For example, how do I find a good babysitter, how do I know that they’re responsible enough to care for my children, and what kind of money should I be paying them?
These are all frequently asked questions when it comes to hiring a babysitter.
So, if you’ve found yourself researching the topic, you’ve probably stumbled across this article in the hopes that it might help to answer these questions.
Well, you’re in luck, because we’ve compiled a handy guide which addresses these questions.
To find out more, including the answer to the question mentioned in the title, keep reading below, as we take a closer look.
How Much Money Should I Give A Teenager For Babysitting?
So, why don’t we just jump straight into the titular question, and ask how much money you should pay a teenager for babysitting.
This answer varies from person to person, but we have managed to gather some statistics regarding the general rate at which babysitters are paid today.
So, the typical teenage babysitter will be paid around ten to twenty dollars per hour.
Bear in mind that this is typically reserved for older babysitters, who have proven experience in babysitting.
If you’re hiring a babysitter who has far less experience in babysitting, or they’re generally younger in terms of age, they will typically be paid around ten to fifteen dollars per hour.
You’ll need to determine how long they’ll be required to babysit for, and then add up the number of hours to figure out their total pay.
There are, however, lots of factors that come into play when it comes to figuring out how much you’re willing to pay a babysitter.
You’ll want to take all of these into consideration before making your offer. To find out more, keep reading below.
Things To Consider When Working Out How Much To Pay A Babysitter
Below, we’ve compiled a list of some of the key factors that determine how much you should pay a babysitter to look after your children.
Experience
Experience is one of the main factors that should inform your decision of how much you’re willing to pay a teenager to look after your children.
Some babysitters will have been doing the job for a long time, and have a reputation in the community for being trustworthy and dependable.
The teenager who will be looking after your children might even have a resume, or testimonials of other parents they’ve served in the past.
They are typically paid more because they are in high demand in the community, and there might be several other sets of parents that want them to look after their children on busy nights such as Fridays and Saturdays.
If this is the case, you might want to prepare yourself to provide them with a competitive rate for their services.
One of the major benefits of getting a babysitter that has years of experience behind their belt, is that they’ll be used to handling a wide variety of different children.
Perhaps your children are particularly exuberant, or can be difficult at times.
If you choose a babysitter with lots of experience, chances are that they’ve come across lots of different kids that are exactly the same.
Bear in mind that if you’ve been hiring the same babysitter for a long time, and they’ve proven themselves to be worthy, that you should consider giving them a wage increase.
This will give them an incentive to carry on with the job, and generally have something to work towards.
Age
Another factor that you might want to consider when it comes to choosing the right babysitter and how much you’re willing to pay them, is age.
Younger babysitters who haven’t had very much experience will typically be paid less, because they haven’t yet had the opportunity to build up their babysitting resume.
In addition to this, because they’re younger, they’ll have far less financial responsibilities compared to older teens, so don’t require as much money as a result.
They might also not be able to do basic things, such as cook or drive, which could prove to be a disadvantage in a babysitting job.
Generally, the older the teen, the more you should be paying them.
Older teenagers will likely be able to acquire a part time job, where they will be provided with a salary.
Therefore, paying them too little in comparison won’t be a good incentive for them to take the babysitting job.
They might also have some financial responsibilities that they need to fund themselves, such as bills and living expenses, therefore, paying them a reasonable amount of money is important.
Older teenagers will also likely have more experience taking care of younger children in general.
This could be from previous babysitting jobs, or just taking care of younger siblings growing up.
Certifications
I’m sure that many people out there reading this article won’t be aware of the fact that you can actually get certifications in babysitting.
That’s right, many teenage babysitters will attend classes in order to gain qualifications for the job.
These classes can be incredibly beneficial, as they teach things like first aid training, and CPR.
If your babysitter is able to demonstrate one of these certifications, you know that they can be trusted to look after your children.
Skillset
Some babysitters are actually trained to work with children who require special needs.
If your child falls into this category, you should probably hire a babysitter that has some experience working with children who have similar traits to yours.
These babysitters are often paid a bit more for their services because they exhibit a special set of skills.
Number
The next thing you need to consider in terms of how much you should pay your babysitter, is how many kids they’re going to be looking after.
For example, babysitting one child is very different from taking care of three or four, which can be quite the handful.
This is another reason why it’s a good idea to hire a teenage babysitter, rather than a professional, because professional babysitters typically charge for each child.
When it comes to paying teenage babysitters for their services, you’ll typically add one dollar on to their wage for each child they’re responsible for.
Therefore, if you were planning on paying them 20 dollars hourly, if you had four children, you would pay them 24 dollars per hour.
Requirements
This is another thing that needs to be considered when figuring out how much to pay a babysitter.
The needs and requirements of each child will vary depending on their particular personality.
For example, if a child is particularly quiet, obedient, and happy to do their own thing, the babysitter won’t be expected to expend too much time and energy whilst working the job.
They can simply get on with general tasks such as cleaning up, cooking, and doing the dishes.
If on the other hand, you have a particularly exuberant and lively child, who requires a lot of attention, you should consider paying your babysitter a little more money.
This is also the case when it comes to the age of your children.
Older children will not require as much attention, but toddlers will need continuous monitoring and attention.
In order to figure out the price based on these factors, it’s a good idea to talk it over with the babysitter themselves.
Expectations
Another factor that comes into play is the things that you expect your babysitter to take care of whilst you’re away.
For example, do you just want them to watch your children, and do a little tidying up after them when you’re gone, or do you have a list of tasks that you want them to achieve.
Many parents will have a set of expectations that they expect their babysitters to meet.
These include picking the children up from school, preparing dinner for them, doing the dishes, taking out the trash, planning activities, reading books to the children, and doing homework with them.
Depending on the expectations that you have for your babysitter, you’ll need to alter the rate that you intend to pay them.
The more responsibilities and expectations, the more you should be paying them.
Location And Time
Another couple of important things you should take into consideration when paying your babysitter, is location and time.
For example, if your house is located particularly far away from where the babysitter resides, they’ll be required to pay more money on gas to get to your house, as well as give up more of their personal time.
Consider giving them money to cover these costs, so that they’re not losing out on too much by taking your job.
In addition, location can be important based on whether you live in a city or not.
Typically, in bigger cities such as New York, San Francisco, and California, babysitting rates will be much higher.
This is to reflect the cost of living, and how much money is required in each different area.
In regards to time, you should always consider what time you need your babysitter to look after the children, and if this should be factored into the pay.
For example, if you’re going to be out particularly late, or you need them to babysit at the last minute during the day, you should consider increasing their salary.
Should You Tip Your Babysitter?
Another frequently asked question by parents is whether or not they should tip the babysitter after they’ve completed the job.
The choice is entirely up to you, and depends on whether or not you think they’ve done a good job.
Typically, most parents will decide to tip their babysitter afterwards as a way of thanking them for their services.
Tipping a babysitter is a good idea as it might give them the incentive to take a babysitting job with you in the future.
Another good reason to tip your babysitter is if they were called in at the last minute to do the job, or they had to work at a particularly awkward time.
You’re not required to tip them if they work for you on a regular basis, but doing so now and again is a good way to show appreciation.
Which Method Of Payment Should I Use?
The easiest and most efficient way to pay your babysitter is simply by giving them a bank transfer.
This means that the money will go directly into their bank account, without them having to handle and carry around any cash.
If you’re employing a younger babysitter however, they probably won’t have access to their own bank account.
This means that paying them by cash is probably the best option.
It is not advised to give your babysitter a check, purely because if they’re under a certain age, they won’t be able to cash it in, as it’s illegal.
Tips For Hiring A Good Babysitter
If you want to make sure that the babysitter you’re hiring is qualified to do the job, there are a few things you can look out for. We’ve listed some of these below for your convenience.
Be Discerning
When you’re trying to find a babysitter, the process can sometimes be long and arduous.
This sometimes leads people to make snap decisions, and simply hire the first person that they come across.
You should, however, take the time to make sure that they’d be a good fit for your child.
This means asking them a lot of questions in order to get to know them more.
Ask For References
If you want to make sure that the babysitter that you’re hiring is qualified to do the job, you should always ask them to provide at least two references.
This way, you’ll be able to call up parents that they’ve conducted babysitting jobs for in the past.
Provide An Introduction
It’s a good idea to bring your babysitter over to your home, prior to them undertaking the job.
This way, they have time to get to grips with your home, including all of the windows and doors that need to be locked.
In addition, this is also a good chance for them to get to know your kids.
First Aid Training
It’s a good idea to check whether or not your babysitter can provide some evidence that they’ve had first aid training.
Final Thoughts
To sum up, the typical babysitter will be paid somewhere between 10 and 20 dollars.
The rate they’re paid will depend on a variety of different factors, including age, experience, location, time, any special needs, number of children, and any babysitting certificates they might hold.
You should also take care to pay your babysitter more if they’re required to look after more than one child.
