Babysitter rates?

[Salsa]

How much do you pay a babysitter per hour or job? We are just out of Melbourne (if location makes any difference). 2 kids, one still in nappies.

[Bumperstump Cummerbund]

6 or 7 years ago I used to get $20 per child, but they were easy kids - little bit of fuss when Mum&Dad left, read a million stories, and the kids would take themselves to bed. My sister charges $15 an hour, and all her clients are kids from the childcare centre she works at.

HTH!

[krisp]

We are in Melbourne as well and we pay our baby sitter(a girl from our daycare centre) $20.00 an hour.

[onthefly]

We pay $17.50/hr. I'd say it should be more for 2 kids, but actual rate will depend on qualifications etc. Might also be higher over there compared to WA

[skybie]

our day care centre advertises for $15 an hour and $100 overnight

[PumpkinZulu]

I charge $15 an hour; $20 for more than 1 child. Hth

[Salsa]

Thanks everyone, I think $20 should be about right then.
Does it continue at an hourly rate for a full day? Such as a one off job of 8hrs, including putting to bed. Would it then be $160 for the 8 hrs or would you negotiate something else? I dont want to be a stinge, or offend. Just wondering what the norm might be. Afterall, $160 is a bit of $$$!

[PumpkinZulu]

Salsa, of I'm sitting for a longer period of time, I will usually charge $15 per hour, especially if it's during the day and I'm with the child/ren a lot. If it's a shorter amount of time during the day I charge $20. For things like putting the kids to bed/minding them and the house at night, $15. I'm sure a lot of people would also be happy to work out a daily pay rate if you needed someone for 8 hours, but I think that would work best if it were a more regular arrangement, iykwim?

[Pandora]

PZ, what would you charge for two hours at night (eg 8-10) kids already alseep when you got there?

[PumpkinZulu]

PZ, what would you charge for two hours at night (eg 8-10) kids already alseep when you got there?

$30

[TeniBear]

Wow PZ, you've got it all worked out! I would just be going "I dunno, how much do you want to pay me?"

I should do some babysitting, it's something I'm fairly sure I'd be good at and we do need the money...

[PumpkinZulu]

Teni you should! I've been sitting/nannying for the last 6 years, it's fantastic, especially when you've had the same family for a while and you watch the child/ren go through the years at school etc.