Babysitter Rates - Allentown,PA

Well I would say anywhere from $10 to $15 an hour depending on things as others have said. I also wonder why your 11 yo couldn't babysit. I started sitting right around when i turned 11, and I sat for a 2 yo child, a family with 3 kids aged 3, 5 and 7 on a regular basis and a few families occasionally with two children each. This continued from age 11 until I was in high school. It turned into an excellent way to save money and I saved enough to go pay my way to space academy by the time I was almost 14. It really taught me the value of money and using it and saving it wisely. If your 11 yo is mature enough I would just pay him/her and it would be much cheaper. Otherwise i would ask the sitter what she is looking for in hourly payment, if she doesn't know make a suggestion and ask if that is fair. I paid a college student $15 an hour to help me with my kids ages 2 and 4 at the time. It varies by area, age of the sitter and ages of your children.

I think part of it depends on how involved she'll have to be. If she's helping the 11 year old with homework and giving the 5 year old a bath, she'll deserve more than if the little one is asleep for half the time and 11 year old is self-sufficient and the sitter can just do her own homework. I think you should also find out from your neighbors was the going rate is - it does vary in different parts of the country. I'd also ask the sitter directly what her rates are, after you detail what her responsibilities will be - she'll know what other college kids are making.

Hi, H.:
I would negotiate a fee per hour so in the end, she
would feel railroaded.

$10.00 and hr.
Good luck. D.

We pay our babysitter $13/hr for 3 young kids (3 year old twins and almost 5 years old). I also want to mention that she's an adult and is excellent with them (plays games, reads to them, etc the whole time she's here). My boys are kinda crazy and I wanted someone I know wouldn't get overwhelmed with them. If my kids were older and more self-sufficient I would be willing to hire a teenager and would want to pay around $10/hr.

I am not sure about your area, but in Ca-- normal rates for 2 kids is 12-15/hour depending on experience. I would ask her what she charges and find a happy medium.

M

Ask her how much she charges. That's usually what you do when you are considereing hiring anyone to do a job for you, right?

We pay our 30 year old babysitter $20/hour....but we have 3 small kids - not an 11 year old. I'm curious as to why your 11 year old doesn't babysit? I would pay my 11 year old $6-7 and hour and my 5 year old $3 an hour if he is respectful and behaves.

I pay a very sweet high school senior $9 an hour to watch our 4 year old and 7 year old. They are very well behaved independent children who put themselves to bed without any issues so really I am just paying her for her time which in high school is very precious. I would take into account how easy your children are and what you think you'd have to pay her to make her want to give up an occasional Saturday night for!

We pay about $10 an hour plus gas money if she drives herself. However we live in a smallish town and I've heard of friends in the city who pay a good bit more.

When we had sitters, we guaranteed $40 CASH, even if we had to cancel because she saved her night for us. Our date night weekly was usually $60-$80 for our daughter (now almost 16).

Our daughter babysits a couple of neighbor's children. Both of these neighbors have 3 children under 7. The one with 3 girls paid her $40 for 2 1/2 hours aobut a month ago. Another with 3 children paid $30 for 2 hrs a couple weeks ago. Yesterday she babysat from 1pm-9pm and got $80.

A well paid sitter keeps coming back!! CASH

Of course, rates vary due to your area.

My 12 year old gets about $5 an hour adn my 15 year old gets up to $10 an hour. I think $10 an hour is fair, it is almost twice minium wage, and since your daughters are 11 and 5 it's relatively easy work.