How much to pay babysitter for long weekend?

[foliedouce]

As I'm not on Mumsnet, I thought I'd ask here

Have 4 days away with the Mrs next week, normally get the MiL to look after the kids but she's busy so we have the babysitter doing it.

Normally pay her £7 / hour plus £5 petrol for standard babysitting, but not sure what to do give her for this. I'm thinking a flat rate of £80-100 per 24 hours.

As an aside, when we go away with the kids, she also housesits (lives at our place and feeds animals) for £20 / day.

Any thoughts?

[Jasandjules]

How much does the babysitter want? I'd also throw in a couple of takeaways etc

[justanother5tar]

£7 * 24 = £168. So not sure why shed entertain doing it for half that? And that's not including the house sitting.

You'd be paying her £100 less than what you would usually 'value' her services at.

Throwing in some takeaway money would be a very nice gesture though, as the other poster suggested.

(All IMO, of course.)

[condor]

I regularly house sit and look after other peoples' pets in their homes. I charge £30/24 hours.
I'd have thought somewhere along those lines would be ample

[dave_s13]

Let's turn this into mumsnet.






I'd never expect anyone else to look after my kids for such a long time on just so I could bugger off on holiday. It's not a dog.

[threadlock]

IMHO there's a world of difference between popping over to someone's house to watch their TV and surf the web through their WiFi for a few hours while the kids are asleep, and having the responsibility of entertaining and caring for a couple of kids for four days! I'd expect to pay quite a lot for this, especially if you're expecting the babysitter to provide meals, entertainment and so on for herself and the kids.

As you suggest, op, £100 a day is a more reasonable figure, if the babysitter is paying expenses.

Anything less than £400 all-in is a bit cheap IMHO Yeah, that's a lot of money. Which is why my wife and I don't often go away without the kids :-/

Edited by threadlock on Saturday 25th April 10:36

[Tribal Chestnut]

dave_s13 said:

Let's turn this into mumsnet.






I'd never expect anyone else to look after my kids for such a long time on just so I could bugger off on holiday. It's not a dog.

Indeed.

How old are they? I don't know your circumstances nor what the babysitter is like and her relationahip with the kids, but on the surface this seems pretty selfish of you both.

If a family member wasn't available I would cancel the break.

But then, like Dave, I see my daughter as more than a pet.

[condor]

I think some of your comments are a bit harsh. I know times have changed but when I was a child I often stayed at school friends houses for weekends and half terms. Au pairs used to help in the summer holidays and mostly looked after us for board and pocket money.

[Tribal Chestnut]

& also many young children are sent off to boarding school or brought up by a nanny as their parents are too busy or believe it to be in the child's best interest. It happens, but is not something that I agree with.

[Oakey]

£100 per 24hours?

So a whopping £4.16per hour?

That's real generous of you

[NDA]

foliedouce said:

As I'm not on Mumsnet, I thought I'd ask here

Have 4 days away with the Mrs next week, normally get the MiL to look after the kids but she's busy so we have the babysitter doing it.

Normally pay her £7 / hour plus £5 petrol for standard babysitting, but not sure what to do give her for this. I'm thinking a flat rate of £80-100 per 24 hours.

As an aside, when we go away with the kids, she also housesits (lives at our place and feeds animals) for £20 / day.

Any thoughts?

I genuinely applaud going away for a weekend and dumping the kids. Most wives (mine included) wouldn't move more than about 4 inches from them until their teens. It ruins relationships.

I would have thought £500 for 4 days would be a minimum.

[MrBarry123]

condor said:

I think some of your comments are a bit harsh. I know times have changed but when I was a child I often stayed at school friends houses for weekends and half terms. Au pairs used to help in the summer holidays and mostly looked after us for board and pocket money.

Does this experience still haunt you?

[CountZero23]

Ask her how much she wants, I'd suggest it should be £100 + expenses for food and entertainment. More like £150 a day would make it worthwhile.

[AB]

Oakey said:

£100 per 24hours?

So a whopping £4.16per hour?

That's real generous of you

She'll be asleep for about a 3rd of that time.

[JimmyConwayNW]

I reckon she will do it for £250/£300.

That's a weeks wage for a lot of people.

[ClaphamGT3]

We pay our au pair £200 for two days and two nights over the week-end

[ruff'n'smov]

foliedouce said:

As I'm not on Mumsnet, I thought I'd ask here

Have 4 days away with the Mrs next week, normally get the MiL to look after the kids but she's busy so we have the babysitter doing it.

Normally pay her £7 / hour plus £5 petrol for standard babysitting, but not sure what to do give her for this. I'm thinking a flat rate of £80-100 per 24 hours.

As an aside, when we go away with the kids, she also housesits (lives at our place and feeds animals) for £20 / day.

Any thoughts?

Maybe your paternal instincts are slightly off kilter

[Scousefella]

How old is the babysitter?

Pics?

Address?

[Sheepshanks]

AB said:

Oakey said:

£100 per 24hours?

So a whopping £4.16per hour?

That's real generous of you

She'll be asleep for about a 3rd of that time.

People sleeping in at care homes etc used to get a nominal amount until a court decided it counts as being at work and they have to be paid at least minimum wage.

[justanother5tar]

JimmyConwayNW said:

I reckon she will do it for £250/£300.

That's a weeks wage for a lot of people.

But a working week isn't 96 hours.

I'd suggest the £500 offer plus a couple of quid for a couple of takeaways.

AB said:

She'll be asleep for about a 3rd of that time.

But not at her house, in her own bed.

She's still at 'work'.