What do you pay your babysitter?

Babysitters perspective-

I have done a lot of babysitting over the years. Typically school age, 5- 10 year olds, usually more than one.

I am happiest with $50 -80 for an evening but I'll take whatever parents offer (within reason) and depending on my relationship with them. This could be for anywhere from 2 to 10 hours. I never expect dinner but am happy to get it. If I'm cooking for your kids I'll definitely sneak some fries or whatever for myself.

For daytime I expect $15-20 per hour. This is because day time is harder, the kids are awake, usually I'm driving them around somewhere and there are more things that can go wrong. Also opportunity cost. If I'm doing daytime in to nighttime, 11am- 11pm for example, I will want my hourly rate for the entire time because that's a really long day for me.

I would never expect to get the wifi password. Especially for daytime babysitting. I'm there to look after your kids not browse Facebook/reddit. I usually bring a book for once they are in bed or watch TV.

This is a personal thing that not many babysitters require but I like a rough estimate of when you'll be home. I don't care how late you stay out but I like to have an idea of when I'll be home. And if you are going to be significantly later than that I don't mind but please, please, please send me a text so I know. I hate it when on a weeknight a parent says they will be home at 11 at the latest and then rocks up at 1 with no apologies and no text messages.

If the babysitter can't drive herself home then you should probably drive her home. Alternatively, depending on how well you know her and if you're going to be out until the wee hours you can suggest she stay the night.

For reference I'm 23. You could probably get away with paying a teenager (15/16/17) less. Maybe $50 for an evening or like $10 an hour. Most babysitters will want to be paid in cash

I've a 7 and a 4 year old. If we need our baby sitter before dinner (at around 5.30pm) then we provide dinner for her. We're usually home around 11pm, but the kids are in bed and asleep by around 7.30 so it's a fairly sweet gig for her I think. We let her use the WIFI, open up the pantry fridge to her, and let her watch whatever she wants on our TV (we don't have actual national TV, just a HDD with movies). She rarely has to do anything after 8pm, but we pay her $50 for the night and she's happy. We also pickup/drop her off as well (as one of us is usually sober) too.

$20/hr (unless you can get a stupid teenager)

My kid is 16 and gets between $15 an hour. She prefers not to eat there and doesn't need wifi as she has enough data. She will eat junk food if it's left though.

You are basically paying for peace of mind. People say "they don't do a lot once the kids are in bed" but in reality they are there still looking after your child and allowing you peace of mind to have a good night out.

She charges $30 an hour for NYE, seems expensive but she had already turned down 4 diff families.

I have a few families that I babysit for fairly regularly - one more than others (every second weekend) so I'll use them as an example. I've been looking after these kids for ~3 years now. 2y/o and a 6y/o.

Pay - it usually rounds off to about $15-$18 an hour, we don't really have a set rate. I've noticed they'll pay $15 an hour if I'm only there til 10-11pm or so, but if it's a late night (after midnight) I end up getting closer to $18 or even $20 an hour. $15 is absolutely all good, assuming the kids are in bed for the majority of the night. My families sometimes put $$ into my account which is sweet for me but I would say most babysitters would prefer cash on the night (it's a bit awkward to text five days later reminding them to pay you)

Dinner - depending what time I start, they usually leave some leftovers on the stove or something. They always say to help myself etc. If I'm cooking for the kids then yeah I'll often eat with them. If your babysitter is starting at 6pm or so then definitely offer them dinner. If it's later like 8pm just expect that they're gonna snack on toast/biscuits/whatever is lying around.

WiFi - As someone mentioned, if it's a daytime job, then I don't need the WiFi password as I'm busy entertaining the kids. If it's late and the kids are in bed then yeah it's nice to offer. I usually bring a book. At the least show them how to work your TV/Sky or whatever.

The 2y/o is in bed by the time I get there, I just check on her a few times throughout the night. The 6 y/o is a lot more full on and stays up with me til about 10pm (watch a movie, then read two books, then he likes to draw in bed for a bit... lucky bugger)

Something you didn't cover - transport. My families usually pay for or chuck an extra $10 towards a cab. It's a bummer to go and babysit for a couple of hours only to shell out a third of your pay for a taxi home. When I babysit to the wee hours (12am - 1am or so) the parents get a cab home and get the same cab to drop me home. I love when they do this since there's no waiting around etc. They're actually super awesome and usually pay him off before I even get in. Not a necessity but so lovely of them and very very appreciated!!! If they aren't drinking then they'll usually drive me home too or at the very least to the bus stop. Just check they have a way to get home if it's late and there's no buses :)

EDIT: Woah sorry for the novel, let me know if you have any questions, I've been babysitting for 7 years or so for lots of different families & have had good/bad/ugly experiences (mostly good though, I love babysitting)

Why would you even need to ask about wifi? If you don't trust them with your internet connection, how the hell can you trust them with your kids.

I tried buying her, but $5,000 was just too much.

I babysat a couple of kids for six years, from when they were ~2 and 4 til when they were 8 and 10. Because I got to know the family really well and I loved the boys, I never asked for a pay increase, but I was getting $10 an hour, dinner, wifi access (they'd just let me use their laptop if I wanted!), chocolate.. the works.

Now if I were babysitting (for anyone else) I'd want at least $15 an hour, but probably 20. In saying that, my time is a lot more valuable now than it was when I was in high school and then studying. I also have cooler shit to do with my spare time, so opportunity cost is higher.

My sister is a professional. She's on anywhere between 20 and 25 depending on the details.

I'm training a babysitter up at the moment. She's eleven so there are adults around but she is in charge of getting the kids to bed. If she does the bare minimum she gets about a dollar an hour. If she does they dishes, gets the kids to tidy their room, she gets double. If it is a difficult night and she ends up reading and cuddling child all night, I'll give her extra. When I get home I ask "what were you worth tonight?" and pay her that (or more). One day she'll ask for more but for now it costs me less than ten bucks a night.

I reckon if they're sitting on the couch watching TV all night, they're not worth too much, but if they leave the house better than they found it, do activities or something with the kids....actually work, then pay them more.

Based on my research though, the going rate is $10an hour for the local teenager, up to around $15 for someone older, more qualified. If someone is doing a decent amount of babysitting in the community, they should have some kind of first aid training