Babysitting

[bexcee]

Just need to get your opinions on babysitting. One of my mindee's mum has asked if I would babysit on a regular basis but there are a few things I need some advice on:

What should I charge? My normal hourly rate or something else? It would be for two children, the one that I mind and an older sibling. Do I charge per child or per hour? Haven't babysat since I was a teenager!

I feel that as I am a professional I should charge more than a 16 year old teenager with little experience and no childcare qualifications but I know how it is when you have children and want a night out so don't want to over charge and appear greedy!

The children will most likely be asleep while I am there, there will be no paperwork and it will be a good chance for me to do some coursework and the extra money will come in handy too.

So just after some advice from you lovely lot really, how do you do it?

[carol cameron]

Personally, I charge £30 for 7.30pm until 11.30pm for two children.
I am happy to give up my evenings occassionally for that.

[miffy]

Do you know what the going rate is for teenagers in your area?

I'd find out and charge a bit more than that

Miffy xx

[PixiePetal]

my 16 yr old Dd gets £5/hour. I would ask for £6.50/hr minimum based on that.

Areas are different, more after midnight and for me a taxi or lift home as I don't drive Many years ago when I babysat regularly for the family I nannied, they phoned when they were on their way home, I got ready and the taxi they had used then took me home - pre paid by them of course.

[bexcee]

Thanks for the replies, knew I could rely on you lot for some sensible advice

Teenagers seem to charge £5 an hour around here so I guess on that I could charge £6 an hour with a minimum of 2 hour booking.

Also do you declare your babysitting earnings or is 'cash in hand'

[mufftie]

i work for sitters and i get £6 ph and then the parent pays the agency a fee on top of that per booking

[phoebe-alice]

i work for sitters and i get £6 ph and then the parent pays the agency a fee on top of that per booking

I have actually just signed up to sitters I hadn't actually heard of them before I found them on google. If you can you give me a bit of information on how it works that would be great.
As at first I thought it was somewhere I could advertise until they emailed and gave me a phone.
Would be good to see if its worth doing and going ahead with the interview.
So if you can tell me some more I'd really appreciate it.

[pinkbutterfly]

I looked into sitters but decided not so sign up due to the low fees they suggest. They say £6p/h but in my area babysitters charge £7.50 up so it's not really worth it. I added babysitting info on childcare.co.uk and had some babysitting from there. Worked well for me.

[bexcee]

Good idea about childcare.co.uk, off to amend my profile now

[AnnieM]

I charge £6 per hour, £8 after midnight, Monday - Thursday and £8 per hour Friday, Saturday and Sunday, £10 after midnight. This was what my old mindees parents used to pay their normal babysitter and what they paid me when she couldn't do it, so I stood in, I have done a few more babysits, but it isn't something I want to do regularly though as I hardly see DH as it is.

[mufftie]

I looked into sitters but decided not so sign up due to the low fees they suggest. They say £6p/h but in my area babysitters charge £7.50 up so it's not really worth it. I added babysitting info on childcare.co.uk and had some babysitting from there. Worked well for me.

They state £6 ph but usually I get a lot more as they are generally rich families o go regularly to a 4 million pound mansion and I get at least £10 an hour there and tbh id do it just for the thrill of sitting in this fab house lol

[mufftie]

I have actually just signed up to sitters I hadn't actually heard of them before I found them on google. If you can you give me a bit of information on how it works that would be great.
As at first I thought it was somewhere I could advertise until they emailed and gave me a phone.
Would be good to see if its worth doing and going ahead with the interview.
So if you can tell me some more I'd really appreciate it.

It's an agency and they text you if a job cones up in your area and if you want to take the job after reading the details then you txt them back. , you then drive to that house babysit and then get paid direct of the family , it's usually really easy as the younger children are generally in bed when you arrive and all parents have to be a member of the agency so have given details etc for security the only bit I don't like sometimes is that often the houses are posh and stuck in the middle of no where so I often get lost on my way to new houses lol