Rate for summer babysitter?

[Forest123]

My daughter is planning to babysit for neighbors and friends this summer and is having a hard time figuring out a reasonable rate. A few details:

- She is 16 and going into her junior year.
- She has a lot of babysitting experience.
- She does not drive.
- Normally she charges $8-10 an hour (she probably undercharges for our neighborhood - Bethesda - but feels awkward about increasing her rates with people she has worked for before).

How much do you recommend she charge for:
- Full day / week with 1-3 kids
- She and a friend are talking about coming together and caring for a larger group (e.g 4-6 kids) at one family's home. What should she charge for that? Per child / per family?

Any other suggestions re: pricing structure? Any other ideas of what you would like from a summer sitter?

[Anonymous]

$12 M-F and $15 an hour on weekends and holidays plus $.50 mile mileage for outings.

[Anonymous]

$12/hr

[Anonymous]

I think that she could even go up to $13 or $14 per hour. I live in Arlington and 6th graders charge $12.

[Anonymous]

The family with 4-6 should hire an adult. I know your daughter and her friend think they can handle it, but large families do better with one person, rather than 2 teens. Additionally, the kids are likely to be old enough to start giving more push back.

For no driving, but a ton of experience, she should definitely be able to ask $15.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The family with 4-6 should hire an adult. I know your daughter and her friend think they can handle it, but large families do better with one person, rather than 2 teens. Additionally, the kids are likely to be old enough to start giving more push back.

For no driving, but a ton of experience, she should definitely be able to ask $15.

Never charge per child. She’d price herself out of 2 child families and be underpaid for 1.