How much to pay for a sitter?

monkyky · May 2012

I'm getting ready to have my 2^nd DS and everyone (Dr included) says I?m going to deliver early. Anyway, my DH will only get to take a week off and I'm not sure he will really get to take all of it. (We live and work on a ranch so if they need him he will have to go help) My mom wont be here to help until the 10^th... So if I get a sitter to help out, how much should I pay? The girl's that I could get are 17 and 18. I want to pay them well but don't want to brake the bank!

Thanks in advance for the advice!

chickaboo1974 · May 2012

I pay $10/hour to experienced older high schoolers and $12/hour to college students.

monkyky · May 2012

WOW. That would be $350 to $420 a week! Would you pay them different if they were helping for a week at a time?

eaglesfan700 · May 2012

Wait, are you going to be there the whole time? I mean, are they really babysitting, or would it be more of a mother's helper thing? If you are going to be there it would be less than a babysitter rate, IMO

Also, I just wanted to share my experience. My LO's are 16 months apart. After #2 was born, my H took off a week, and I was seriously SO ready for him to go back. My family is around and came to visit but I really didn't want any help. I figured having all this help was just delaying the inevitable - I had to learn to do this on my own and I wanted to get started.

I know lots of people have different experiences, I just wanted to give you a different perspective. You might not need or want as much help as you think. GL!

monkyky · May 2012

I will be there the whole time. I guess I feel guilty about not being able to keep up my normal routine with DS. He is Very active and I don't want him to feel left out. I know I'm being a little silly, things will change and he will be fine. I just thought it might easy the transition a bit if I had some one come in and help.

(Thank you for your perspective. I may be over thinking the whole thing) Smile

celiabwatson · May 2012

I had mine about that far apart. My husband stayed home for the first 5 days and then went back to work half time for a week. He would leave when the older one went down for his nap and then come back around 7. It meant only a few hours with both of them by myself. Then my family came for Christmas and then after that (3 weeks in or so) I was on my own. It worked well for us.

Maybe you could get the sitter only part time in the mornings? Have her/him take your son outside to play etc and get some energy out. Have her/him there to help while getting the older one down for a nap and then send them on their way. Depending on who you get you might be able to have them "on call" in the afternoons.

In terms of pay, around here you can get in home daycare for about $30-$40/day. But that price is based on the fact that the provider has multiple children to care for and get income from. Nannies and the like are around $10/hour. I'd come up with a compromise between those and probably do it hourly, that way you can send them home when you don't need them.

MAprincess · May 2012

I'd say $8/since you'll be there too. Because it is an older teenager, you need to make it worth her while and not that she is taken advantage of. To save money, I'd also recommend that she only stay until nap time and then you try to wrangle on your own the afternoon. It's overwhelming going from 1 to 2 but totally doable on your own if need-be. DH stayed home for a week and then I was on my own after that.

Will school be out for this 17 year old to help for the full day?

HarrietNJMommy · May 2012

My 3 sitters (24, 25 and 28) all charge per child:

$10/hour - 1 kid

$12/hour - 2 kids

$15/hour - 3 kids

ryry1977 · May 2012

rmontagne@gmail.com:

If they will be there all day - like a work day, I would say $200/week.

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Temp174496125006552 · May 2012

LalaMama81:

I don't know many 18 year olds who would want to work a 40 hour week for $200. That's only $5/hour. If it was only 30 hours, maybe. I know Mom is home, but I still think that's a little low. I'd say $8-10 since you are there and $10-12 if you weren't. I used to nanny & babysit 10 years ago and got $10 for 2 kids whether Mom was home or not, $12 when she had the third. I worked 40hours/week in the summer and got paid $480. No discount.

I totally agree with this. I have an 18 year old daughter who babysits and acts as a mother's helper and her rate is $10 - whether mom is there or not. She wouldn't do it for $5/hour and I don't blame her.

Do you really need someone for so many hours? I agree with eaglesfan. Eventually, you're going to need to figure out how to manage the two of them by yourself anyway. Maybe just have her come for a few hours in the morning or afternoon for the first few weeks/month until you get a better handle on having two?

I'm due in July with baby # 3 and Ben (my 4 year old) is a bundle of energy. DH is probably only going to be able to take a week and a half off, because he started a new job 3 months ago and will only have that much time accrued. I do have family close by, but everyone works. So, I'll pretty much be on my own once DH goes back to work. I figure women have been having more than one baby forever...so, we'll figure it out.

steph2809 · May 2012

In Michigan the going rate is $2-3 an hour per child. Or at least it was when I was doing babysitting a few years ago. As a High School/ College student.

MAprincess · May 2012

steph2809:

In Michigan the going rate is $2-3 an hour per child. Or at least it was when I was doing babysitting a few years ago. As a High School/ College student.

Wow, that is low! 15 years ago when I was babysitting as a high schooler, I was paid $10/hour for one child, $12 for two. I lived in a higher cost of living area than I do now, but I can't imagine bothering to get up and leave my house for $2/hour. . .

HarrietNJMommy · May 2012

steph2809:

In Michigan the going rate is $2-3 an hour per child. Or at least it was when I was doing babysitting a few years ago. As a High School/ College student.

I'm living in the wrong state! LOL!

laurakaz13 · May 2012

seans_grl:
LalaMama81:

I don't know many 18 year olds who would want to work a 40 hour week for $200. That's only $5/hour. If it was only 30 hours, maybe. I know Mom is home, but I still think that's a little low. I'd say $8-10 since you are there and $10-12 if you weren't. I used to nanny & babysit 10 years ago and got $10 for 2 kids whether Mom was home or not, $12 when she had the third. I worked 40hours/week in the summer and got paid $480. No discount.

I totally agree with this. I have an 18 year old daughter who babysits and acts as a mother's helper and her rate is $10 - whether mom is there or not. She wouldn't do it for $5/hour and I don't blame her.

Do you really need someone for so many hours? I agree with eaglesfan. Eventually, you're going to need to figure out how to manage the two of them by yourself anyway. Maybe just have her come for a few hours in the morning or afternoon for the first few weeks/month until you get a better handle on having two?

I'm due in July with baby # 3 and Ben (my 4 year old) is a bundle of energy. DH is probably only going to be able to take a week and a half off, because he started a new job 3 months ago and will only have that much time accrued. I do have family close by, but everyone works. So, I'll pretty much be on my own once DH goes back to work. I figure women have been having more than one baby forever...so, we'll figure it out.

Totally agree. I think $200/week would be insulting. I pay my two babysitters/mother's helpers $12/hour. They are in their lower 20s.