How Much to Pay a Babysitter? - Huntington,WV

Updated on June 29, 2009
H.K. asks from Huntington, WV
4 answers

I'm leaving my son with a babysitter for the first time tomorrow and I'm not sure how much to pay her.

She's 15, my son is 2 and I'm picking her up and bringing her to my house and then I'll take her home, too. Do I pay her from the time I pick her up, until I drop her off at her house - or just for the time she's in my home? Also, she doesn't have a lot of babysitting experience (just for her little cousin) so she doesn't really know how much to charge.

Thanks for your help!

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So What Happened?

Thanks! I paid her $5 an hour and she said she'd be happy to babysit for us again.

More Answers

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C.T.

answers from Louisville on

This has been a sticky situation for me as well, but I believe I have figured it out. Even though I have cousins who get paid between $8-$10/hour (which even they say is rediculous), I pay my sitter, who is usually at home with me $4 when I am using her during the day and $5 when it is at night. You pay for what you get and if you don't pay your sitter's enough,then they won't take the job seriously because they won't care about coming back again. My sitter/mother's helper works Tues-Thurs from 10:30-around 4:00 and ends up making around $70/week. Not bad for a very mature 13-year-old who would otherwise be bored.

Also, food is always included in babysitting. Make sure they know that your kitchen is open to them! The more you make your house feel like their own and treat them like family, the more they will treat your children like family.

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J.P.

answers from Memphis on

My friend had looked it up online recently and it said pay $5 upfront for each child and then it was like $2-$5 dollars an hour after that.

When I was taking my kids to a babysitter when working I paid her $4 an hour per child....so I sort of have stuck to that....but that was 4 years ago now.

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K.D.

answers from Charlotte on

H.,
I'll be glad to read some of the answers. I was told $5/hr which I find incredible (I was paid 50 cents when I was sitting) and I've been told as low as $2. My one and only experience was when the president of our HOA offered to let her 15yo daughter sit for us. They only live 4 houses down the street. We ordered a large peperoni pizza for the girls and went out to eat for a couple hours. When we returned, the sitter was on her cell phone, my 3yo was showing me her polished nails, there was finger nail polish on the carpet, the coffee table, and my husband's brand new recliner and my daughter had used a hole puncher on all the peperonis and not eaten any of the pizza. Not a wonderful experience! (:
I have no idea how to answer your question and I can't wait to see what other people pay.

K.

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L.C.

answers from Raleigh on

I babysit in my home and charge $4 /hour per child and I have 7 years of nanny experience and 4 1/2 years of beeing a mommy:). We pay our sitter $5 hour per child, she is 20 but does have experience with kids. For a 15 year old with not much experience????oh boy I would say $3, but make sure you give her the rules and I think her time needs to start from the time you pick her up. My 2 cents

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