Just curious how much your babysitter charges. My DH and I started going out once a month on date night. The first sitter we had charged us $5 an hour. She has moved so we decided to try the neighbor's daughter. She charges $10.00/ hour. Is that fair price for a 14 year old? I guess we just miss the $5.00/ hour rate.

I think ten dollars an hour is high for a fourteen year old. I could understand it if it were a college student or another adult...but a fourteen year old can't have a regular job (and probably wouldn't make ten dollars an hour at a McJob anyhow).

You could post on craigslist in your area and ask what the going rate is for babysitters. One good place to find sitters is to ask around at church.

I'm lucky...my sister babysits for us for free. All she wants is to use the computer as much as she wants, and to eat all the junk food in the house. As long as I'm all right with that, she's willing to watch my kids. We've kind of worked out an arrangement that when she has kids, I will pay back her favor of watching my kids (but not eating all her food, I'm the big sister).

DH and I thought $10.00 was too high as well and wound up talking her down to $8.00 ( which I hope was an ok thing to do). Not sure if she would give us that price again. As far as church goes, she and her family attend the same church we do.

How many kids are you having her watch and what ages?

Also, has she had the training? Sometimes that extra training is worth a little more.

From what I recall my aunts/uncles usually pay $4-5 for the first child and then $2-3/hr for each additional child in my area. Also, if she has been babysitting for long than your other babysitter then she has the additional experience also.

We have two kids ages 5 and 9. A friend of mine said she pays her sitter $5 for the first child and then $1-$2 for her second child. The sitter is CPR trained, but so was our first sitter who only charged $5-$6 an hour. I know she just started babysitting so I know she doesn't have as much experience as our first sitter did.

Minimum wage here is only $7.40 an hour... $10 an hour is much higher than anyone will pay here for babysitting.

What is minimum wage where you live? That would make a difference in what price is fair.

When I researched minimum wage, I found that it is $7.15/hour here. That means we still paid too much at $8.00/hour.

I live in VA and we have a 5 and 3 year old and pay $8 per hour if they are old enough to drive.

However, a newer babysitter we had scheduled tonight stood us up! I am so bummed.

$10 is high, and we are in California.

My daughter is 15. She has three younger siblings and does volunteer teaching with kinderkicks taekwondo classes. She is a licensed lifeguard (as she says, "I AM LICENSED TO ADMINISTER OXYGEN!!!" LOL) and has had CPR and first aid. She charges $5/hour for the kids next door. I think the lady gives her more...she is always telling Kate to not sell herself short!

Wow! I can't believe so many of you are able to find sitters that cost so little!

$10 is a great rate for evening care in your own home!

As a 29-year-old, I get $10/hour for 2 kids...5th grade and 1st grade or 2nd and Kinder, depending on the family. They are capable of feeding themselves and playing alone...unless we are playing the Wii (it was requested that I play all games with them to add to the competition).

$10 is way too much for a 14-year-old to be making unless it's 4 or more kids. Then I'd be thinking about having an older babysitter or 2 teens working together to manage the kids and for safety reasons.

You should check around about babysitter prices in your area, minimum wage isn't what you really should be looking at because it isn't based on that. Most charge an hourly rate based on how many children you have. I'd say that depending on you area the $8 an hour you paid wasn't bad. When I was old enough to babysit the going rate was $2 per child, that was 16 years ago on an army post in the enlisted housing area where people don't have much money.

I have no idea what sitters cost right now, the last time we hired anyone was before our youngest was born and he's 5. My MIL babysits when we go out either at her house or ours.

Well, the going rate around here seems to be $5 for the first child and $2 for the second. $7 isn't bad, but $10.00 an hour seems a bit steep even for all of the people that I've talked with. When she came down to $8.00 it wasn't as bad, but whose to say she'll stick with that price. To be honest, I think we might have been the first family to ask her to babysit since she started. Maybe she was basing her price on what the adult FCC providers charge here on post rather than what other teens charge. I know that hourly care at the daycare on post is around $3.50/hour. I'm also thinking about how much I get paid as a substitute teacher. I make $14.28/hour. After taxes it isn't much more than $10.00/hour. That's with a four year degree and 18+ students!

When I used to babysit (haven't in about a year, since I have 2 kids now ) I charged $10/hr for up to 2 kids and $2/kid per hour after that. I'm also first aid and CPR certified. I never had a problem getting people to pay it. I mostly babysat for doctors though. I became expensive because I had one family pay me $1/hr for their 2 bratty kids and the dad was the VP of Clear Channel! They lived in a mansion and paid me $8 for a whole day, and I drove their kids around and everything!

Thinking about it now though, I would NEVER hire me! I couldn't afford myself!

You're very welcome! Now go plan a dinner date with your husband!

I pay my sitter 13$ an hour and I have 2 kids. That is pretty much the going rate here unless your family can do it for free My sitter is a grown woman though with 2 kids of her own. I think 10$ is way too much for a 14 year old though!

$13?!
Look, folks - I worked daycare for 20 years. With 8 kids between 2 and 5 years old, I made $9 an hour or less. I'm not aware of what the parents paid the owner, but we only got the $9.
How long have you been paying these prices?

Wow!!!! $13!!!! I guess if you feel comfortable with her and REALLY trust her with your children, you should pay what you feel is fair. I guess that's what it would come down to... what one feels is fair. I know the adult in-home child care providers here do not charge THAT much (and we live in one the the most expensive states). They have to be certified, have their homes inspected all the time, and provide hot meals.