What to Pay?

I wouldn't necessarily pay an hourly rate. I would come up with a flat amount. Such as, I'll pay you $150 plus supply your food and fun money (in case they take the boys out for any activities). Just discuss it with her and see what she thinks is fair. I'm sure being 19, she'll really appreciate anything you give! =0)

2 moms found this helpful

Hey S.C.

We pay a young woman to watch our children when we have to go out of town with out them and pay her $100 a day, plus gas, food, and entertainment. We leave her a Grocery Store Gift card (one that has a gas station) to keep gas in her car and buy any food they need, and a Visa rechargable gift card with money on it for eating out, going to movies, renting movies, etc. Depending on how many days we will be gone, we put more or less on the cards. I stock the house with easy food that the kids like, and buy things that I know she enjoys (like diet rite soda.) It works well, and she is always willing to come to our house!

M.

When I was 16 to 20 yrs old I babysat for a family that frequently needed an overnight babysitter. The family paid me $100/ night PLUS provided all food, which they always asked beforehand what we wanted. (or left $ for pizza, etc) They also left a little extra money in an envelope for activities. Seeing that you said 4 days and 3 nights I would compensate her some for that 4th day as well. I would say that $350 to $400 sounds about right. You can base the 4th day on the hours your going to be away OR just base it off a half day pay of what your paying her the rest of the time since she will not be watching them overnight.

I've never gotten a babysitter, but in HS in the 90's, I was one. I feel that $9 an hour is too much for a babysitter! I teach at a community college, and I can tell you that i'd make more babysitting for a few days than I do there, with a Master's degree. Babysitting used to be a job that was paid BELOW minimum wage-- makes sense, since no education or special skill is needed for the job. I think $5 an hour is fair pay for babysitting... i'm sure others disagree, but I think we way overvalue (monetarily) babysitting.

4 days and 3 nights is a lot of time, but she is family so maybe you could get a family discount (lol). I would say $300-$400 minimum and extra for food and fun activities for the boys. I would not have done it for any cheaper when I was 19!

I think $300 sounds fair, since she'll have help from your sister. Why don't you check and see if that seems reasonable to her?

I have a 15 yr old and the last time we were out of town without her... which was a Sunday thru Tuesday I paid my sitter (high school Sr) $400 cash.

Basically, they just hung out late Sunday afternoon, sitter took daughter to/from school on Monday, slept over, took daughter to school on Tuesday and we were home before school was out on Tuesday.

We also have 3 dogs and that were cared for as well. Daughter was 14 at the time and pretty self sufficient. We basically just needed someone to be around.

Good luck!

I had someone watch my boys for 3 days, 2 nights, with no school breaks. I paid $160 plus food/milk for the time they were there. My sitter only charges $5 an hour for 2 kids.

How many hours during the day are they watching the kids? Is it a fulltime kindergarten? Part-time preschool?

I agree with a set rate. Is your niece in school now, so is she studying, or is this a fulltime job? Does she clean your house while waiting for the kids, or does she go back home in between picking up the girls?

Check to see how much live-out nannies or aupairs cost. That might help you determine, given your answers to the questions above.

All my best,
D.

That would be $864 for 96 hours! I think a few hundred dollars would be good, considering her mom is there and helping.