Paying a babysitter to stay overnight

We are lucky enough to get free babysitting once a month from either my SIL or our neighbor, but when we do hire babysitters, we use teachers from their daycare and pay them $15 an hour. DH and I have never had a night together away from the kids since they were born, and I haven't minded that much, but I'm starting to think it's time. I can't really ask our free sitters to do that, but how much should I offer to pay one of the teachers? (I'm not sure we can even afford to do this, but I figured I might at least daydream.)

We may try to do it the next time my parents visit, too, but they tend to come when DH is traveling for work (to help me out) -- hard to have a romantic night out together if I'm in Colorado and he's in San Jose or something.

 

Hi Alden,
We pay our baby sitter $13.50 an hour and when she stays overnight I give her the $13.50 till 7:30pm when the girls go to sleep then I give her $50.00 to stay over night and the $13.50 starts up again when the girls wake up at 7am. If they wake up in the middle of the night or if they get up before 7 I don't feel bad because I am still paying her the $50.00 to be here.
If we waited till we could afford it we would never do it so don't wait, GO!! You deserve it, GO and have a good time!
Hope this helps.
Leslie

 

I would ask them to come early/stay a few days late so you and your DH can have a night alone. They are there already, you are comfortable with them, and they are free!

We tend to visit my family for a week and then take a 'night' away for DH and I - it works out well since I dont trust anyone else to stay with them all night (more my issue than anything to do with them) and I sleep better knowing my mom is watching over them.

Otherwise, I would pay a flat rate for the over night or the whole thing- estimate it if you want, but remember that it is not much fun to sleep in a strange bed/different place if you are not on 'vacation' and compensate accordingly.

 

THAT IS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO EXPENSIVE!!!!!! I could NEVER afford to pay that much! Holy Moses!!

I would do it for someone for $50. Holy Hannah.

That is just WAY too much $ and then to add that to the price of the night out!! OY! I had no idea people were getting paid that much. I'm in the wrong industry!

Good luck and keep us posted.

VERY good question, too. I've often wondered and am SHOCKED that they get paid that much!!!!!

 

We pay about $100 for our nanny to work from 4:30-7:30 PM, then stay overnight until 7:30 AM. My kids don't get up at night at all.

 

We pay regular rate up until bedtime, then we pay a flat fee for the "overnight hours." We've done this 3 times now and negotiated a bit over time, as the first time we did this, we had our regular nanny stay over (and she was pricey to begin with), but last time we did this (over a year ago), we paid about $50.00 for the flat fee.

One of my friends with twins does a "night away" with her DH every time her parents (or his) come to visit.

But, first move is to try to get my SIL to stay overnight. If you provide the right incentive, maybe your SIL or neighbor would do it!

Enjoy!

Meg

 

Thanks! The more I think about it, the more I think the grandparent option is the way to go. Because if we were going away overnight, we wouldn't want to just do an evening and night -- we would probably want to take most of the following day too, and that gets really expensive really fast. I don't begrudge our babysitters the $15 an hour (they make like $30K a year, and this is an expensive place to live), but I can't really afford to pay them for a whole day.

 

I was going to suggest seeing if your family will do it and 'pay' them with a nice gc to a restaurant or spa. Even if money weren't an issue, personally I would feel more comfortable having a family member staying over at my house.