how much would you pay a teenager to babysit?

Question

i have three children and my husband and i only get out about on an average of two times a year. his mother was the one usually who would watch them, but she has been ill for about 3 years now. so, due to not trusting anyone to watch our kids, we would opt not to do things without them, or pray really hard that his mother would say yes. but we would always get a disappointment with a last minute 'i can't'. anyway, we found a 15 year old girl who is willing to babysit for us on a regular basis when needed, my question is.....how do i pay her? meaning, by the hour, do i consider how many kids i have? i have no idea. she will take whatever we give her, but i don't want to jip her. the kids are 6, 5 and 3.

my childern are pretty well behaved. they sit and play, and go to bed when told, etc. i am not saying that they don't have moments, but all kids do. they are basically well behaved

Answer 1

Probably a fair amount to pay her would be $6 hourly. I think that is very fair, because it is comparable to what she would be making at a fast food joint. So thats $2 an hour per kid. I don't think any more than that... if she is a really sweet girl, she probably would be MORE than satisfied with that.. and then just make sure you let her know it is appreciated for her work. I also should say that maybe you could pay $20 a night or something if its going to be an average evening out (dinner, movie, etc) that seems fair too. Just go with whatever you feel comfortable with, and be sure to meet in the middle (not to high or too low) be fair to your babysitter and yourself. Good luck and I hope you find a good amount to pay her.

Answer 2

First off give her the rules so that she doesn't have a boy over which would probably keep her from sitting for your kids. You don't necessarily have to pay her by the hour. If you and your husband are out for six hours I think that $30.00 would be sufficient. A 15 year old kid doesn't need alot of money, can cause trouble, but they do need the responsibility. Good luck and have fun. Sorry about your mom-in-law, hope she gets better.

Answer 3

For 3 kids, I'd say a base of $8 an hour. If you're going to be out really late or it's a school night, I'd up it by a dollar. It also depends on if the 3 year old is still in diapers and she'll be expected to put them to bed or make meals.

Answer 4

10 an hour. Normally for a 15 year old I would say like 8, but 3 kids those ages are a handful. Unless your kids are really well behaved or you are just fine with her popping in a movie for them, I would pay more. But, it also depends on where you live. Not that teenagers pay for much, but in higher costs of living areas (California), babysitters get paid more.

Answer 5

I used to babysit 3 girls (11, 9 and 7) as well as their baby brother and I got paid 10 dollars an hour.

It depends on how unruly your kids are. If they're stubborn and a pain don't you dare pay them less than 4$ or you're going to lose that babysitter real fast. Even if your kids aren't unruly, less than $4.00 is a bit greedy. Do what you think is right depending on how well they do their job with the kids they're babysitting.

Answer 6

First she has to be responsible and sharp with emergencies. All things considered for 2 hours. For the first time I'd give her $10. for 2 hours. She on probation. After I see how see works I'd raise it 15.00 for 2 or 3 hours. If I were gone for 4 hours $20. to $25 depending on day or evening.

Answer 7

this is a very easy question - - - It depends on how many kids you have now you said 3 that is a pretty big load, then ask yourself how much trouble are your kids, and last but not least is she cooking and cleaning after them? I would 9.00-10 bucks per hour. Oh yes and if you have budget try to work with that as well..

Answer 8

First of all make sure she is responsible.If she is I would say $2.00 an hour unless she is a certified baby sitterthen $5.00 an hour.our public school offer babysitting classes for teenagers 14 years and older and then they get a certification.
I would try this girl for maybe an hour and then make a decision if she is responsible enough to keep her as a regular

Answer 9

if shes a reasonable person (which she should be if you are hiring her) tell her that you aren't sure how much she usually takes. if you are on a limited budget maybe first talk to her mom. also think about what you want her to do with the kids. are they nice quiet little girls? or do they fight? will they require a lot of attention? in any case, if she babysits you on a regular basis then you could also give her a special birthday gift on her birthday or if thats not soon then on one of the next holidays

Answer 10

Man... The younger they are the harder they are. If its going to be the same hours every day then do a daily pay. If its going to be different hours then do a houlry pay. 8 - 9 dollars an hour is good. You have to compare her working on a real job. Then you know she is getting similar to what most people do. She wont feel shes being ripped then.