $12... just wondering what other parents are
paying for sitters?


I usually pay $10/hour for 2 children. The going rate is different in
different areas, though. I don't understand the money angle, though -
I don't offer money to babysitters; babysitters tell me what they charge.

Clisby

wrote in message
ps.com...
We have just recently moved to a new area and I am having a tough time
finding babysitters... so I am wondering if I am not offering enough
money. We have three kids, (8, 7 & 5)... I normally pay $6 an hour
with a minimum of $20... meaning if we only go out for two hours, we
pay $20 instead of only $12... just wondering what other parents are
paying for sitters?


We paid $10 per hour for two kids last year. We often rounded up. If it
was 1 1/2 hours, we paid for two hours.

wrote:
We have just recently moved to a new area and I am having a tough time
finding babysitters... so I am wondering if I am not offering enough
money. We have three kids, (8, 7 & 5)... I normally pay $6 an hour
with a minimum of $20... meaning if we only go out for two hours, we
pay $20 instead of only $12... just wondering what other parents are
paying for sitters?

We have 2 kids, $15/hour, 1 hour minimum (e.g., if I only need someone
for 30 minutes, I still pay $15). No tip, though, as $15 -- seemingly
the going rate around here (MA) -- strikes me as steep.

Caledonia

wrote:
We have just recently moved to a new area and I am having a tough time
finding babysitters... so I am wondering if I am not offering enough
money. We have three kids, (8, 7 & 5)... I normally pay $6 an hour
with a minimum of $20... meaning if we only go out for two hours, we
pay $20 instead of only $12... just wondering what other parents are
paying for sitters?

Around here, you wouldn't get a sitter for that
rate. It's pretty much a minimum of $10/hour to get
anyone interested, unless the babysitter is very new
and young. I'd expect to pay more than $10/hour for
three kids.

Best wishes,
Ericka

"Caledonia" wrote in message
ups.com...

wrote:
We have just recently moved to a new area and I am having a tough time
finding babysitters... so I am wondering if I am not offering enough
money. We have three kids, (8, 7 & 5)... I normally pay $6 an hour
with a minimum of $20... meaning if we only go out for two hours, we
pay $20 instead of only $12... just wondering what other parents are
paying for sitters?

We have 2 kids, $15/hour, 1 hour minimum (e.g., if I only need someone
for 30 minutes, I still pay $15). No tip, though, as $15 -- seemingly
the going rate around here (MA) -- strikes me as steep.

Yikes. Sure is. Just south of the border here in CT (greater Hartford) the
average is about $10/hour. I do round up though, mostly for my own
convenience so in the end it probably ends up being around $12/hour. I am in
a babysitting coop though so I don't pay for babysitting all that often.
Therefore, I don't mind when I do have to.

JennP.

toypup wrote:
wrote in message
ps.com...
We have just recently moved to a new area and I am having a tough time
finding babysitters... so I am wondering if I am not offering enough
money. We have three kids, (8, 7 & 5)... I normally pay $6 an hour
with a minimum of $20... meaning if we only go out for two hours, we
pay $20 instead of only $12... just wondering what other parents are
paying for sitters?


We paid $10 per hour for two kids last year. We often rounded up. If it
was 1 1/2 hours, we paid for two hours.

I pay $5 an hr for 2 kids ... most of the time I give her an extra $5.
Lately my sitter hasn't been calling me back ... I'm wondering if she
isn't happy w/ the $$. I wish she would just say something ... but I
don't think I could have at her age either (16 yo)
She is great w/ the kids but she is pretty shy.

wrote:
We have just recently moved to a new area and I am having a tough time
finding babysitters... so I am wondering if I am not offering enough
money. We have three kids, (8, 7 & 5)... I normally pay $6 an hour
with a minimum of $20... meaning if we only go out for two hours, we
pay $20 instead of only $12... just wondering what other parents are
paying for sitters?

$5.00 per child, minimum. Kids are your most precious things in your
life - don't be stingy! Here babysitters get a minimum of $10/hour for
one child.

-L.

"askmeltr" wrote in message
ups.com...

toypup wrote:
wrote in message
ps.com...
We have just recently moved to a new area and I am having a tough
time
finding babysitters... so I am wondering if I am not offering
enough
money. We have three kids, (8, 7 & 5)... I normally pay $6 an
hour
with a minimum of $20... meaning if we only go out for two hours,
we
pay $20 instead of only $12... just wondering what other parents
are
paying for sitters?


We paid $10 per hour for two kids last year. We often rounded up.
If it
was 1 1/2 hours, we paid for two hours.

I pay $5 an hr for 2 kids ... most of the time I give her an extra
$5.
Lately my sitter hasn't been calling me back ... I'm wondering if
she
isn't happy w/ the $$. I wish she would just say something ... but
I
don't think I could have at her age either (16 yo)
She is great w/ the kids but she is pretty shy.

Every time this question comes up, I'm shocked at how much people pay
sitters! When I was a kid, I think I made about $2/hour. Of course
it would be more now, but as a comparison, minimum wage was about
$3/hour back then. Now it's, what? $5.15/hour? We didn't
particularly expect to be paid minimum wage because 1) we were
generally younger than working age, and 2) since no taxes, etc. were
taken out, you were actually making out better than you would at
minimum wage anyway. Besides, for nighttime sitting, so much of it
really *is* sitting! How many times did I put the kids to bed at 7:30
and then sit there and watch TV until 11:00?

So to me, $5/hour with a $10 minimum and a round up to the next hour
seems plenty generous. I don't know what the norm around here is,
because we hardly ever go out without the kids. It's true though that
the sitters never seem to want to tell you what they charge. They
just say, "Whatever you think is fine." I'm trying to find a sitter
now so that we can start to have a regular night out, and if it's
going to be $30 or more for the night, I don't think we'll be able to
afford it!

Bizby

bizby40 wrote:
"askmeltr" wrote in message
ups.com...

toypup wrote:
wrote in message
ps.com...
We have just recently moved to a new area and I am having a tough
time
finding babysitters... so I am wondering if I am not offering
enough
money. We have three kids, (8, 7 & 5)... I normally pay $6 an
hour
with a minimum of $20... meaning if we only go out for two hours,
we
pay $20 instead of only $12... just wondering what other parents
are
paying for sitters?


We paid $10 per hour for two kids last year. We often rounded up.
If it
was 1 1/2 hours, we paid for two hours.

I pay $5 an hr for 2 kids ... most of the time I give her an extra
$5.
Lately my sitter hasn't been calling me back ... I'm wondering if
she
isn't happy w/ the $$. I wish she would just say something ... but
I
don't think I could have at her age either (16 yo)
She is great w/ the kids but she is pretty shy.

Every time this question comes up, I'm shocked at how much people pay
sitters! When I was a kid, I think I made about $2/hour. Of course
it would be more now, but as a comparison, minimum wage was about
$3/hour back then. Now it's, what? $5.15/hour?

I'm in complete agreement that the minimum wage is very very far from a
'living wage these days.

Caledonia