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Thursday, September 4, 2008

Boy, how times have changed!

I distinctly remember being about an 8th grader and babysitting 12 hours one day for a family from church. I had to be there at 7 am and they didn't get back home until 7 pm. It was a family with 2 children. I would guess the kids were probably about 4 and 6 at the time...a boy and a girl. They were ornery little kids but what kids aren't? Anyways, it was a long day as the weather was iffy and their father was an undercover narcotics cop and wouldn't allow us to be outside if he wasn't home. I got paid $15 for that 12 hour day. Perhaps, they took advantage of me. All right, all right, yes, they had me over the barrel.

For the first time, EVER, we are hiring a babysitter. The boys are 17 months and have rarely been left even in the care of the grandparents but the time has come to hire a sitter. In typical fashion, we aren't just hiring a sitter so we can go to dinner. No sir, we are hiring them for the day so we can attend a KSU football game. We will be gone between 8-9 hours. The total cost for babysitting at my house for 8-9 hours? Try almost 7 times what I made that day long ago. Looks like I need to go find that old barrel again!!!

4 comments:

Cricketchirp said...

Wow! We pay $62/day for our kids to be in daycare (a 3 year old and a 1 year old).

Diane said...

I suppose it's the price you pay to have someone at your house instead of taking them someplace?? Going rate in ****** is between $5-6 per hour PER CHILD! My neighbor pays like $14 per hour for 3 kids!!! CRAZY! But, they have us outnumbered...shortage of good sitters who aren't doing every sport and extracurricular activity out there! Where were these rates when I was sitting?? Maybe I should start babysitting in the evenings and weekends. Wait, I take that back, I must be crazy!

Anonymous said...

We pay $5 per hour per kid too.... It's worth it. My friend pays $7-$8 per hour for her 1 kid she told me today. Wow! I told Dennis I should start hiring myself out (to babysit that is.....)

Kelli said...

That is about right on for the going rate around here too. $10 to 12 per hour for two kids. I didn't make anywhere close to that growing up. That is the reason I still haven't hired a babysitter. There are two good ones in our neighborhood - one right across the street. But geez I can take my kids to drop in daycare for $8.40 an hour and they aren't messing up my house (or I don't have to clean for the sitter)!