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@abdubbs: I'm curious about this too! I'm trying to convince DH it's ok to hire their daycare teachers to babysit! I want more date nights and family's becoming unreliable.

@regberadaisy: one of the DCP teachers watches our kids - its worked out great!

@Andrea: what?? your missing out - make her work for the money!

@abdubbs: well these would-be sitters are not very helpful. I wonder if they would be more forthcoming if you told them you won't consider hiring them unless they state their fee.

@abdubbs: Are they teenagers?

I had 2 super sweet 15 yr olds come to the house and offer to babysit - I asked how much they charged and they said "Whatever you want to pay"

I actually just reached out on my local Facebook group about this and the answers ranged from $10-20 an hour (I'm in queens, NY) I'm hiring a friend of a friend who is doing this on the side for extra cash and I'm planning on paying her $15/hour. Oh and this for one kid, a 2.5 year old.

We haven’t hired a real babysitter yet, but paid a young teen $10/hour to be a mother’s helper while I was doing work at home. I’d pay a babysitter between $10-$15/hour.

Total aside and sort of off-topic, but I just want to say that I was *exactly* like those girls when I was a preteen and teen babysitting – I didn’t want to state a rate because I didn’t want to alienate anyone, or risk being rude in any way. Our mother’s helper was the same, and would have taken a lot less than $10/hour, but I said I thought that was a fair starting point for her time. A friend of my mom’s who I babysat for often (who later became a great mentor/friend to me) was mad when I wouldn’t stand up for myself and spent a lot of time explaining that women need to advocate for themselves regarding pay, starting with teenage babysitting gigs. She really impressed on me that my time is worth more than pennies. That talk is something I’ve thought about often since then, especially when I’m negotiating salary/benefits. Her words really helped me!

@Mamaof2: heh, I know, right? Nah, but we only go out maybe 2x a year so it's just easier for us to do bedtime rather than explaining it to her, prepping the kids, etc!

For a college sitter for twins, $15-20 an hour.

@buffalove: good to know! Is your sitter family?

@yoursilverlining: @abdubbs: I agree, it's never too early to teach girls/ young women to know their value- time & effort have value- and not be afraid to say so. I think the first family I began babysitting for approached me with the rate $6 or $7 and I was 12 or 13 and the kid was 5 or 6. That family set the pay scale and I charged a family of a diaper- wearing baby an dollar extra. Based on the rates on this thread I would probably insult a sitter if they left it up to me pick the rate- a $1 over minimum wage is what I would offer.

@regberadaisy: I try to have her about once a month even if we don't have anything planned. It works for everyone - keeps the kids used to her, and gets us out of the house I know so many people who use daycare teachers....it's a great resource and they probably have friends, too!

We do $12/ hr for one kid.

$15/hr for an experienced babysitter, more like 10-12/hr for a teenager/mothers helper

$9-12 per hour for one child. I try to stay on the $9-10 range but we did have one babysitter that was phenomenal, did dishes and laundry, and was worth $12 per hour!