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what to pay a young babysitter?
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tanyatolchin@verizon.net
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I am planning to hire a 12 year old girl from across the street to watch my 3 year old for a few hours a week while I am in the house getting some cooking and cleaning done and doing work on the computer. I will be in the next room the whole time, and would take care of lots of things like any meals, potty time etc. She enjoys playing with my son, and my son loves her. What would seem a fair rate to pay her per hour? Thanks! |
Anonymous
| $6 to $8 an hour I would think. I pay high schoolers $10 and day care providers $15. |
Anonymous
| You can't pay $6/hour. It's against the law. Federal minimum wage is $7.25/hour. |
Anonymous
| Could you clarify how many hours? "A few" could mean a lot of different amounts. |
Anonymous
You've got to be kidding, right? |
Anonymous
| According to federal law, the $12 yo is too young to work, though! |
Anonymous
Babysitting is excepted from prohibitions on child labor and is not subject to minimum wage. |
Anonymous
| $8/hour is going rate in our neighborhood |
Anonymous
And unless you were planning to 1099 your babysitter, you were fudging things a little anyway! OP, my neighbor in a similar situation pays a girl from her church $5/hour. She is good friends with the young girl's mother, who would not agree to her daughter getting paid any more than that. |
Anonymous
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When I was 12 (12 years ago) I made $5/hour... If that is any point of reference. By 14 I think I was making $8, and by 16 it was $10.
I would pay my 12 y/o cousin $5/hour without hesitation to watch my DS. There is also the whole "learning the value of money" and "responsibility matters" thing that I would be bringing into play. For a non-related sitter I would say $6/$7. You are in the house and at that age the other perks of babysitting (being out of the house) override the actual need to make substantial pay. |
Anonymous
When I was 12, I made $3/hr. That was for 2 kids!! No business sense then, no business sense now. |
Anonymous
| OP - I would call this Mother's Helper-ing, not babysitting (since you are there). I pay an 11yo $5/hour for this, which is what other parents in the neighborhood have paid her also. |