What age to start leaving baby with a babysitter and how old should sitter be?

I'm wondering when I can start having a sitter stay with my son. He STTN starting at 7:30, so I would just need someone every now and then to be in the house while he sleeps. We would leave after he's sleeping...

My husband's nephew is a VERY mature 15 year old with two younger brothers. Is that too young to be alone with our 11 month old? What would you pay a regular sitter to do this and is it the same amount we would pay our nephew?

I'm trying to get someone to ask besides my dad so he doesn't have to stay until 1:30am or later and then drive home

Re: What age to start leaving baby with a babysitter and how old should sitter be?

I think that would be fine. I pay my regular 19 year old sitter $8 an hour, but I believe $10-15 is more the norm. To make up for her lower rates I tend to tip very well. I pay my 14 year od niece $5 an hour. I don't really tip her, but I do round up.

Re: What age to start leaving baby with a babysitter and how old should sitter be?

We have a sitter that we have been using since DS was 5 months old. She is 22 and going to grad school to be a doctor.

We started off slow, would stay local and be out for an hour or 2 and once we were comfortable with her we stayed out longer, had her coming during the day if we had a wedding or something to go to, had her feed him dinner, etc..

We pay her between $12-$15 a hour depending on if she comes basically just to put him to sleep or if she is there early and plays and feeds him dinner. We started off giving her $10, but we really love her and so does DS and that is worth giving her the extra IMO.

Message edited 7/24/2012 8:44:28 AM.

Re: What age to start leaving baby with a babysitter and how old should sitter be?

We pay $10-12 an hour and have used DC's day care teachers since our son was around 9 months.

We have 3 now and have used the same sitters since our youngest was 7 months.

I like them because they are older, we know them and the kids know them from daycare.

I have used a local teenager (17) but only with my olderest (she is almost 5). I wouldn't feel comfortable using a teenager with a baby, but that's just my comfort level.

Re: What age to start leaving baby with a babysitter and how old should sitter be?

I think that leaving your 15 year old nephew with him is fine if you don't expect him to wake up. But I do think that coming home at 1:30am is a little late for a 15 year old. I would think that 10-11pm is a more reasonable time.

If you are getting a 'real' sitter I think that $10/hour for something like that is a good price to pay.