baby sitter rates?

[karen granger]

I've been paying my college-aged sitters $10/hr for 2 toddlers (3 and almost 2 yrs. old). We use a sitter about once a week for 4 - 6 hours. Typically, I give the sitter an extra $5 for driving/gas money. She lives at Creighton Univ. and we live out west. Do you think this is the right amount? Should we be paying her more? What do the rest of you pay your occassional sitters? I value her and want to keep her happy! :)

[Rhonda Dunaway]

Hi, Karen.

I think what you're paying sounds very reasonable. I have one child who is six, and I normally pay sitters between $6 and $7 per hour to watch him. I have had a lot of people with 2 or 3 children tell me that this is the same amount they pay their sitters per hour, but I think that they may perhaps be talking about younger sitters who can't yet drive and who, therefore, are somewhat limited in their ability to find paying work. Mature, responsible, reliable sitters are hard to find, so I think it's worth paying them a little more.