You Forgot Your Common Sense

Okay Sugas, its come to my attention a lot of my readers have kids- great for you. I did a post on tipping before but I didn’t include paying someone to keep your little crumb snatchers.

Now after doing some research the going hourly rate for ONE kid is $9.00 an hour. What does that $9.00 get you? Active supervision meaning a safe environment, maybe a snack, activities for your child and insurance your kid wont burn the house down or execute themselves. Want more? Be ready to pay!

• Babysitter’s Age Pay younger, who generally have less experience, less than you would pay someone older, usually around a starting rate of $5-$7 an hour. However just because they are younger doesn’t mean not to pay fairly. Remember you are the one seeking their services and trusting them with your kid…

• Experience A sitter who knows CPR and has tended to big groups of children will cost more. And rightfully so! Specialized training should always be rewarded.

• Number of Children If you have more than one child, expect + $2-  $5 more an hour for each additional child. (So, if you’d pay $40 for one child for four hours, expect to pay $48-60 for two children, or $56-$80 for three children, and so on.)

• Time of Day Pay more if kids will be awake the whole time you’re gone. If the sitter will put the kids to bed, lock the doors, and watch TV, you can pay less.

• Activities One child has soccer practice, the other needs to go to the dentist, girl scouts, play rehearsal , homework and be in bed by 8. +2 for extra responsibilities.

• Cooking For each meal that is prepared, + $10 to a sitter’s wages. Especially if its done at their home and you did not bring over your own food for them to use. You don’t have to pay more if you just want to order pizza, but leave enough money for it.

• Transportation If  using their car, you’ll want to offer extra compensation for the gas used while driving. If using your car be sure you provide gas money if the tank needs filling. 

• School work– now typically a tutor is a separate position in itself so if your sitter is equipped with ability to do homework and tutor be ready to pay up (after all, you were gonna need to pay for the educational help anyway) + $3-5 depending on the subjects.

• Level of difficulty– If you’re constantly going through sitters, cant get your own family to keep your kid, getting notes that your kid as to sit so close up on the blackboard in school they can write the notes; you have a bad ass kid and any one dealing with such needs a little more persuasion to keep this up. +$5.00

Times have changed!! You can no longer give the neighbor hood kid $10 to keep your kid all day! The cost of living has gone up- for everyone, so think accordingly.

I got a  few comments  “probably almost exactly what they would be doing at home for free” then stay your ass home and do it- for free. This is YOUR kid and you need someone’s service, you have to pay for it.

“A teenager’s time & energy isn’t worth all of that” – You don’t get to determine what another person’s time is worth, regardless of their age. I’m sure your job can be outsourced too at a lower labor rate.