In general, babysitters expect to be paid a higher rate for a more difficult job. Because caring for a new baby is much more intensive and time-consuming than caring for older children, you may need to pay your babysitter a higher rate.

There are a variety of other factors that play a major role in how much you should pay a babysitter as well. They can include:

- The local market. If you live in an area where there are a lot of babysitters and fewer “babies” to “sit,” this will drive the cost of a sitter down. On the other hand, if you live in an area where there are a shortage of babysitters, you can expect to pay more. The best way to determine this is to talk to other parents to see what they are paying for babysitting.

- The age of the sitter. Teenage babysitters often will be content with just a few dollars an hour. They aren’t babysitting to pay bills, for example; they are probably working to collect a few extra dollars to spend at the mall. College sitters, however, can cost more; they are more mature, more responsible, and more likely to know how to drive and to know CPR. College sitters will often charge as much as 30% more than a teen sitter.

- The number and age of your children. In general, it is more work to baby-sit for more children, and the babysitter’s pay should reflect this. Just as it is more difficult to care for a small child than for older children, it is more work to care for more than one child. The babysitter’s pay should also reflect this. For each child beyond the first, you should add around 25% to the rate.

- Special dates. If you need a babysitter for New Year’s Eve or Valentine’s Day, expect to pay more than if you need a babysitter for another day.

- Extra responsibilities. If you expect your babysitter to do any household chores or cleaning, expect to pay more for these services.

- Length of the job. If you need a babysitter overnight or longer, the actual hourly rate will often be less than if you are just going out for a few hours.

As you can see, there are quite a number of factors to consider when paying a babysitter beyond just having a young baby to sit.

Posted in Child Care Issues

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