how can they ask this much?

Kayza

Tue, Sep 13 2011, 7:50 pm

Raisin wrote:

Kayza, I babysat a LOT as a teen and very very rarely experienced this sort of behaviour. Once or twice kids woke up, but really not often.

So, you got lucky. the point is that the person doing the babysitting has to make a commitment. Otherwise why would you need her there in the first place?

The incidents I mentioned - and I'm only talking about situations with families that I would be willing to go back to - were not run of the mill, but they happened often enough that I developed an almost iron-clad rule that I would not take a job on a night that I had to study for a test or work on a major project of some sort. Since baby sitters were in somewhat short supply, it annoyed some mothers, but my parents backed me 100% - even my mother who really thought of this as a chesed.

Quote:

babysitting when the kids are awake is a whole different ball game and should probably be paid more then nighttime.

Often true.

allrgymama

Tue, Sep 13 2011, 9:50 pm

I didn't read the entire thread, but I'm 24 and I got paid $10 an hour by one aunt to babysit and $8 an hour by everyone else. This was in Boro Park.

I appreciate that some people might have a problem paying out that when they go out for extended periods of time, but really -- don't you think that your babysitter deserves to be paid at least as much per hour as your cleaning lady?

I understand that cleaning ladies are doing hard labor -- but if your kids are awake, your baby sitter might be, too. And even if she isn't, your expecting a certain level of maturity and level-headedness from your babysitter so that if something happens she can actually take care of your kids. I honestly think that's worth $10 an hour -- it's what I pay my babysitters here in Lakewood unless they refuse to take it.

tikva18

Fri, Sep 16 2011, 10:19 am

Kayza wrote:

tikva18 wrote:

It's not about worth, obviously they are worth thousands and millions more, it's about affordability. That's why we just didn't go out for the past who knows how many years. Dh and I go on a 'date' maybe once or twice a year if we're lucky.

And why do you expect your baby sitter to subsidize that?

I don't. That's why we don't go out. We can't afford to go to dinner or do something + pay a sitter. So we don't go out.

We also do not have any cleaning help. And the kids don't do camp. And we don't go on vacations. And we do get scholarships. Smile

Chayalle

Fri, Sep 16 2011, 10:32 am

I was just thinking about this thread last night.

My neighbor called my DD to babysit from 7:30 to 9:30 as she had a local wedding. She told me her two little angels would be asleep, so your DD will be able to shmooze and do homework....

Neighbor called at 7 and asked could DD come early? Because baby (4 months old) is kvetching and not letting her get ready. So DD went over. Neighbor got ready and told DD baby should fall asleep soon.

DD held her, cooed, sang, and paced the floor till 9 pm with said baby on her shoulder. At around 9, the little darling finally closed her eyes and was gently placed into bassinet. An exhaused, aching DD sat down and finished her Navi questions.

Neighbor walked in at 9:30 and cheerily asked "Is baby sleeping?" "yes" DD answered. And was too shy to tell her "just".

She had no idea how well-earned those $7 an hour were....until I met her outside and she told me that DD is so mature, she heard her taking care of baby so well as she got ready...and I said Yes DD told me she cried till 9....she was shock

lamplighter

Fri, Sep 16 2011, 3:32 pm

amother wrote:

tikva how do I respectfully tell you to stop telling sob stories and tell your dh to get a betuer paying joa

Not like that.

I asked some teens in my area and they said 10 is average. Well if I was going out to eat for 3 hours and it cost me $30 dollars just for the sitter, I don't think we would do it often at all. Never mind paying $30 to go to a simcha. I can see how it makes you think twice or three times before leaving the house at night. Not that the girls don't have the right to ask for that amount but it is a lot to shell out.

Depressed

Fri, Sep 16 2011, 4:41 pm

lampl and makeup artists charge 50 and up. Sheital machers charge 30 and more for a wash/set. So I can either stay home and miss the wedding or find a lady who will do it for chesed.

lamplighter

Fri, Sep 16 2011, 4:56 pm

Depressed wrote:

lampl and makeup artists charge 50 and up. Sheital machers charge 30 and more for a wash/set. So I can either stay home and miss the wedding or find a lady who will do it for chesed.

I do not get my sheitel set and makeup done for a wedding unless it's for immediate family in which case there is no doubt about the babysitter. I'm saying that I would probably think twice before attending a wedding or bar mitzvah for that amount of money. Doesn't mean I won't go it means I would think about it.

amother

Fri, Sep 16 2011, 6:18 pm

I was an awesome babysitter, back in the day.
I used to babysit from 6 to midnight, feed someones 6 kids, do homework with them, bathe some of the littler ones, put them to sleep, clean the kitchen for 4 bucks an hour.

I don't expect my babysitters to do anything but watch my kids, but unfortunately, most girls don't want to do that. They want sleeping kids for $10 an hour. I'm not sure they would be able to deal with a crying baby. I either hire a mature woman who takes $12 an hour, (very rarely, but if I have a wedding thats 2 hours away, I need someone that I can rely on) or I call my cleaning lady to babysit.

tryingmybest

Fri, Sep 16 2011, 8:30 pm

I think 10 is really average. I usually pay 10 an hour depending on when, if the kids were up, etc. I don't think its fair to pay 5 an hour for a house of screaming kids for a young teen to deal with! I usually try to make sure my kids are sleeping and I give them all my info and make them feel free to do whatever they want and pay 10. If kids are up and they're really busy, etc. I would pay more.

voira

Sat, Sep 17 2011, 4:17 pm

Im 19 and when I was in HS it used to depend on the neighborhood. Boro park pays more $10-$12 and kensington payed less $7-$9. But we only wanted to babysit if the kids were "REALLY" sleeping, not pretending. Once they were sleeping we got a free house to study, talk on the phone... If they were up... It was a whole different story.. never wanted to go back... babysitting someones else's "CUTIES" is no fun... they scream, fight...

tikva18

Sun, Sep 18 2011, 1:01 am

lamplighter wrote:

amother wrote:

tikva how do I respectfully tell you to stop telling sob stories and tell your dh to get a betuer paying joa

The only reason I said it is because on former threads which keep reoccurring people are suggesting that others should not take fancy vacations, have cleaning help, etc - I wanted to point out that I am not doing those things so me not taking a sitter makes sense. Smile

And, yes, there are better ways to tell me such things. I moichel you Smile

Ftr, my dh works for the community and although the salary we get might make things tight, it's a different form of salary that truly pays.

amother

Sun, Sep 18 2011, 1:33 am

amother wrote:

tikva how do I respectfully tell you to stop telling sob stories and tell your dh to get a betuer paying joa

WOW! That was harsh!!! I think instead of telling people what their husbands should be doing, you should look into sensitivity training. (and perhaps learn how to spell?)

chocolate chips

Sun, Sep 18 2011, 3:11 am

Just remembering us making our babysitter sit through a 3 hour movie telling her its so good it gets better wen we knew for a fact it was the most boring pointless movies...
and various other things we did to the poor girls...boy did I feel sorry once I started bbsitting snotty nosed bratty kids...and neices and nephews that drove dh and I up the wall until we locked them in their room and said one more noise we'll call the police go to sleep NOW!
LOL

abound

Sun, Sep 18 2011, 5:05 am

amother wrote:

tikva how do I respectfully tell you to stop telling sob stories and tell your dh to get a betuer paying joa

Wow! this is completely inappropriate and even you know that or you would not be amother. Just to tell you, the laws that teach us about ahavas Yisroel are in place even online and even when you are amother. I do not know how you will rectify this one before rosh hashana. shock

By the way, Parnasah in from Hashem, (even if you think DH has a good job etc) Midos are in your very own hands- so good luck!!