Being paid too much for babysitting?

Question

i babysit the next door neighbors' kids: 2 boys aged 4 and 1.

the other day i babysat for seven hours and was paid $80! i told the father it was too much but he said he didn't care. i live in an affluent town, so $10 is the norm, but i just feel almost like i'm taking advantage of these people. the other day i sat for them for 31/2 hours and got $50!

parents, what do you think?

Answer 1

You must be a great sitter and well worth the peace of mind you give these parents. Good for you and good for them!

Answer 2

To me that is just the right price to pay anymore. The cost of living has gone up. So, if they live in an affluent neighborhood they should pay you accordingly. I would not feel sorry for them they must have the money to pay you. You are doing the right thing so have fun.  

Answer 3

My daughter did an all day job for 2 kids last year & made $50..& they had another girl babysitting too at the same time and she got that too. Usually if it is a couple of hours..1-4 lets say, she gets $20. If its all day around $30, & into the evening too, $50. She comes outs better on short time jobs. It seems like a lot to me..but if there is more than one kid that's $5 an hour, which doesn't seem like too much. In my day, it didn't matter how many kids people had, you got paid about $2 an hour.

I always tried to pay well so that on the rare occasion I needed a sitter, the person was happy to come. If they prefer you and their kids love you, it is worth it too them. It still seems like alot, so just make sure you do a really good job for them.

Answer 4

Some people who are a little greedy of money tend to say to just take it and not whine, but truthfully that's a lot more than an average sitter would be paying. My best friend babysits 3 children for five hours ages 1+4+7 and only gets paid twenty dollars. he's a regular baby sitter for them once a week. during the day. so you're being over paid but I guess if they don't seem to mind, you could keep it or reason with them to not pay as much because it's unnecessary.  

Answer 5

if they want to pay u that much then let them

Answer 6

Well that is much and in today's economy it's surprising too.  Just let them know that you are willing to work for less, set a price per hour.  If they continue to pay you that much then save it up for a rainy day.

Answer 7

Well, $10 an hour for two kids is what I've heard my relatives and older friends with children are paying for a good sitter (and they're also concerned with keeping the sitter) and if it's a wealthy town and you're making a little more than that, I think it's OK, especially if the father said he didn't care.  

Answer 8

I would be a little worried about the father's alterior motives.  However, it could be that they are just very wealthy.  But watch yourself.  

Answer 9

well if they choose to pay you that much why not just take the money  

Answer 10

be happy that youre getting money,