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Babysitters...what do you pay?
  • junglezoo
    Posts: 248Member

    Hi All

    Just wondering what you pay your babysitters. If you could provide:

    1. how many kids you have
    2. where you live or for example what state and how big your town is (ie I live in Ontario 2hrs north of Toronto in a town with a pop of 18,000)
    3. how much you pay your babysitter per hour

    and if you have older kids who do babysitting themselves, please feel free to comment on how much they make per hour.


    Thanks!

    I'm going to the zoo zoo zoo. You can come too too too....
  • RosamundiRosamundi
    Posts: 1,117Member
    1. Two boys, 8 and 4
    2. Oklahoma ($8/hr) small town
    Massachusetts ($12-15/hr) Boston
    suburb/ Western Mass

    I try to find babysitters 17 and over, most were college age. I'm happy to pay more for older sitters.

    If we're gone for more than five hours or stay out really late I'll put a little bonus in.
  • mommyto2boys0811
    Posts: 142Member

    1. Two boys- 4 and 21 months

    2. Indiana- $10 if my brother, but normally $0- because we pay for his World of Warcraft account in exchange :)

     

  • NoahSaysNo
    Posts: 8Member

    Toddler.

    Aged 2- while living in High Park/BWV in Toronto- paid $10/hr to a student

    Age 3- while living in Oshawa- pay $5/hr to a student/$40/day for daycare center/agreed upon rate for overnights- usually around $100

    Hopefully this helps.

  • junglezoo
    Posts: 248Member
    See my kids are 2 and 9mths. We live in a small town and when I just had 1 I paid her $5/hr. She is here now while I am home (wanted to be here with her for the first few times not bc I don't trust her but she's only 15 and 9mth can be a handful). I was thinking around $8/hr but wasn't sure if that was enough.
    I'm going to the zoo zoo zoo. You can come too too too....
  • junglezoo
    Posts: 248Member
    Oh and daycare for my son is almost $40/day. He goes a couple times a week.
    I'm going to the zoo zoo zoo. You can come too too too....
  • junglezoo
    Posts: 248Member
    *bump*
    Was hoping for more SM inputs. Thanks :)
    I'm going to the zoo zoo zoo. You can come too too too....
  • eappleeapple
    Posts: 1,375Member
    I live in Niagara falls and my sitters come as a pair of sisters 13 and 14. $10 an hour to split plus a $10 tip each. A night out usually runs us $70 and we have a 2 and 3 year old.
    And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music. ~Nietzsche
  • gramalibbygramalibby
    Posts: 2,636Member
    Nanny here retired , right now I am home watching a 1 yr old about 7 hrs a couple times a week . 30 bucks a day .I am happy . Babysit out 8 $$ for 1 10 $$ for 2. But of it was a regular med town all week 5 $$ an hr is good. Bigger than 8 to 10 $$$ is good . Boston etc 15 hr at least huge metropolis
  • SalllyWingo
    Posts: 1,572Member
    $8/hr sounds good. Are you having her there when you're not home? How long will she be watching the kids each day? Or is it evening?

    (I think we're close to living in the same area btw)
  • PDXcocoPDXcoco
    Posts: 531Member
    I work as a preschool teacher, but also babysit on the side. I get from $12-$15 an hour here in Portland.
  • notscary
    Posts: 358Member
    $5 an hour seems REALLY low to me. I used to make $10 an hour and that was 20 yrs ago! I think that you get what you pay for and I'd rather pay more money for a responsible person than less money to a kid who thinks making $5 an hour is great and who may not take a great care of my child. Just my thoughts

    I think $10-$15 minimum
  • CrashCrash
    Posts: 8,191Member
    In Edmonton about 10 years ago, we paid $8 an hour for one 2 yo to a 14 yo. I dayhomed her siblings, so we knew her. I'd imagine that $10 an hour is typical. My dd is a year away from babysitting, so, in a year I could tell you what the going rates are.
    See ya in another life, sister!
  • junglezoo
    Posts: 248Member
    $8/hr sounds good. Are you having her there when you're not home? How long will she be watching the kids each day? Or is it evening?

    (I think we're close to living in the same area btw)



    yes I'll have her come over and look after the kids when/if H and I want to go out to a movie or something on occasion (maybe once a month if that). More than likely when she does come she'll have to only watch them for an hour max before they have to go to bed and they'll be asleep for the rest of the time. I'm currently on mat leave (going back end of March) but my ds2 goes to daycare 2x/week.
    (in wasaga beach...where are you - if you want to say)

    @notscary just wondering where you live....20 years ago when I was babysitting I only made $3/hr!
    I'm going to the zoo zoo zoo. You can come too too too....
  • SalllyWingo
    Posts: 1,572Member
    That's what I figured... That the kiddos would be asleep the majority of the time. When I was a teen, I usually got $30-40 a night, and they would have 2 kids that were nearly ready for bed, and home around midnight or 1am. That was... 20 years ago.

    If she's a trust worthy kid, ask her what she thinks is fair!

    I am across the lake from you, in Durham Region. ;)
  • junglezoo
    Posts: 248Member
    She seemed quite happy with $ 8 / hr. I have asked her what the going rate is or what she wanted to charge but she never gave me an answer and said she didn't know bc her friends don't really babysit.*shrug*
    Durham region....what area is classified as that...barrie?
    I'm going to the zoo zoo zoo. You can come too too too....
  • SalllyWingo
    Posts: 1,572Member
    No, Beaverton. We're on the North end of the 'GTA'. Durham is Oshawa, Whitby, Ajax, Pickering etc.
  • LifeofchaosLifeofchaos
    Posts: 984Member
    Ok im obviously super cheap. My babysitter is 16 and gets $5/hr to watch all 3 of my munchkins (6 yr old twins and a 3 yr old) shes wonderful and has always been happy with that. She is also the girls' assistant dance teacher... Love her to pieces. Wish I could afford to pay her more bc she is worth it
  • junglezoo
    Posts: 248Member
    Lifeofchaos said:

    Ok im obviously super cheap. My babysitter is 16 and gets $5/hr to watch all 3 of my munchkins (6 yr old twins and a 3 yr old) shes wonderful and has always been happy with that. She is also the girls' assistant dance teacher... Love her to pieces. Wish I could afford to pay her more bc she is worth it




    what area are you in? Also big or small town?
    I'm going to the zoo zoo zoo. You can come too too too....
  • notscary
    Posts: 358Member
    @junglezoo I'm in Toronto
  • missmama5missmama5
    Posts: 3,638Member
    Don't have any input, sorry! But a few of you are close to being my neighbors. I'm in Guelph, Ontario. Hi!
  • notscary
    Posts: 358Member
    Hi @missmama5
  • SalllyWingo
    Posts: 1,572Member
    Sweet! Lots of momma's in Ontario!
  • sucrowe
    Posts: 6Member
    I'm outside of Ann Arbor, MI, and I have 2 kids, 2 1/2 and 5.  I pay between $7-10/hour.  The younger ones get $7, and the older ones (who can drive) get $10.  I pay a bonus if they do something over and above or I round up to the nearest $5.
  • DiscoDeb
    Posts: 21Member
    I live in central Illinois in a smaller-sized city. I pay $10/hr. If I was using a HS student (don't trust 'em with a baby, but maybe once he's older), I'd go lower.

  • NoahSaysNo
    Posts: 8Member

    @Soupermom I'm in Durham region as well. Yeah!!! Another mom close by...

    My babysitter is an ex bf's little sister, and a HS student. She babysat for me all summer and I now get a better deal. When its for work I pay her $5/hr, so that I am not paying to go to work and when its a night out for fun I pay $10-12/or just make sure to give her over $120+tip which seems to work for us.

    But $8/hr seems reasonable especially if the kids are already ready for bed and its a small night out occassionally

  • WinginItWinginIt
    Posts: 238Member
    My daughter is nearly two, and we pay $20 a day instead of hourly.  It's easier, I just say "Hey, wanna watch this kid while I work?  I'll give you 20 bucks."  And they say..  "yep!"  or "Nope!"
  • theprincessmommytheprincessmommy
    Posts: 672Member
    I rarely use one but in charlotte NC $10/hr  for DS10 and DS4 

    I make $30 a day caring for a 3 year old from 8am-6pm
  • LifeofchaosLifeofchaos
    Posts: 984Member
    We are in northeast ohio... Super small town. I also have another mom that will babysit on occassion if im called in to substitute teach and she charges me $20 a day to keep my 3 yr old (older 2 are in school). She set that rate and she also provides any meals and snacks for the day. She likes having someone over for her son to play with
  • Kitty69Kitty69
    Posts: 46Member
    Holy hell, 30 yrs ago I watched 5 y/o twins and toddler and the parents paid me $1/hr. The kids were not allowed to watch tv, so I totally had to entertain them. After awhile I refused to watch them anymore. 
     Also babysat 8 kids, ONE time....the mother was a widow but had tons of money ( I know because her deceased spouse was part of a huge farming family and they owned tons of land and I went to school with some of them) she paid me $1/hr and then had the nerve to gripe at me for not doing the dishes and clean the house which was a total sloth pit when I got there. UGH

     I made $7-$10 per hour "back in the day"  from most families I babysat for, anywhere from 1-4 kids and this was in a rural area.
  • mrswardomrswardo
    Posts: 17Member
    I'm in Halton Hills area and I pay a 14 year old $6/hr to watch my 22mo.  I was going to pay her $10/hr but her mom said that was too much. 
  • mrswardomrswardo
    Posts: 17Member
    missmama5 said:

    Don't have any input, sorry! But a few of you are close to being my neighbors. I'm in Guelph, Ontario. Hi!



    I'm 20 minutes East of Guelph.  Woot!  :-h
  • LakeraeLakerae
    Posts: 2Member
    For a babysitter it's about $10/hr. As for daycare it depends on a Daycare centre vs. a home daycare. We looked into a centre for our 1yr old and it was $60/day, a home daycare it is $40 and that's for one kid!. We live in Ottawa, Ontario - not a huge city, but not tiny either. Either way, daycare can be pricey!
  • 456Imamom
    Posts: 538Member
    Wow, there are a lot of Ontario Mommies! 
    @junglezoo Thank you for starting this thread. I haven't needed a babysitter yet (MIL has covered us), but I'm sure we will need one in the future for DS2 and baby on the way. This is all good info! BTW, I'm in Ottawa with @thefinder :D
  • WickedDunkieJunkieWickedDunkieJunkie
    Posts: 5,856Member
    I don't have paid sitters... only because my ex & I always had grandparents watch the kids...

    But, I'm starting to think I should become a babysitter...
    WDJ_Avatar_zps4536679b
    We Are The Music Makers... And We Are The Dreamers Of Dreams...

  • junglezoo
    Posts: 248Member
    456Imamom said:

    Wow, there are a lot of Ontario Mommies! 

    @junglezoo Thank you for starting this thread. I haven't needed a babysitter yet (MIL has covered us), but I'm sure we will need one in the future for DS2 and baby on the way. This is all good info! BTW, I'm in Ottawa with @thefinder :D



    no problems! :D
    I wish I had family close by to help out but they all live about 3 hours away near London, Ontario.
    :-h to all my close 'neighbours' and thanks to all for the responses.
    I'm going to the zoo zoo zoo. You can come too too too....
  • KacerpieKacerpie
    Posts: 885Member
    I'm in so cal so its probably a bit different, but we pay $540 a week for 45-50 hours of car for dd 7, 8, & 8 months and ds 4. That includes light house work. So its more of a nanny.
    "Please don't talk mom... It makes my brain work..."
  • mommyof2_76
    Posts: 342Member
    I'm in salt lake city, UT. My DD 11 mo. Goes to an in home daycare for 4 hrs a day. I pay $12 a day. For a night out DS 14 or my mom watches her. I know my niece watched a 4 year old for about 5 hrs a few yrs ago and got $30 for the night.
  • Vicky123
    Posts: 5Member
    Wow, I'm in Minnesota by the Twin Cities, suburb and I pay a 15 yr old $30 a day for 8hrs, no housework expected, she does a little. But if we go out it's about $15 to $20 for 3to 5 hours. Children are 8 and 6. One is Autistic.
  • LLB
    Posts: 3,287Member
    Holy crap! $10+ an hour to a teen to babysit?

    That's more than minimum wage at a "real job"! Actually it's much more when you figure it's under the table tax free cash!

    I watched 2 girls that were 1 and 3 when I was 14. I got $10 for 3 or so hours of babysitting while their parents went out for dinner or to catch a movie. So about $3-4 an hour. Granted that was 15 years ago, but still!

    Maybe I should start applying for babysitting jobs!

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