How to figure out payment for a consistent babysitter?

[dukie41181]

We are arranging for a prior teacher at my girls' school to babysit consistently once a week while I work for a few hours. I feel funny trying to figure out how much to pay her. We've only ever had one other person babysit and shes so wildly flexible...she's too nice and just says to pay her "whatever." We usually do $10/hr. for her as according to care.com the average in my area is $8.xx/hr but that seems low. Do I just come out and say how much do you charge? Seems so...business-like.

[lalasmama]

I'd ask what she's expecting... Then you don't run as much risk at offending.

[dukie41181]

I'd ask what she's expecting... Then you don't run as much risk at offending.

Yeah, I certainly don't want to offend her! I just don't have a good benchmark becasue we don't often use a sitter.

[wellyes]

A sitter you trust who works exactly when you need her is nearly irreplaceable.

I'd definitely ask. Of course it's business-like, she is a service professional doing her job! No shame in that or in her setting a price.

If she remains vague, I'd offer a bit more than $10/hour. I'd round up as a starting point... like, if it's 4 hours, I'd offer $50.

[dukie41181]

A sitter you trust who works exactly when you need her is nearly irreplaceable.

I'd definitely ask. Of course it's business-like, she is a service professional doing her job! No shame in that or in her setting a price.

If she remains vague, I'd offer a bit more than $10/hour. I'd round up as a starting point... like, if it's 4 hours, I'd offer $50.

Thanks for the input! I know what you mean about being irreplaceable! We are in the process of preparing to move to another area and will need to find a new sitter. Oh how I'm DREADING that! We have such an awesome babysitter! She IS irreplaceable!

[niccig]

Average here is $10 (high COL). I pay our long-term college educated sitter $12 an hour (she sat for us for years at $10, then felt she was due for a raise). A teacher at DS's school has sat for me and I asked her how much, it was difficult to get her to say an amount, she kept saying whatever you think, but I didn't want to insult her. She finally said $15, which is about what I've heard for a teacher to babysit. If she did any tutoring, it would be a lot more. I did have her get DS do his homework, but that wasn't tutoring.

Ask her.

[truly scrumptious]

Yes, it's business-like, but that's the best way to get it out of the way. I prefer to phrase it - "What's your preferred rate?"

[123LuckyMom]

I, too, would ask her. I would expect she'd charge $12-$15. That's what I would expect to pay. Where I live, you would pay $10 for a college students, but $12 plus for a grown up with training.

[dylansnan]

I, too, would ask her. I would expect she'd charge $12-$15. That's what I would expect to pay. Where I live, you would pay $10 for a college students, but $12 plus for a grown up with training.

:yeahthat: If I remember correctly, we are from the same area- I would say anything under $10 is very low for any sitter that isn't a high school student.