I dont know what to think. Its all good.

I agree that the $ should depend on how many kids & how much time they are "awake" or raising rukus- LOL

I've noticed that babysitter pay varies depending on where you live. On the East coast $10 an hour was the low end. Midwest, $2 a kid was average (no matter the age/hours awake). I always rounded up to assure that my babysitter was happy. But $7-$12 an hour is great! Make sure to put that money into savings Kathleen.

kjg
For parents: to maximize our babysitter time my husband and I would choose to go out earlier and bring home take-out or a DVD. The babysitter would then have the kids during awake hours, put them to bed, then we could come home and continue our date. Babysitter got paid, kids played, we had more alone time.

$9 an hour!?!?? When I used to babysit I was lucky to get 9$ for the entire night!!

I don't get the hourly pay. Give them a fifty or a hundred dollar bill per session. That's a decent dinner or a pair or shoes or whatever. After all they're YOUR kids, right? you would want them to be safe and the sitter is more likely to do a good job if you pay the price.

I think the age of your children also plays a roll. Since we've had a child under 2 for the last 4 years, we've always entrusted a college student or adult. The marketplace demands that they will charge (and are worth) more than a young teenager who is watching an 8 year old.

Babysitting can be an enormous additional cost to going out for an evening especially for those, like me, who do not live near any extended family eager to help free of charge.

Note that babysitters also typically don't report their cash wage. Even at $10 an hour, it's a pretty good gig once it's grossed up. Hard work to be sure (while the child is awake), but potentially lucrative for those who are in demand.

A Few Tips for a Happy Sitter (from a seasoned babysitter)

Wage: If you have one child, $10 is perfectly fair. Two, $12-15. Three or more, $15 - $ 20. The range is based on how much of the time your kids will be awake. If they are going to bed an hour after the sitter gets there and they get to watch TV the whole time? Go with the low end! If they will be awake and rowdy, just shell out the extra 10 bucks total! Your babysitter will remember your generosity and be eager to come back!

Food: Give the sitter free reign of the fridge, but let them know ahead of time! Most babysitters will assume they are going to eat dinner at your house if they arrive any time before 7pm. This can be an awkward situation for the sitter if they can't eat with you. Let them know they can either have what you're making or grab something from the fridge

Make Date Night regular!/Plan ahead: Once you've found a good babysitter, hold on to them! Make a date night with your spouse once a month (even if it is only 2 hours and you just go to the movie). Students are really overscheduled so they love to be able to block off a day when they can make a little cash. This guarantees that 1) Your sitter will be free 2) That you get out of the house more often! 3) (the most important) That you, your kids, and your sitter become more comfortable with each other.

I think as a complemnt towards approaching the aspect that everyone does not view the same parently provisions that makes a household a comfortable environment that one must approach as a fair and presentable means of payment to assume that the next person is willing and capable of handling your children in an adult frame of mind.

There is a large amount of stress that comes with caring for someone elses children. Not to stay that this should be the base of standard but there should be some sort of compesation that is allocated with caring for the children rather than the assumption of time that may be associated with baby-sitting.

If you paying me to baby sit by the hour then you ripping me off.

A thought: a best baby sitter is one that loves your kids so much they won't accept money as a payment.

I would think it should depend on how many kids you have. Also, if the little rascals are hellions, then you'll inevitably have to pay more as fewer babysitters will be willing to watch them.