Babysitting Rates

It’s important to negotiate how much the babysitter is to be paid before commencing on a babysitting job. Setting negotiations in advance between sitter and the child’s parents will minimize misunderstandings between the parties regarding this delicate subject. Babysitting rates obviously vary widely, depending on many factors, including how many children you are involved, what days and hours the babysitting will take place, any other responsibilities that may be added to the sitting.

Sometimes it will be more profitable to talk about being paid by ‘session’ of babysitting. Asking for $40 (£20) for four hours babysitting a couple of children while parents go out for a meal sounds a lot better than asking for $10 (£5) an hour!

For longer periods of babysitting it’s advisable to ask for an hourly rate. $60 (£30) for a six hour babysitting session sounds a lot, so asking for $10 (£5) an hour seems much more reasonable even though it’s exactly the same amount.

Babysitting rates are a personal thing. However, a good guideline is $8 (£4) an hour for weekdays, $10 (£5) for weekends and $12 (£6) for anytime after midnight, with bank holidays counting as weekends. Clearly these are not fixed in any way, so accepting less is definitely an option, especially if you really need the money or it’s a favor for a relative or close friend.

Make sure your responsibilities are known and discussed before accepting babysitting rates. Do you have to feed the children? Ensure they have a bath? Put them to bed? These extra responsibilities might help you negotiate a better rate, especially if you’re being asked to work for a low rate.

Keeping your prices consistent is important, especially if you are babysitting for a lot of families. People may feel hard done by if you are doing exactly the same work for someone else for a cheaper rate. Keeping a log of how much people are paying you and how often is a great way to keep track of everything and helps avoid any issues that may arise over how much you were meant to be paid. A little notepad for a couple of dollars is all you need.

Expect to always be paid after you have done the babysitting, it’s rare to ever be paid up front. Make sure you are paid though, don’t allow someone to say they ‘owe you’ money, especially if they want you to babysit again before paying.

Babysitting rates are not a fixed thing; the key is to negotiate and to always be fair. Make sure everything is clear and discussed before hand - that way everyone will be happy.