Recently, a thread of screenshots between two people went viral when a mom refuses to pay her babysitter. After a full day of caring for two kids, the babysitter texts the mother to arrange payment, and the mother refuses to pay the babysitter: She claims that the babysitter had a full day of fun with two well-behaved children and free ice cream, and that this was more than enough compensation. The mom refuses to pay then blocks the babysitter from her contacts. The internet was not happy. Many advised the babysitter to settle her case at a Small Claims Court; but the babysitter managed to collect her pay. IF A MOM REFUSES TO PAY A BABYSITTER: WHAT CAN BE DONE?Although sitters are not officially on any form of payroll, if a mom refuses to pay a babysitter, one can guess what opinion she has of the person caring for her child. Typically, a babysitting gigs are teenage jobs. Often times, the younger the teen, the lower the pay. However, it is important to recognize that no matter the age, these people are looking after our kids; which means that we should be willing to pay a little extra if it means hiring someone with more experience. For any babysitters out there, if a mom refuses to pay you for your services, taking it to The Small Claims Court is an option if you are willing to go through the process. HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU PAY A BABYSITTER IN 2019?As mentioned previously, there is no fix amount that a babysitter must be paid. In the case of the viral story, the babysitter and he mother had agreed upon $16/hr for her services; which came out to a total of $128. The mom refuses to pay the babysitter and asks her to settle for $20. Hourly rates are negotiable with most babysitters; however, a person with years of experience and their First Aid certification usually charge $16/hr or more without any pushback from parents. That being said, in June 2018 the Montreal Gazette held a poll asking their readers how much they felt a fair hourly rate was for babysitters; roughly 40% agree that babysitters deserve minimum wage at the very least; 40% agree that anywhere between $15-$20/hr is a fair amount; leaving the remaining 20% who believe that less than $10/hr is an adequate amount for compensation.On the other hand, Canadian Nanny agrees that babysitters should be paid no less than the provincial minimum wage, but that many other factors come into play when determining hourly rates. Additionally, Canadian Nanny suggests that if your babysitter charges a higher hourly rate, you can ask them to do small household chores. Such as; light meal preparation, housekeeping, laundry, etc.LOOKING FOR A BABYSITTER OR A TUTOR?Did you know that Laurus Lifestyles provides Babysitting and 1 on 1 Tutoring services? All our babysitters are CPR and First Aid certified, and have previous experience with children. Additionally all our tutors are in their final years of University and becoming teachers. We provide In Home tutoring, at your convenience, and we provide On Site tutoring services every Tuesday at 4:00PM. To find out more, you can send us an email at info@laurussummercamp.com or you can give us a call at (514) 600-0504.All of that being said, what are your thoughts on this story? If your teen babysits for a family and a mom refuses to pay, what would you do? Furthermore, do you believe that there are any circumstances in which it might be fair to refuse paying a babysitter? And finally, what do you feel is a fair hourly rate to pay a babysitter? We would love to hear your thoughts. Leave them in the comments down below!
