How much to pay 14-15 year old babysitter?
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Anonymous
| Our 14 year old (soon to be 15, I think) neighbor has expressed an interest in watching our 7 month old. It sounds like she does babysit occasionally, but doesn't have infant experience. So, at least initially and until my son is older, I would give her some training and be home/available while she is here. How much do we pay? We have three adult childcare providers who occasionally babysit for us on weekends (one is an experienced career nanny and the other two are daycare workers) for $20/hour (the rate they've all independently requested), so that's my only point of comparison. I'm thinking around $15? This seems high in comparison to the $20/hour for experienced help, but I can't imagine a teen would be interested in babysitting for much less. What's the norm? |
Anonymous
Agree |
Anonymous
| I'd say if you are home and she's more of a "mother's helper" I'd pay $10 an hour. If you get to a more comfortable spot where she could be alone with the infant, I'd pay more at that time. $12-$15. |
Anonymous
| I'd pay like $10-$12 and give a 3 hour minimum. |
Anonymous
| Thanks for the replies! This is super helpful. I don't want to be cheap or out of touch with current rates (first kid, so still learning these things!), but $15 feels high comparatively speaking. I'd also be more inclined to use her versus the other sitters at $12/hour (at $15/hour, there isn't that much of difference in rate to get a highly qualified sitter). |
Anonymous
| I agree with the $10-12/hr. That's what my girls started at a few years ago. |
Anonymous
Ten years ago bread was $3.00 a loaf: today it is $6.00 a loaf Times and prices change. If it's her first job then I would start her out at $15 and if you like her and she is good with children then I would increase to $17.50/hr after six months and $20/hr after a year. This way you have a reliable babysitter for years to come and because you have been fair and generous with her, she will be loyal to you. |
Anonymous
Paying a 15-16 year old $20/hour seems really high to me... |
Anonymous
I will say it again, slowly. If you trust this person to watch your precious child, it doesn't matter if the are 15 or 50. Pay them at least $20/hr. As an aside, having a neighbor be really enthusiastic to sit for you and paying them well is ALL plusses. How do you not see this? They don't need rides, and their home is right there is something were to happen. You should really foster this relationship my friend. |
Anonymous
| I recently posted on our neighborhood listserv to ask for sitters and some gave me their rates - seems $7-10/hour for mother's helpers or younger sitters (junior high/young high school) for daytime or early evenings is the norm, with $12-15/hour for older sitters and night times (older high school). I usually pay about $12-15/hour, taking into consideration what they are doing (active kid engagement, feeding dinner/managing bedtime versus how much kid asleep time they have) and then round up the total to the easiest cash amount. Always pay cash. |
Anonymous
| $12-$15. Do NOT pay $20, absolutely ridiculous |
Anonymous
I’m going to say it even sloooower to you: 15 year olds don’t need $20 an H-O-U-R. Find a neighbor to babysit your child is not always possible or even a good idea. Our best babysitters were 16-17 year old girls who we paid $12-$15 an hour. The WORST sitter we had was an adult woman in her 50s. She was a mom, and didn’t play with my kids and wasn’t at all fun. |
Anonymous
This, but you need to talk to her as well. |
Anonymous
| $12hr |
Anonymous
+1 |