Ok, I’m a college student babysitting two boys (5 and 7 years old). I feel my responsibility is to play with the boys, feed them, and clean up after ourselves. However, the mother wants me to also do the dishes (her sink is always full with more dirty pots/pans and plates on the stove or counters), do laundry, and sweep. I do what she expects me to do, but for $6 an hour I feel I’m being taken advantage of. Is this normal?
What do you pay a babysitter?
What do you expect the babysitter to do?
By: Here I am
About the Author:
What do you pay a babysitter?
What do you expect the babysitter to do?
By: Here I am
About the Author:
10 comments
Comment by *~Cheyenne~* on November 8, 2009 at 4:27 am
Most people pay about $3 an hour per child for a babysitter so I think if she wants you to clean then she should also add in another 2 bucks or so for however long it takes you to clean.
Comment by angelbaby on November 8, 2009 at 1:50 pm
I pay my sitter $20 a day to watch my 2 yr. old, but it’s in her own home. She does a lot, and takes good care of her. I would never expect a sitter to do my housework! Unless that was part of the agreement in the first place. After all, you’re a BABYsitter, not a maid, for crying out loud!
Comment by A little Southern Comfort on November 9, 2009 at 8:26 am
No way! My parents pay the baby sitter for my little brother $10.00 an hour. She is an honor student in high school and is very smart and dependable and she is studying in Child Development. It’s just my brother and they do not ask for any cleaning. Only to play with him and feed him and put the dishes in the sink and throw all trash away that they use (Like juice boxes and wrappers) and then put him to bed. He is four. My parents lay out his PJ’s and he changes himself.
Comment by Windy on November 11, 2009 at 6:21 am
Ask for minumum wage. If the deal was that you would do dishes, then you have to do them. If the deal was to just watch the kids, then you have to ask for more money. You can tell her that you were hired to make sure the kids are safe and taken care of, not to do housework. I pay a babysitter $10 an hour to watch my kids. I hardly ever use one though…I expect them to watch and play with my kids.
Comment by Sparkles on November 13, 2009 at 3:37 pm
She is taking advantage of you. I am a professional nanny with household duties, and my pay is $11.50 an hour. She is wanting free house cleaning and laundry, and she is not being fair about this. You are basically getting $3.00 per child per hour which is normal. I also take care of two boys. If she has you to do errands, charge her 48.5 cents per mile. If she did not explain this to you before hand, she is out of line to expect that and spring the house hold duties on you after she hired you. She couldn’t get a daycare to watch her children for what she is paying you to watch two children.
Comment by indiana_raven on November 15, 2009 at 12:49 am
You are basically a nanny then so to speak because you are cleaning her home on top of baby sitting so that should at least get you another 2-3 dollars an hour on top of the 6 dollars a hour.
Comment by CF in VA on November 18, 2009 at 7:43 am
Yes, you’re being taken advantage of. It is not normal to ask a babysitter for that kind of work for that kind of money.
I think you have your responsibilities laid out pretty well – entertain the boys, feed them and clean up after yourselves. That is plenty enough for $6 an hour.
Other items like washing dishes, doing laundry and sweeping/dusting are things that would fall under maid services. I would suggest that you talk to her about those services being billed separately to her if she insists that you do them (and you’re willing to do them.)
Personally, I pay my sitters between $5-$9/hour based on their age and experience level (our sitters range in age from 12 to 18 years of age). I expect them to entertain/take care of my 3-year old and tidy up after themselves (and her). That’s it. Now, please note, this is not my daycare provider, this is for a sitter for an occasional evening.
The equation changes depending on the age(s) and number of children or other perks given to a sitter, but a babysitter is not a maid and shouldn’t be doing that kind of work. (Caveat: unless they are live-in and also need to do something for their room board, or unless that is part of their contract to start with [but I would expect much better hourly pay for that])
Comment by juanes addicion on November 21, 2009 at 5:08 pm
i pay them minimum wage because that is what they would get at McDs or any other restaurant….it is GOOD pay for babysitting…
what I expect in return? waddya think? I want my kids in bed and healthy and for the house to not burn down…ahh and NOTHING sexual AT ALL ever happening..btw..I have NO PROBLEM webcamming my own house so that i see what is happening at any given moment…
don’t do my dishes…I would pay you MORE if you did because to me that is above and beyond the call of duty..but besides USING the bathroom…it is NOT your job to clean…it is your job TO WATCH my kids…if anything..I’d love for you to have emergency training…not EMT, but first aid training+ CPR…
Comment by roldanrochell on November 23, 2009 at 6:01 pm
I believe it all depends on where you live and the experience you have.
The babysitters in my area charge a minimum of $10/hr – if there are more children involved, cleaning…etc there is more money given obviously – $6/hr is very cheap – i suggest you talk about the terms of your job and pay
Comment by scottishduffy on November 24, 2009 at 1:44 pm
First off, as a college sitter you should be earning more. At least about $10 per hour.
When I was a sitter in college all my responsibility centered around the kids. I played with the kids, Cleaned up whatever the kids and I did (toys and crafts), and did the dishes from the kids dinner.
I never did laundry or swept. If you are an occassional sitter ( 1-2 nights per week) then she is taking advantage of you and using you because she is lazy. If you are a live in care-take then she can expect you to do that but you are being seriously jipped on pay either way.
I know it is hard and awkward but maybe talk to mom so you can talk to her about expectations for you, and your pay. You are there for the kids…. a maid is something entirely different.