Babysitter - charging differently for when baby is awake and asleep?

Anyone ever use/heard of a babysitter who charges different rates for when the baby is sleeping vs. when the baby is awake?

My friends (who live in Oregon) have a babysitter who charges $10/hr for when the baby sleeps, and $15 for when the baby is awake. She'll give them a breakdown when they come home according to the baby's sleep/wake time and them charge them accordingly.

I'm pretty sure this is rather bizarre, but I figured I'd get a consensus!

Re: Babysitter - charging differently for when baby is awake and asleep?

Wow thats cool...never heard of that!

Re: Babysitter - charging differently for when baby is awake and asleep?

OMG - are you serious?

I never heard of that before!

Re: Babysitter - charging differently for when baby is awake and asleep?

I wish my babysitter did this. It kills me to pay $13 and hour when she is sitting and not doing anything.

Re: Babysitter - charging differently for when baby is awake and asleep?

I dont find it bizarre at all....

I used to work 2 nights a week and my eldest daughter used to sleep at the sitters...I forget exactly what we worked out but I paid X for 6-9 when she was awake and then X for overnight...

Re: Babysitter - charging differently for when baby is awake and asleep?

I think that's bizarre. Imagine if other professions did that? Less pay when it's "slower" or "quieter"?

Re: Babysitter - charging differently for when baby is awake and asleep?

That's great!

Re: Babysitter - charging differently for when baby is awake and asleep?

I think that is silly.....who has the time to do that?

Re: Babysitter - charging differently for when baby is awake and asleep?

Posted by Diana1215

OMG - are you serious?

I never heard of that before!

Re: Babysitter - charging differently for when baby is awake and asleep?

While it sounds incredibly silly and I never heard of anyone else doing it, it actually makes sense. Why should the price for watching an awake and fully energetic kid be the as for sitting in front of television while the said kid is sleeping in the next room?

Of course, this opens up a whole other can of worms: should there than be an extra charge if the kid is sick or in a bad mood etc... ?

Re: Babysitter - charging differently for when baby is awake and asleep?

When I used to babysit sometimes people where trying to offer me less because the kid was going to be sleeping and my simple answer was "so if he/she wake up I am not going to pay attention to him/her and tell her that the parents are only paying for a baby sleeping not awake" JMO... I think is ridiculous

Re: Babysitter - charging differently for when baby is awake and asleep?

I think its a great idea...why pay someone full fare when the child is sleeping and they dont have to do anything but sit around and listen out for DC.

Re: Babysitter - charging differently for when baby is awake and asleep?

Posted by JenBenMen

Posted by Diana1215

OMG - are you serious?

I never heard of that before!

me neither---sounds retarded

Re: Babysitter - charging differently for when baby is awake and asleep?

Message edited 8/28/2008 2:29:36 PM.

Re: Babysitter - charging differently for when baby is awake and asleep?

I was a babysitter for a family in Manhattan for a long time. I agree it is very silly to pay less to a nanny/babysitter while the baby is napping during the day and I would never agree to that. Now when it comes to nightime babysitting that's different. once in a while I used to stay to babysit overnight if the parents went away and left the baby with me, and I charged less for that. Normal salary was $22-25 per hr , but at night I charged $18-20 .
I also have to say that I wouldn't do it just for any family.

Message edited 8/28/2008 3:16:42 PM.

Re: Babysitter - charging differently for when baby is awake and asleep?

Re: Babysitter - charging differently for when baby is awake and asleep?

As someone who does babysit, I think it's silly.
When the baby is napping I am busy packing up stuff she's done with for the day, rinsing bottles, getting set for next diaper change, etc.
I'll admit, some of the time if both kids are napping I'll take a "lunch break" and then do the stuff listed above.

Re: Babysitter - charging differently for when baby is awake and asleep?

Re: Babysitter - charging differently for when baby is awake and asleep?

I would tell her NONO NO 10 when he is awak and 5 for when he is sleeping LOL :)

Re: Babysitter - charging differently for when baby is awake and asleep?

I think it's fair to offer a flat rate for an overnight sitter. If the sitter was sleeping over maybe $100 for the night vs. $15/hr or whatever