The greatest thing about Scottsdale Moms Blog is learning from other moms who live right next door.  So, the burning question is:  How much do you pay your babysitters?

We asked you; and we are happy to share what you had to say.  Since the response we received was so rich with information, we will explore a few different sides of the babysitting delima:

1. How much do you pay your babysitters?

2. Are you good at sharing? (Babysitter battles)

3. How to create a babysitting co-op

Let’s just start with the bottom line.

How much do you pay your babysitter?

Coming in first place at 62% of those who answered our poll said that they pay between $7 and $10+ an hour for babysitting.

For you statistics lovers (like me),  here are the hard numbers:

$7-10+ – 62%
$5-$7 – 24%
Less than $5 – 14% *

Why does it vary?  We should really explore the variables that help us decide what to pay:

1. How many children do you have? Some people pay $5 an hour per child.  Others will set a base (say $7 an hour) and then $2 dollars per hour more per child.

2. How old is the babysitter? In life, experience pays, so why not in babysitting?  Some moms will pay a thirteen year old half of what an eighteen year old gets paid.  Just like in traditional employment, some families will pay a babysitter more for good work or “going beyond the call of duty” (more on this later).  Here’s a great guide for novice sitters just earning their wings.

3.  Does the babysitter drive or not? This one seems self-evident, but if you have to pick up and drop off, this can (should?) factor into costs

4.  Does the babysitter “go beyond the call of duty”? If a babysitter is CPR certified, comes with an “activity plan” and keeps the home neat (or leaves it better than she found it), then this will increase her value.  Additionally, if parents may set a “job description” and discuss what is expected.  If a child is sleeping, the evening may be less than if the children were up.  However, if you stay out extra late, you should be considerate to your sitter and provide proper gratuities.

Too often, we don’t treat hiring a babysitter as we would if hiring an employee.  I will play devil’s advocate and say that this is a disservice to the sitter and to the family.

For the sitter, she (or he?) is usually experiencing the first roll as an employee through the babysitting experience.  Having clear guidelines is helpful and liberating for all parties.  A simple list of suggested activities, “out-of-bounds” activities, medical emergency information, possible chores (if you are paying them for this as well), timeline for sleeping and eating all help set up your time apart from your kids for success.

And because we want your babysitter-hiring-experience to be a huge success, we are happy to give you a little Baby Sitter Checklist (Word doc).  Just download, input your information, print and tack it to your fridge.  Cool, huh?

Next time we’ll talk about sharing, or not.

And, because we hope you get the very best out of babysitting, we are happy to provide this editable babysitter worksheet (word doc), so you don’t have to think about it!  Much love, Joy and Steph

*This was an informal poll of SMB readers and may or may not be statistically accurate.