Baby Sitting rates when child is sleeping?

[Anonymous]

If you hire someone to watch your children at night for a couple of hours after you've put them to bed, do you pay that person less/same/more than if you had hired them to watch your child while he/she was awake?? New mom here trying to figure out what is reasonable. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Always the same rate.

[Anonymous]

No.

Our solution is to have a more expensive ($16/hr) adult sitter we use for times we'll be out during the day and a trustworthy but cheaper ($10) teenage sitter we use for after-bedtime jobs.

[Anonymous]

You can get a HS kid for $10-15/hr.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No.

Our solution is to have a more expensive ($16/hr) adult sitter we use for times we'll be out during the day and a trustworthy but cheaper ($10) teenage sitter we use for after-bedtime jobs.

Agree with this. If you want to pay a different rate, you should get a different person for this type of job. If there is a likelihood that your child will wake, or need help while you are out, a more competent (expensive) person may be necessary even though they are mostly sleeping.

[Anonymous]

Sleeping or not she is still there on her time.. When I'm "babysitting" versus nannying and the children are sleeping the night DRAGS on because there is very little to do. If it's a weekend she is most likely giving up something even if her plans were to just relax at home so make it worth it and pay in full.

however if she were to watch during the whole weekend while a parent is out of town then you charge a flat-rate for the most part.

[Anonymous]

I would never take a lower rate while a child is sleeping. I'm still responsible for the child and my time is also valuable. I had a parent suggest this once and I politely declined the job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would never take a lower rate while a child is sleeping. I'm still responsible for the child and my time is also valuable. I had a parent suggest this once and I politely declined the job.

Exactly.

[Anonymous]

Cheap, cheap, cheap, OP and anyone else who thinks the same way. If you can'y afford to pay same hourly rate the entire timr, you need to stay home with your kid. If there was an emergency, e.g. fire, it is harder to get a sleeping child ourof house. Think about this, cheapskates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No.

Our solution is to have a more expensive ($16/hr) adult sitter we use for times we'll be out during the day and a trustworthy but cheaper ($10) teenage sitter we use for after-bedtime jobs.

This is what we do also.

When our nanny stays we pay her overtime for the time she's fully on duty and then a flat rate for overnights (assuming we're not home).

[Anonymous]

Responsibility is responsibility....NO EXCEPTIONS!!!!!!!

It's not like the person watching your child gets to run down the street and grab a cup of coffee at the local 7-11, right??! They cannot even run to their car and grab a book they forgot to bring up.

So no...it is THEIR time. THEIR time that is being spent in your home. Away from their own families by the way.

Do Firefighters get paid less when there is no fire and they sit around playing cards??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Responsibility is responsibility....NO EXCEPTIONS!!!!!!!

It's not like the person watching your child gets to run down the street and grab a cup of coffee at the local 7-11, right??! They cannot even run to their car and grab a book they forgot to bring up.

OH PLEASE!!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Responsibility is responsibility....NO EXCEPTIONS!!!!!!!

It's not like the person watching your child gets to run down the street and grab a cup of coffee at the local 7-11, right??! They cannot even run to their car and grab a book they forgot to bring up.

So no...it is THEIR time. THEIR time that is being spent in your home. Away from their own families by the way.

Do Firefighters get paid less when there is no fire and they sit around playing cards??

PP, I'm a parent and I do what the other two people have posted - we have an excellent babysitter who asks $15/hour that we use if it's a period that the kids are going to be awake. We have a neighbor's 15yo who babysits for $10/hour that we use if we're going out to dinner and a movie down the street after we put the kids to bed - she's THRILLED with this arrangement because it means she just sits on OUR couch on her phone for $50 for an evening rather than sitting on her own couch. Yes, I am paying for these people's time and I expect them to be present - but they charge different rates because they are offering basically different services. Why is that so inflammatory?

[Anonymous]

We pay the same. Then again it has only happened once or twice since DS goes to sleep around 7:30-8 and we tend to like to leave around 6:30 - 7.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Responsibility is responsibility....NO EXCEPTIONS!!!!!!!

It's not like the person watching your child gets to run down the street and grab a cup of coffee at the local 7-11, right??! They cannot even run to their car and grab a book they forgot to bring up.

So no...it is THEIR time. THEIR time that is being spent in your home. Away from their own families by the way.

Do Firefighters get paid less when there is no fire and they sit around playing cards??


PP, I'm a parent and I do what the other two people have posted - we have an excellent babysitter who asks $15/hour that we use if it's a period that the kids are going to be awake. We have a neighbor's 15yo who babysits for $10/hour that we use if we're going out to dinner and a movie down the street after we put the kids to bed - she's THRILLED with this arrangement because it means she just sits on OUR couch on her phone for $50 for an evening rather than sitting on her own couch. Yes, I am paying for these people's time and I expect them to be present - but they charge different rates because they are offering basically different services. Why is that so inflammatory?

+1.

It isn't inflammatory, PP. It's smart.