Babysitting (1 Viewer)

[Rosie]

hey,
I just got a job babysitting!! i was just wondering if anyone knows what the award wage is for a babysitter these days??? I don't want to over charge but i want to be fair to myself as well. Thanks for your help!!

 

[Sarah J]

Baby sitting is so much fun, and it's good cos it's cash in hand.

I baby sit for a family down the road and I get $10 an hour. I'd do it for less, but they offered me that much, and who am I to refuse?

Plus, it's more than the normal award wage.

Ask them what they're willing to pay you an hour. Don't go for less than $7. I reckon $10 is reasonable for watching TV all day long

 

[Rosie]

Thanks Sarah J I'm looking forward to it and it will help me a lot with my future coz i wanna go to uni and get a ba of early childhood ed! I was thinking $7 an hour myself....but i have a meeting with her tomorrow so i think i will just wait and see what happens!
How old is the child that u baby sit for? mines 3 years old.

 

[jessika]

Originally posted by Sarah J
I reckon $10 is reasonable for watching TV all day long

I used to babysit an 8 year old, she hated tv, so much that she started screaming when I turned it on! and made me walk like 3 kms to the shops to get her a RED frog (it had to be red hehe), and run around heaps outside and I only got $5 an hour, yeah I know it sounds like Im complaining.
But after finishing my 6 or more hours at my work, running around madly everywhere (waitress) etc. All I wanted to do was sit down and watch telly.

 

[Sarah J]

I sit for a family with three kids- Two boys (9 and 8 or thereabouts) and a baby girl. hmmm... never thought to ask her age. lol. She's old enough to walk, but not old enough to talk heaps and heaps. She's gorgeous though, and is really happy.

 

[Rosie]

Originally posted by jessika


I used to babysit an 8 year old, she hated tv, so much that she started screaming when I turned it on! and made me walk like 3 kms to the shops to get her a RED frog (it had to be red hehe), and run around heaps outside and I only got $5 an hour, yeah I know it sounds like Im complaining.
But after finishing my 6 or more hours at my work, running around madly everywhere (waitress) etc. All I wanted to do was sit down and watch telly.

lol....i have never heard of a kid not to like tv let alone hate it!! Seems like you got the rough end of the stick there jessika. I met the little boy the little boy that im gonna mind for the first time yesterday and he is soooo cute yet he never stops talking lol but thats ok! His mother never gave me any fixed hours or days that i'd have to mind him so im kinda an on call baby sitter was that the same for you two?

 

[Jemima]

I babysit 5 kids at $5 and am starting to think that perhaps I am getting ripped off!!!

It's ok actually cos I can get them off to bed in the first hour then watch TV for 4 more hours, so that's $20 for watching TV. The worst part of babysitting is the dreaded ear ache cos I have absolutely no idea how to treat that in myself, let alone someone else!!!

 

[jessika]

Originally posted by Rosie


lol....i have never heard of a kid not to like tv let alone hate it!! Seems like you got the rough end of the stick there jessika. I met the little boy the little boy that im gonna mind for the first time yesterday and he is soooo cute yet he never stops talking lol but thats ok! His mother never gave me any fixed hours or days that i'd have to mind him so im kinda an on call baby sitter was that the same for you two?

Its all good now though, my friend and I shared that babysitting job, then he wanted more hours, and so I let him have mine.

Now I babysit really nice kids 9 & 7 yr usually on a saturday after Im finished at work, so its okay cause there really cute and they're not usually brats and they dont stay up late cause its usually pretty late when I get there ie. after 10 most of the tume.

 

[Rosie]

hey jessika,
are u on call or do u have set days and hours that u work?

 

[jessika]

for babysitting or waitressing?

 

[Rosie]

Sorry, i mean't for babysitting but u can tell me both...

 

[jessika]

babysitting: not set, just whenever this lady wants to go out and party.

Waitress@ Restaurant 1: three definate nights a week, and I get called in when someone cant work, and sometimes I do lunches.

Waitress@ restaurant 2: last week I got 4 shifts, this week I definately have two, and I think I have friday and saturday as well (except I forgot to check that)

 

[user]

you babysitters get too much

think about all the retail and fast food ppl, they only earn like 8 or 9 an hour, and they actually do work instead of watching TV

I spent 8 hours in a stuffy hot non airconditioned room moving stock and parcels around, moving them up and down stairs, sticking them on the shelf, and I got paid $8.65 / hour today.

yes I am complaining.

On the topic: I used to housesit my next door neighbours kids at 3am in the morning to around 8, 5 days a week, alternating weeks and got $50 for the whole week.

 

[jessika]

Originally posted by user


I spent 8 hours in a stuffy hot non airconditioned room moving stock and parcels around, moving them up and down stairs, sticking them on the shelf, and I got paid $8.65 / hour today.

I feel your pain, hehe, except I get even less money than that, and I deal with sleazy customers/drunk idiots/and in general just irritating people who waste my time when I'm heaps busy, and all I can do is smile and say "would you like anytihng else with that".

 

[user]

Originally posted by jessika


I feel your pain, hehe, except I get even less money than that, and I deal with sleazy customers/drunk idiots/and in general just irritating people who waste my time when I'm heaps busy, and all I can do is smile and say "would you like anytihng else with that".

think i'll stick with my parcels thank you

Perhaps we need a post dedicated to crappy customers?

 

[jessika]

yeah, but there are good customers that actually make your job worthwhile, like on sunday's I have some people that come in just to eat and see me, except they haven't been in for a while since I didn't do many sundays during the hsc.

 

[Lazy]

Originally posted by user
Perhaps we need a post dedicated to crappy customers?

Thats a great idea user, i was going to start one a few weeks ago after i came home from work pissed off at a lady who went of her tits at me...anyway im off to start a crappy customers thread

*Goes off to start it*

 

[tammer]

i charge about $8 an hour, but generally people that can afford babysitters pay unreal amounts. I once babysat for 5 kids who were all good and put themselves to bed after watching a DVD. I had my boyfriend around and they paid me $100 for about 6 hrs

 

[timmii]

Don't babysitting rates also increase if u can drive urself there? I don't know...i.e $7 if they pick u up and $10 if u drive urself, or maybe a smaller increase???

Haven't actually tested the theory yet, since getting my license in jan I haven't babysat yet. I only worked for one family (2 great kids, great parents, heaps of snacks and foxtel....what more can a girl want???)......but the kids can now babysit themselves and I was made redundant Oh well, it was great while it lasted!

My school's PA created a system where yr 10s-12s could put their names down on a list and the preschool/primary school parents could just refer to the list if they needed a babysitter. if there are any of u who are looking for babysitting jobs, maybe u could try and get ur school to organise that....or create ur own "babysitter's club" (yes - I take full credit for that idea. I suggest kidkits, a president, a secretary, treasurer, an alternate, as well as some junior members, just on a whim!)

hmmmm quite clearly I need to wean myself off these boards.

 

[jessika]

Originally posted by timmii
Don't babysitting rates also increase if u can drive urself there? I don't know...i.e $7 if they pick u up and $10 if u drive urself, or maybe a smaller increase???

hmm, I think I was babysitting for the wrong people, I walked, or got driven by a friend and I didn't get payed more, but yeah, I wasn't even expecting more than $5 cause you dont normally get taxed on it, which was a huge bonus.