When you hire a babysitter, you’re looking for someone to fill a very important role: Caring for your children. As such, this isn’t a person you want to pinch pennies on. Just like in any other jobs, you should give your sitter a raise for a job well done.
“We trust our child care providers with the most precious things in our lives,” says mom and writer Mary Hawkins. “So it seems only fitting to give them raises.”
Shannan Younger, mom and blogger at Between Us Parents, agrees, adding that compensation is equal to appreciation in the eyes of most nannies. “I wanted her to know that she was appreciated. I tried to tell her in other ways, but the raise seemed like a way to let her know that she was valued, literally.”
But when should you give your sitter a little extra per hour? Here are seven scenarios that may call for a raise:
1. You’re celebrating an anniversary
“Getting a raise year-to-year or after a set period of time happens in the real world, and it just seems like a fair, tangible way to acknowledge your sitter’s dedication and loyalty,” Younger shares. Think about adding an extra $3-$5 per calendar year. A great time to do this is during your caregiver’s annual review.
2. You’re underpaying
Maybe you got a great deal on a sitter who was just starting out or they didn’t know what to ask for. Whatever the reason, paying less than the average for caregivers in your neighborhood isn’t in your best interest. You and your kids may fall in love with the sitter, only to have her jump to a better-paying family. Check out our Cost of Care calculator to figure out what the going rate is in your area — and give a raise if necessary.
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3. Your sitter gets certified
Additional babysitting trainings like CPR and first aid can ensure your sitter is better prepared to deal with an emergency. It will also make them more in-demand to other families, so providing a raise of $3 to $5 per hour is warranted — and appreciated.
4. Your sitter regularly goes above and beyond
If your kids were particularly rambunctious one day or your sitter helped beyond the ways you expected, it might be worth a one-time tip. But if you have an amazing sitter who helps out regularly and takes care of things without you even asking most the time, think about giving them a raise. It shows you value the extra effort they give you.
5. The number of kids grows
Whether your child regularly has a friend over or your family has expanded, you know more kids equals more work. When the numbers increase, you should increase pay accordingly. An extra $1 to $3 per child, per hour should suffice.
6. The sitter does the driving
How does the sitter get to your house? If they are doing the driving, rather than you, you’re saving time and resources. “[Our current sitter is] older and drives to our house, so I give her more than I would if it were a high school student in the neighborhood,” Hawkins says. If your sitter regularly drives your kids around, make sure to reimburse them for gas and mileage.
7. Your sitter is always available … to you
A babysitter you can count on day or night, weekday or weekend, is valuable and should be compensated as such. “If you have a sitter who is readily available, whom your children enjoy and whom you trust, that can make life much, much easier,” shares Younger. “That relationship is valuable and paying a sitter well and giving raises can help ensure that it continues and is satisfying for both of you.”
A babysitter should bring you peace of mind, so you and your significant other can enjoy time together or you can shift your focus from home to work. Remember, there’s nothing more valuable than a person with whom you can trust your kids. As Hawkins says, “As a mom, that’s something I can’t put a price on, so I want to make sure my babysitter is compensated accordingly.”
