How much do you pay a "Mother's Helper"?

Fashiongal1973

I am going to have a 15 year old neighbor girl come over and help with DS so I can do some work in my yard and get some projects done this summer. My hope is that DS will like her and we can eventually use her as a full fledged baby sitter. 

How much do you pay if you are home? Is it the same as if you are not home? 

April37

I had a mother's helper for my daughter last summer (age 3 at the time) and I paid her $4 or $5 per hour.  I was always home.

JOEBunny

I paid the 15 year old I have now used for 5 years $10 an hour for one child, but she was great, and turned 16 a few months later.  If I was home, I would only use a 15 year old who wanted to gain experience and I would pay them min. wage until I felt comfortable leaving them.  I used a mothers helper for DD's b'day.  I am hoping to turn her into a regular sitter in a few years, once she is a bit older and my kids are too (her mom lives 5 doors down).  She is 10.  I paid her about $5 an hour to help me out. 

babypuplove

I have a 19 year old mother's helper who comes over 2-3 hours a week.  I pay her $10/hour.  She told me she'll take $8-10, and at first we were paying her $8, but even being home, I didn't feel right paying her so little for her time.  Now a 15 year old, I would probably pay $7-8.

Stacyc625

9/hr ~ she is a grad student. I only use her during my 'busy season' (Jan-May) and she nannies for another family in between. So I am just supplimenting her income during her down time from the other family

JessesGirl&MackenziesMom

I feel so cheap-

I pay a 16 yo $5/hr to be a MH once a week for 7 hours. She is actually a daddy's helper, since DH is home when she comes over and I am not.

However, we are in a very LCOL area. We give her breakfast, lunch, gas $, and she watches TV (as opposed to cleaning or helping with other stuff) during naps.

snapplegirl

$10 an hour. I'm always here when she's here. We pay $15 an hour when we go out for the night.

HarrietNJMommy

Fashiongal1973:

How much do you pay if you are home? Is it the same as if you are not home? 

A "mother's helper" means that you are in the house with the kids. They are there to help you out. They should (and do) get paid less than a babysitter (where you leave the house)..........

I pay $15/hour for a babysitter. I would not pay more than $8 for a mother's helper. I would say the range around here is $5-$8 depending on age and experience...... 

babypuplove

HarrietNJMommy:

Fashiongal1973:

How much do you pay if you are home? Is it the same as if you are not home? 

A "mother's helper" means that you are in the house with the kids. They are there to help you out. They should (and do) get paid less than a babysitter (where you leave the house)..........

I pay $15/hour for a babysitter. I would not pay more than $8 for a mother's helper. I would say the range around here is $5-$8 depending on age and experience...... 

Ditto, we pay our babysitter (a different person) $15/hour to come over one morning a week so I can run errands kid-free.