I've been interviewing some of my babysitters to get the inside information on things they wish parents knew. If you missed the first two parts of this little series, take a look at Monday and Tuesday's posts. Let's find out more.
Written instructions are a lifeline. Whenever I write things down for a sitter, I sort of feel like that mom. You know the one. But they tell me they love when we write things down. Even though they nod their head and say okay when you are giving them verbal instructions, it's possible they won't remember what you said once you leave. The truth is, often times the kids are competing with you for the sitters' attention so they tend to be distracted when they first arrive.
Here is their list of helpful things to have on paper:
- What time the kids should eat. If it doesn't matter, make one up.
- What time they normally begin to get ready for bed. They watch the clock to get this one right. They don't want to be the sitter who lets the kids stay up too late.
- How many books to read.
- Any rituals that are essential to a smooth night (like if your kid needs to shake your hand five times each and kiss you on both cheeks before they can relax. Not that I know anyone like that...it's just a random example that I just made up).
- Instructions on how to work the TV/DVD player (if they and the kids are even allowed to watch...write that down, too).
But please remember to allow flexibility. Let them know that these are guidelines for them to refer to if it helps them rather than a rigid schedule that would only cause more stress.Okay. It's time to get down to the nitty-gritty: Let's talk about money. This is by far one of the most stressful parts of hiring a new sitter for me. The bottom line is I don't want to be the cheapskate mom who doesn't pay the sitter enough. So let's get this out in the open.
They are never gonna tell us how much to pay them. They actually said "We will NEVER tell you how much to pay us." I think one of the first things I always want to ask a new sitter is how much they charge. They don't charge. They just get paid. They are students. We are grown ups. End of story. Inevitably what happens is they say "I'll take whatever you wanna pay me." And they always do.
But our interview happened over brownies at about 11:30 at night so they got a
little chatty. I found out that $8/hour is the going rate. At least around here. From what I could gather, $10/hour is really good and $7/hour is just okay. The number of kids doesn't change the amount of pay they expect, and neither does age. Although they all agreed that sitting for newborns is extremely stressful because "they're so...new."I pay the same when they have just one of mine who is sleeping as I do when they have all three awake. From my perspective, it all eventually evens out. That way when I call them to sit, they always know how much they're gonna get paid.
The only time they think they may get a little more money is if they are sitting for multiple families at one time, like if an adult small group needs sitters for all of their kids while they meet. That is a lot of work and a lot of kids. Usually all the families pitch in a certain amount for their own children.
Wow. These are getting lengthy! It's just that these girls had so many great things to say that I don't want to leave anything out. I'll finish it up tomorrow. In the meantime, please check out the comments section if you haven't already. You all have the BEST stories and some great sitter advice as well. Thanks for chatting and I can't wait to hear what else you have to say.
37 comments:
Wow! I could've used you about 18 years ago, Emily! I've learned so much about what I do right and wrong! These posts are great.
Great information! I'm going to have to show my mom your post. I don't use sitters, but I know the going rate in our area. I told my mom the going rate was $10 and she said it couldn't be more than $3 or $4.
Oh, the good girls. You can't beat 'em, especially these... who just left my house. Yeah, you're not on vacation, but you know you're still totally jealous you weren't with us! :)
Holy moly. $8-10 an hour? I will never, ever be able to afford a sitter. Well, maybe once a year.
That said, I'm still really thankful for these posts.
This is great info. We haven't had to hire a sitter yet b/c we have so much family in town, but I'm sure we will at some point. These girls seem great!
Hi there! I'm sure loving this babysitting interview. My daughter babysits and really doesn't know how much to charge. Thanks for all the great info!
Great series!
Here is a babysitter rate calculator by zip code: http://www.sittercity.com/rate_calculator.html. It may or may not help. :-) Apparently in my area, the going rate for two children is $10.50 an hour. $9.50 for one child. I really think that's a bit stiff. I don't know any young mothers around here that could afford that! In fact, some of their husbands barely make that much!
I have enjoyed these posts. I am going to start writing down more than my cell phone number, poison control, and the pediatricians number after reading this post.
I am lucky to be in an area where I pay $6/hour and they think it is great...even with four kids. I always round up so it ends up being a little more, but it still feels like a bargain to me after hearing what the rates are in other parts of the country.
I love this post series! Thank you so much. I suspected after years of asking, that I would never get a dollar amount out of them! Now I know it's true!
~Heather
I agree with the $8-10 rate. I babysat for GREAT families who would round up a lot too! I usually came home with $20 or $40.
I was thinking about the last post some more. One New Year's Eve, I stayed the night at a family's house because they were going to be out late at a party. On the way to their house, the dad took me to the grocery store and let me pick whatever snacks I wanted to compensate for the fact that I wasn't able to go out and do anything fun that night. Not that I would be out at midnight when I was 14 anyway!!!
Wow? $7 - $10 per hour. I can tell you babysitters do not make that in my area. $6 per hour is a good rate here!!
This were very interesting posts! Good information.
Wow, this is great information Emily! Thanks for sharingn this with us. I know here in Missouri where I'm at, we pay around $6 an hour...and my babysitter thought that was too much.
I'm glad to know more about all this babysitting info, because my oldest daughter is 14 now, and has started babysitting on occasion for others.
Have a blessed day!!
Jackie
this is the best series EVER!!
Those girls are fantastic to let us old women in on all of their thoughts! Funny, now that I think about it, it's all the same thoughts I had when I was their age!!
What about if they don't drive? I used to HATE it when the dad would pick me up==weird!
Oh, and I so think we should pay our sitters as much as possible!! We are putting them in charge of our most prized possessions--our children!!! It's worth so much more than even $10 an hour--even though that's what we pay. Oh, how I wish we could pay them twice as much! They have an important job.
thanks for doing all the research for us...great job!
One thing that's good to take in consideration when determining what to pay is whether or not you are asking your sitter to drive. When I turned 16 and got my license, the two families I sat for regularly increased my pay by just a bit. Also, it's a good idea to throw in a little extra in addition to the hourly wage if you have a sitter with your kids all day (a Saturday or summer day) and you expect him/her to drive them places--especially if you live far away.
Emily, I am a fairly regular reader but don't normally post---sorry. Found you from the Nester who I found through my RLF Debbie 9This is the Life).
I am LOVING this series and agree that you should REALLY try to get this published, I saw that Lysa TerKeurst said the same thing. I met her at a conf. that I went to and she is EXTREMELY warm and open. Her Proverbs 31 magazine is great and would be good exposure.
I totally agree with teh Nester too about hating it when the Dad drove me home or picked me up... awk. ward. It took me awhile to convince my husband of this fact.
Blessings, Jennifer
ps, just one thought about the commenting thing, one reason I don't is b/c I don't have a blog so I don't feel like I have anything to share/give back since I'm not fully a part of the blogging world. Just my $.02 from a non-commenter.
This has been very helpful, since I'm pretty baby-sitter-stupid. Now I know that I can't afford one again. ;) My poor mother, she's just been reinstated as permanent baby-sitter and she doesn't even know it yet.
First, let me say that my sitter appreciates my cheap $5 an hour self, and for that, I'm grateful! There's no way I can afford double that!
Second, I wanted to comment on something Nester commented on. Is that redundant? Anyway, she mentioned not liking when the dad picked her up.
Emily, are you going to talk about that? If the sitters don't drive? I have a lot to say about that, but I'll leave it for if/when you bring that up.
I agree that $10 - $12 in certain communities (especially for a sitter who does not drive) is too much. I think if you can only pay $6-$7 and the sitter wants to work for that, it is fine. If she starts telling you "no" then you know it wasn't enough..(or your kids are too difficult!) I hope those who said they can't afford babysitting will not give up completely. It is so important to get out sometimes without the kids.
This IS a great series!! As far as the money goes I get what they are saying. I used to babysit and parents who split hairs over paying less because one is sleeping or one of the four is gone or they left half an hour later than expected just dont appeal to you....you feel like they dont really "value" you and the attention and care you give your their kids.
The rate around here isnt 10 dollars an hour HOWEVER if you did pay that you would NEVER have trouble getting a sitter...LOL..heck, I know adults who would call you..lol
My kids can be a handful sometimes. I have in the past paid $6.00 per hour and then $1.00 per child. So for them it evened out at $7.00 per hour.
I am was really impressed with these articles....very informative.
Thanks so much Emily!!!
great info.
I like to write stuff down so that the babysitter can recheck it if she forgets something.
I do think I am a low payer..I was only paying 7 to 8 dollars and hour. I better step that up a bit. Now I know why i can not find a sitter for my kids.
Y'all. $10 is not the going rate. It's $8! So $7 is not that unreasonable...and remember, that is just in my area among the group of sitters I talked with.
Once I had a dad drive me home drunk (fortunately we lived in the same neighborhood, so we never got over 20mph), but the thought of what COULD have happened now haunts me as a mom.
Our standard it that my husband is never in the car with a teenage girl alone. It protects his integrity ... you can never be too careful when it comes to that, in this day and age.
This day and age ... I sound like an old lady shaking her bony finger. Hehe!
Great series Emily!
I was a big time baby sitter as a JR high and high school student. I have never had the occasion to hire one. My daughter who is just 9 plays mothers helper to the neighbor across the street who has a 4 & 5 year old and she pays her 3 dollars and hours to do thing with the kids so she can take a shower or get work done. She is great lady and I think they are both learning from each other. My son gets in on the action too he will sweep or do other things around the house for her too. She gets few extra sets of hand and my kids are learning the value of work with out mom nagging at them. They do however have to have their rooms clean and chorse done before they do work for money!
I think those little "babysitter's info" pads are a great way to keep track of everything... I know some of them are a little cheesy, but they do the job. Also, I think it's great to have a permanent list of phone numbers for the sitters to call. Including your cell, neighbors, family, who you'd want them to call in an emergency (besides you of course) poison control... all of those, I think it's a great help. That way in a scary situation, they don't have to panic about not knowing where to find a number, they know right where to look.
I totally agree with what everyone has said about the dad's driving, especially "new every morning". It can turn into an awkward situation for both sitter and dad... like you said, you never know what will happen "this day and age". Sounds a little silly, but really, it's scary.
I am loving reading these posts, even though I don't have kids of my own yet to hire a sitter for. I was wondering, do any of these girls do long-term jobs? Overnight, weekend getaways.. that sort of thing. I was just curious what the going rate is for that- per day, per hour... or how it's even determined.
(wow, sorry for the novel of a comment!)
Just to let you all know....as a mom of five, I will come and babysit your kids for $10/hour. :)
Another thing is the clean up issue. I remember the days when it was part of the "babysitter" protocol to clean up after the kids went to bed, or at least the parents would come home to a really clean kitchen. Does this even happen anymore? With my boys starting to sit, this is something I told them is non-negotiable, but do sitters even do that?
Holy cow! $8, really?! Maybe it's because my sitters mostly sit around watching movies and playing wii with my kids AND I order them pizza that I feel $5 is generous. I mean they're not paying taxes or FICA or anything.....guess I'm just a cheapskate and if you get a really good sitter--pay 'em what they're worth :)!
Your toilet-paper deterring post was the BEST! Eat some ice cream for me, but I'll skip the seafood...
Come home safe!
We pay our babysitter $10 an hour for four kids. As soon as the wee one can go without Mama milk for a while, it'll be five kiddos.
I know we pay her way more than anyone in our area. Why?
1. Finding a good babysitter who is trustworthy is a priceless thing. I don't want to loose her. I'll wine and dine her her entire life if I must.
2. Having gone a year or so without a reliable babysitter is NOT fun with many small children. My time alone with my husband is priceless!
Love all your tips!
Blessings,
Hannah
Yeah, around here (Utah) I pay 5.50 an hour, but I've got a ten year old that practically does the sitting. I never have trouble getting one of the 4 or 5 girls around me that are really good. I agree you should pay well, but if they are happy to say yes repeat times I think you're doing OK by them.
My daughter is 17 and babysits a lot. 7-8 is the going rate esp. for more than one child. I usually call her when she is babysitting and remind her to pick up after the kids. Not clean the house but whatever was gotten out while she was there like pizza box, dishes, coke cans etc...I always hated coming home to a house I had to re-clean because the babysitter could pick up after herself. My daughter has gotten a lot nice comments and repeat business because of this.
The first sitter we hired, we asked the money thing and got the "whatever". We then asked what she normally got paid-$6 and paid her $1 more-just so we could get dibs on her. She is the most dependable, reliable person and she truly loves our little guy. I'm already sad about her going to college next year.
I had a babysitter bring a paper for me to fill out. It was great because you don't really know what they need to know.
Stefanie sent me over. GREAT babysitters tips. I've haven't finished my whole installment, but the question I want asked is, "do they clean up?" Not messes I've made, but say a snack if they fed the kids. Cuz' my babysitters NEVER do and it DRIVES me INSANE!
My 17 year old daughter babysat a few weeks ago for two boys (relatives) - she drove to & from their home (paying for her own gas) and spent the night - they paid her $2.00 an hour. They must've thought the time spent "sleeping" (they were not at home - they spent the night at a hotel) didn't count. I know she'll NEVER babysit for them again - she gave up a weekend night (and morning) to earn money to buy Christmas presents. I always paid well when my kids were young, plus had "teenage" snacks - and we rarely had anyone say no!
L.
I just found your blog (love it by the way!) and this is an older post but since it's been freshly linked I thought I'd comment!
When I was in undergrad I babysat for my job, I had about four families that I helped on average. One was weekly.
I'm in NC and I was paid $11/hour. I wouldn't even think of sitting for less than $10. For me, it didn't matter how much work was involved, the point was it was my *time* and my time was valuable to me.
I am really *shocked* at how many people have commented that $8 and $10 is too much. I think that if you have a GOOD sitter who truly cares about your child and you can trust, why would you *not* want to pay them? If I was paid less than $10 I wouldn't even go back. It's not worth it to me. And if it isn't worth it to the family to pay me then that's okay...
I've not babysat in years but I'd assume that the rate is still about the same here... if you can find a good sitter, pay them well. Is there really a price tag for good care for your children?
Oh! And also, I was never afraid to tell a family how much I charged. Better to do that than to be disappointed on either end. It would be sad if they liked me but I kept my mouth shut and then didn't go back just b/c they didn't pay me what I wanted when in fact they could have but didn't know.
Just my two cents! :)
GREAT posts about sitters!
(and also, newborns were my favorites! but all my newborns grew up, and I still loved them the same :))
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