Babysitting fees??

[Zaylee]

Okay, so this summer, me and my older brother are going to be saving up money to build me a PC before school starts up again in the fall. He'll be working a job at a pizza place near our home, and I'll probably babysit or something. Just out of general curiosity, how much should I charge parents to watch over their kids? Like, rate per hour kinda stuff?

[TinyDinos]

1 hour ago, Zaylee said:

Okay, so this summer, me and my older brother are going to be saving up money to build me a PC before school starts up again in the fall. He'll be working a job at a pizza place near our home, and I'll probably babysit or something. Just out of general curiosity, how much should I charge parents to watch over their kids? Like, rate per hour kinda stuff?

Okay, so as a babysitter for a few different people and age ranges here’s what I’ll tell you :)

First and foremost, what is your time worth to you? How much do you think you deserve for your time? That’s a good place to start.

Next, how long are you supposed to be watching the child(ren)? How many kids? Is it overnight? What age range are they? (You might charge more for a baby than a 4th grader because it’s more work overall, and it’s a smart idea to consider a sibling discount if you’re watching multiple kids). This should help give you a level rate per hour to start with :)

The next important things to consider are conditions. What are your expenses? If you have to drive to them, what are you spending on gas? If they’re coming to you, are you expected to provide snacks for the kids? Depending on this info you can raise your price from its base level.

On the flip side you should also think about things that benefit you by working for them. Are they providing food for you while you work? Do they allow you to watch television or play video games after the kids go to sleep? Do the pick you up and drive you to their house? Depending on these things you may want to lower your prices a bit.

And finally, consider whether you’re babysitting or nannying. If you’re babysitting, the parents are NOT home, or you’re nannying, you’re taking care of the kids while the parents ARE home (if they need help while working from home for example.) if it’s a nannying job, you’ll typically charge less since the parent is available to help in case the kids misbehave (or in some cases where it’s a baby, help with feedings, put downs for naps, etc).

a final recommendation is to be CPR certified before taking jobs. Parents are more inclined to hire you if you have that credibility and it’s easy to get the classes locally in most cases. I believe you can even ask your school counselor and they can give you more information (at least in the U.S. )

I hope this helps, and I wish you luck towards your PC! Lmk if you have any more questions

-Your Internet Big Sister

[Zaylee]

12 minutes ago, TinyDinos said:

Okay, so as a babysitter for a few different people and age ranges here’s what I’ll tell you :)

First and foremost, what is your time worth to you? How much do you think you deserve for your time? That’s a good place to start.

Next, how long are you supposed to be watching the child(ren)? How many kids? Is it overnight? What age range are they? (You might charge more for a baby than a 4th grader because it’s more work overall, and it’s a smart idea to consider a sibling discount if you’re watching multiple kids). This should help give you a level rate per hour to start with :)

The next important things to consider are conditions. What are your expenses? If you have to drive to them, what are you spending on gas? If they’re coming to you, are you expected to provide snacks for the kids? Depending on this info you can raise your price from its base level.

On the flip side you should also think about things that benefit you by working for them. Are they providing food for you while you work? Do they allow you to watch television or play video games after the kids go to sleep? Do the pick you up and drive you to their house? Depending on these things you may want to lower your prices a bit.

And finally, consider whether you’re babysitting or nannying. If you’re babysitting, the parents are NOT home, or you’re nannying, you’re taking care of the kids while the parents ARE home (if they need help while working from home for example.) if it’s a nannying job, you’ll typically charge less since the parent is available to help in case the kids misbehave (or in some cases where it’s a baby, help with feedings, put downs for naps, etc).

a final recommendation is to be CPR certified before taking jobs. Parents are more inclined to hire you if you have that credibility and it’s easy to get the classes locally in most cases. I believe you can even ask your school counselor and they can give you more information (at least in the U.S. )

I hope this helps, and I wish you luck towards your PC! Lmk if you have any more questions

-Your Internet Big Sister

Thank you so much!!! I'll definitely work towards the CPR stuff. Take the Red Cross test and all that. I can't have kids come over to my house because of big dogs, and I'll probably just ride my bike to and from the clients house. I also have to get my household functional so that I'm not necessarily needed when I'm babysitting. I know how to cook, and make small non-sugary treats. So, yeah!! Thx again for ur help!!

[TinyDinos]

1 hour ago, Zaylee said:

Thank you so much!!! I'll definitely work towards the CPR stuff. Take the Red Cross test and all that. I can't have kids come over to my house because of big dogs, and I'll probably just ride my bike to and from the clients house. I also have to get my household functional so that I'm not necessarily needed when I'm babysitting. I know how to cook, and make small non-sugary treats. So, yeah!! Thx again for ur help!!

Of course!!! I’m so glad I was able to help!