How Much Should I Charge?

For babysitting a 12 month old child for 2-3 hrs on weekends? Is $10 too much?

My girlfriend gets $10 an hour babysitting, but we live in New York. Still, if they'll pay you 10, take 10!!

How old are you? How rich are these people?

I was making $15 per hour as a nanny. But...I was a nanny in NYC. And I had a great deal of experience. So it all depends, I suppose.

No. That's my rate, but I'm also a preschool teacher. I'd say charge $10/hr, but make certain that if the child is awake you are actively playing with him or her and that you at the very least leave their house as neat as you found it. I usually do the dishes or something as well.

Always negotiate with the mother. She'd give you $100 and hour if she thinks she can trust you. Remember, you're looking after the most precious thing in her life.

Let the dad think he's paying $10, let her handle the deception.

I'm 20. I have no idea how rich they are.

Just your profile, you look to me like a nice, trustworthy person. So I say rinse 'em. Hold out for a car and get some share options.

Wow... parents out here pay $30-$50 per hour.

Will this involve changing diapers? 'Cuz if there's even a chance of that, you need to raise the price.

I am the mother of two with no real help on the weekends. It would be worth at least $25 bucks to have someone to watch tha kid for a couple of hours on the weekend.

Jeeze 12 months. The youngest child I babysat was 2 1/2. Do I have to change diapers?

Judging from not know what to charge them, you're probably not a very experienced professional childcare provider, so I'd agree on the $10/hour range. That's about what a 20 year old with no particular skills can expect to make.

Ding ding ding. With a question like that, I don't think you can reasonably ask for more than ten.

Probably...unless it's a very advanced child.

I'm planning on seeking CPR certification, but don't have it yet.

Do the people you're babysitting for know that you are so inexperienced with child care?

Go with ten but demand some plastic gloves.

I worked part time as a nanny for parents of a 2 year old girl and a 6 year old boy. They paid me $15 an hour. But I did have previous experience as a pre-school teacher and an educational background in child development. This was in Oklahoma though and things like that tend to pay less here than anywhere else. (Not to mention this was almost ten years ago.) $10 an hour is definately not too much to ask . . . assuming that the child is well taken care of and his/her diapers are changed regularly. If she is only getting $10 for the entire 3 hours then she is getting SCREWED!!!



[Edited on Jan 29, 2006 by hostileintent]

Ouch...point taken, well observed, but ouch.
They asked if I had any experience with children close to that age range. In my previous post I said that the closest I had come to a 12 month old was a 2 1/2 year old.

Perhaps I should stick to dog walking.

Isn't there a big difference between a nanny and a sitter? I imagine a nanny to be something like a friend/playmate/authority figure, whereas a sitter just makes sure the kid doesn't get hurt and gets to bed in time.

Hell, just get a job serving. Better pay.