Fair price for teenage baby sitter?

[akbrink2]

I think $5 seems like a fair price for a teenager. I make $10/hr when I babysit but I also have a degree in Early Childhood, almost 6 years as Teacher in daycare, and 3 years as nanny. You could always talk to the people if you interview them and ask what they are expecting as pay.

[5280Mommy]

We pay $10/hour for 4 kids - 3 of whom we put to bed before we leave - but that is on a weekend - around here though it is hard to find kids for weeknights because they have so many extra curricular activities.

[keen1981]

We pay $10/hr for a 4&2 yr old. Believe it or not we can never find a sitter. Teenagers out here are too busy and don't 'need' spending cash. It's sooo frustrating!!!

[Mama2Girlies]

It's roughly $10 per hour here too, for two kids. I think with more it would be a bit higher.

[MrsCrafty]

Wow! When I babysat my little cousins 10 years ago I got $20 for watching 2 kids at my house over night. Now that my little cousin is babysitting my DS I usually give her $20 and it's just a couple hours, though she frequently requests to spend the night cause I have cable

[TheAster]

Make sure you record your babysitting costs for tax deductions!

[azsuma1]

with 1 infant, ive never paid less than $10/hr, and always give a$50 minimum on weekend nights

[percussionsmith]

I pay our 15yo baby sitter $35 for a whole day (every Thursday). She's there from 8:30-5:30. We split transportation with her folks and provide her food.

[erin13]

Originally Posted by TheAster Make sure you record your babysitting costs for tax deductions!

I had NO idea you could do that! Don't you need to have the sitters fill out forms and get a tax ID# and all of that jazz?

Beth, I pay my sitters $4/hour and that's both kids. They told me that's about average when I presented the offer to them. At our play group, this was the going rate in our area for 2 kids. I know you're about in the stix as I am so thought that might help you out.

Glad your ILs are to the rescue, though!

[Colleeny]

Maybe, you should stay home, and get paid to babysit! hehe...that way you won't have to leave your children, and you can make money on the side. You could offer weekend sitting, or even nights. There are some single parents out there that work third shift, and sometimes their spouses can't help out, or are away.

Originally Posted by Bethannp Thanks for all the input. I'm really sad that this job thing isn't going to work out for me. There is no way I can afford to pay a babysitter, after gas and babysitter, I would barely be making $200 a month.