https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 23 Apr 2026 06:24:41 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/paying-a-date-night-sitter/page/2#post-1078132 Tue, 10 Sep 2013 23:53:06 +0000 birdofafeather 1078132@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't think I could pay anyone minimum wage around here to watch my kiddo unless it was a high schooler. We try to have friends watch her, who volunteer too, but we haven't done something regularly. If that was the case, I would try to line up friends, and some responsible high schoolers to keep my peace of mind. Even then, I think $10/hr would be standard. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/paying-a-date-night-sitter/page/2#post-1078001 Tue, 10 Sep 2013 21:38:00 +0000 shopaholic 1078001@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would pay the minimum wage (and probably think it was a steal). If I were entrusting the safety of my LO and for my own peace of mind, I'd want to have a reliable, competent, and HAPPY sitter. Especially if I wanted repeat services. I think negotiating in this kind of situation could lead to the sitter being insulted. And I would want any sub-par care for my LO. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/paying-a-date-night-sitter/page/2#post-1077971 Tue, 10 Sep 2013 21:27:25 +0000 Mrs. Pen 1077971@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs. bird: for one job I was salary, so it was flat rate all the time. Another job where I was hourly we negotiated a flat rate for the weekend.</p> <p>I do think overnights vs just evenings are separate scenarios to negotiate. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/paying-a-date-night-sitter/page/2#post-1077959 Tue, 10 Sep 2013 21:22:55 +0000 winniebee 1077959@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs. bird: oh good point. I think it would be a lesser rate for a full wknd if you are there or you could negotiate a flat rate. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/paying-a-date-night-sitter/page/2#post-1077947 Tue, 10 Sep 2013 21:17:12 +0000 mrs. bird 1077947@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Pen: what about for hours when you're sleeping? if you had them for a long weekend or a vacation week while the parents were away, would you expect to be paid the full rate round the clock for the duration of their trip, even while you slept? i do a lower rate then, because while sometimes i get woken up, for the most part i sleep and i feel a little crazy asking to be paid my full rate when both the children &amp; myself are asleep for 11hrs. i usually go down to $10/hr for those hours &amp; my reg rate for the other 13hrs of the day, but only if it's an extended trip. </p> <p>for evenings, i get paid my full rate. if someone tried to negotiate me down, i just wouldn't wouldn't be available to them and feel pretty insulted that they thought so little of my time. but i'm an adult and i make a living as a nanny, so it's not just pocket change to me. i think minimum wage for a teenager is very fair. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/paying-a-date-night-sitter/page/2#post-1077878 Tue, 10 Sep 2013 20:39:31 +0000 winniebee 1077878@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mediagirl: aaah, but that $20 for 2 hours out of the house and an actual date without the kiddo is just so worth it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/paying-a-date-night-sitter/page/2#post-1077877 Tue, 10 Sep 2013 20:38:44 +0000 winniebee 1077877@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Well, I think it depends on the experience of the sitter. The going rate for young mom with kids and babysitting experience is $15/hr. I like her, she's trusted, and so I pay that rate. I'd never left LO with anyone other than family so even though I put LO to bed the first time she babysat, I still paid her $15/hr. </p> <p>For a HS kid who's not putting LO to bed, I'd pay $10/hr. I have no idea what minimum wage is here. </p> <p>I feel like minimum wage is just the minimum you should pay someone who is staying in your house with your baby, if that is the sitter's going rate. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/paying-a-date-night-sitter/page/2#post-1077864 Tue, 10 Sep 2013 20:34:33 +0000 dagret 1077864@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Well our usual sitter has been paid as little as $8 to watch multiple kids alllll day by other family members so I feel pretty good about the minimum wage ballpark. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/paying-a-date-night-sitter/page/2#post-1077518 Tue, 10 Sep 2013 17:55:48 +0000 mrbee 1077518@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@banana: We usually keep it pretty casual at first! Like we'd head over to the playground after daycare, and invite a daycare friend to join us. After a few impromptu playdates a lot those lines, it would feel pretty natural to invite them to a weekend playdate! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/paying-a-date-night-sitter#post-1077483 Tue, 10 Sep 2013 17:39:41 +0000 betsyboop 1077483@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We pay $12/hour, and pay for the cab ride home so usually an extra $15 or so. I agree it's a lot but worth it for peace of mind. I don't want our "sitter" feeling ripped off because she's been so responsible and flexible with us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/paying-a-date-night-sitter#post-1077408 Tue, 10 Sep 2013 17:15:54 +0000 banana 1077408@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: I don't remember reading this one! How did I miss this post? Thanks for sharing! It's funny because I'm pretty extroverted but I'm shy when it comes to meeting people. I think it's because I don't want to feel rejection. What if I ask one of them out for a playdate and they come up with an excuse? Feels like I'm asking them out on a real date or something! UGH..I should just get over myself and try to set something up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/paying-a-date-night-sitter#post-1077394 Tue, 10 Sep 2013 17:07:54 +0000 yoursilverlining 1077394@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Pen: Totally agree with you. I want to compensate fairly (I don't think minimum wage is fair compensation, personally, for any job) in case they have to deal with a wakeup, baby needing something or an emergency. I understand being frugal, but I guess I just don't think solo childcare is where you worry about saving a buck or two an hour. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/paying-a-date-night-sitter#post-1077308 Tue, 10 Sep 2013 16:19:17 +0000 Cole 1077308@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think the minimum wage is a very reasonable expectation. Everywhere I have ever lived (both some very high and some very low cost of living places) there is a big lack of good sitters willing to do weekend nights. If someone tried to offer lower than the going rate I might sit for them once but it was never hard to find someone else who was willing to pay more for weekends in the future. Basically, my point is, if she is good and you want her to keep coming back I would go ahead and pay her what she asks. </p> <p>If it really isn't in the budget I would try and get a high school student from your neighborhood to do it, usually you get someone who is totally capable of calling 911 and their parents are typically right around the corner so you get extra back up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/paying-a-date-night-sitter#post-1077022 Tue, 10 Sep 2013 14:52:22 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 1077022@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If minimum wage is less than $10, then I'd say that's a steal! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/paying-a-date-night-sitter#post-1077006 Tue, 10 Sep 2013 14:44:17 +0000 immabeetoo 1077006@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I nannied and babysat in college and afterwards while working full-time - I've never had anyone pay me less for working when kids were asleep. If anything they paid more or gave a bonus/extra if it went past midnight. I agree with PP - you're paying for their time that they could spend doing something else. </p> <p>Our local mom's club just started a babysitting co-op to trade 'tokens' of babysitting hours. I'm not participating because I haven't met many of the moms yet, but something to consider! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/paying-a-date-night-sitter#post-1076995 Tue, 10 Sep 2013 14:41:29 +0000 MrsH 1076995@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Polish: You still want them to be attentive to your child - i think that is worth at least minimum wage if not a normal "awake" rate. I would personally pay them the same rate regardless of whether my child was sleeping or not because if a fire started or the child was choking, etc. i would still want them to care for my child. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/paying-a-date-night-sitter#post-1076965 Tue, 10 Sep 2013 14:32:50 +0000 CupQuakeWalk 1076965@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Polish: our sitter charges $10 no matter what. Um, that way above MI's minimum wage. But a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do to get some alone time with her man ;)<br /> We go out rarely; but when we do, our first option is trying family.</p> <p>I suggest finding another mommy friend and switching off.<br /> My friend and I do this for school.<br /> On Friday mornings, I watch her LOs for 2 hours while she does homework. On Tuesdays, she does the same for me. We are in the same class. She has 2 children, but hey, they are 8 &amp; 10 so arguably, they are easier than my 1 child (11m old). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/paying-a-date-night-sitter#post-1076948 Tue, 10 Sep 2013 14:28:53 +0000 Mrs. Polish 1076948@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Pen: I don't think you're in the minority at all. Most agree with you that iI would be paying for their time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/paying-a-date-night-sitter#post-1076946 Tue, 10 Sep 2013 14:28:45 +0000 mrbee 1076946@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@banana: it was definitely tough! We had to come up with a bunch of tricks, but they ended up working out over time:</p> <p><a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2012/09/18/10-ways-for-introverts-to-meet-other-parents/" rel="nofollow">http://www.hellobee.com/2012/09/18/10-ways-for-introverts-to-meet-other-parents/</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/paying-a-date-night-sitter#post-1076900 Tue, 10 Sep 2013 14:18:02 +0000 banana 1076900@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: Wow, that's impressive because I'm not really an introvert but I still find it hard to socialize with other daycare parents. We got invited to a birthday party last week and after thinking it over for a while, we decided to go. Kinda nervous for some reason! Maybe we'll meet a few parents that we click with and I can suggest a babysitting swap! :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/paying-a-date-night-sitter#post-1076883 Tue, 10 Sep 2013 14:12:07 +0000 Mrs. Pen 1076883@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I know I'm in the minority but I have a huge issue when people say they want to pay a sitter less just because its the evening. I was a nanny for several years (up until a year ago) and this would have been very offensive to me<br /> You have no idea what could happen. Babies wake up for whatever reason, emergencies happen, if something DID happen- it is invaluable that they're there. </p> <p>Whether evening or day though, I think minimum wage is fine for a babysitter. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/paying-a-date-night-sitter#post-1076868 Tue, 10 Sep 2013 14:07:29 +0000 mrbee 1076868@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@banana: We met them through our daycare! We did a lot of playdates with daycare parents, and ended up becoming good friends with a few of them. It was exhausting since Bee and I are introverts!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/paying-a-date-night-sitter#post-1076864 Tue, 10 Sep 2013 14:06:34 +0000 mediagirl 1076864@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This is why we don't and haven't gone out... $10/hr to watch TV. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/paying-a-date-night-sitter#post-1076845 Tue, 10 Sep 2013 14:02:39 +0000 bushelandapeck 1076845@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would probably pay the same as if LO were awake because I would want them to feel like we value their time. We pay $10-15/hr usually. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/paying-a-date-night-sitter#post-1076819 Tue, 10 Sep 2013 13:55:55 +0000 blackbird 1076819@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>MW is like $8/hour here. I agree you're paying for their time, not their effort necessarily. </p> <p>You know, unless you hire a 12 year old down the street. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/paying-a-date-night-sitter#post-1076801 Tue, 10 Sep 2013 13:50:41 +0000 mrsmate 1076801@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think minimum wage for childcare is a bargain. Like PPs have said, it's more about what the sitter's time is worth to them vs what kind of work they're doing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/paying-a-date-night-sitter#post-1076800 Tue, 10 Sep 2013 13:50:19 +0000 T.H.O.U. 1076800@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am in the camp that if they don't have to do anything with the kid, you can pay less per hour. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/paying-a-date-night-sitter#post-1076798 Tue, 10 Sep 2013 13:50:07 +0000 banana 1076798@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: I wish we had local friends with kids. Most of my local friends don't have children. And the friends that have children live more than 20 miles away. I'm happy (jealous!) for you that you have local friends with kids! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/paying-a-date-night-sitter#post-1076793 Tue, 10 Sep 2013 13:48:12 +0000 Mrs. Polish 1076793@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: that's an option I never considered. I like it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/paying-a-date-night-sitter#post-1076738 Tue, 10 Sep 2013 13:35:11 +0000 purrpletulips 1076738@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DH and I are spoiled because the people we get to babysit for us are teens and young adults from our church who babysit as an act of service. They typically don't ask for a set amount per hour and just ask that we pay them what we feel is fair/can afford. It typically comes out to be about $10/hr regardless of whether the kids are awake or asleep. </p>