I have a forthcoming booking including 4 young children. I've just been asked if I could baby sit on two nights. I'm happy to do it for a fee, but I'm not sure if there are any legalities. Does anyone else offer babysitting as a service and is there anything I should know before I respond?
Thanks as always.
It appears from googling, although the law seems to be vary vague, that it is OK to babysit for reward if it is after 6.00pm and before 2.00am and so long as I don't do it more than 14 times per year.
I'm thinking of asking £10 per hour. Does that sound reasonable?
Babysitting for guests
Whilst I don't know the going rate for babysitting, £10 an hour for 4 young children doesn't sound like a lot to me.
Have you thought of putting the ball back in their court and asking how much they were thinking of paying? You can probably put it more delicately than that but you get the gist. They may offer more than that and you can revert to your £10 suggestion if it's less and you are happy with that amount.
Have you thought of putting the ball back in their court and asking how much they were thinking of paying? You can probably put it more delicately than that but you get the gist. They may offer more than that and you can revert to your £10 suggestion if it's less and you are happy with that amount.
Here we go again........
You may want to reconsider this; more than 2 children (not yours or close relatives) in your care is classed as childcare and for this you have to be a registered childminder. This is age dependent and will also take into account any special needs of any of the children. All of this is regardless of what you might earn and how many times a year you provide it. Besides, what about your liability insurance, would you be covered for any problems that may occur? This is a big responsibility to take on just for a few pounds income and the potential for creating a huge financial loss if anything goes wrong. Too risky in my view.
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Ecosse
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I'm fairly sure babysitting isn't as regulated as daytime childcare so the 2 child rule won't come into it. After all, the kids will be in bed for at least some if not all the time you're babysitting (so ensuring the kids are provided with a stimulating programme of activities isn't necessary), and if it was tightly regulated, there'd be many teenage kids out of an evening job.
I wouldn't get too worried about it, Bunny - if both you and the parents are happy for you to do it, I'd just keep it between yourselves. No idea what the going rate is in Britain at the moment, but 10 pounds an hour sounds reasonable to me, especially if the kids are already in bed.
I wouldn't get too worried about it, Bunny - if both you and the parents are happy for you to do it, I'd just keep it between yourselves. No idea what the going rate is in Britain at the moment, but 10 pounds an hour sounds reasonable to me, especially if the kids are already in bed.
Thanks for the replies Rammy and Essar. Maybe £10 is too cheap for 4 young children, so good idea Rammy.
With regard to childcare my understanding is that there is an exemption if the care takes place after 6.00pm. Hadn't thought of the public liability insurance. The problem is that if I don't do it, they will find someone else apparently. So, I'm going to have to phone my insurers tomorrow. I'm not sure they will cover me, let alone a person looking after 4 young children on my premises who is not part of the named party. Oh joys, I wished they hadn't asked.
With regard to childcare my understanding is that there is an exemption if the care takes place after 6.00pm. Hadn't thought of the public liability insurance. The problem is that if I don't do it, they will find someone else apparently. So, I'm going to have to phone my insurers tomorrow. I'm not sure they will cover me, let alone a person looking after 4 young children on my premises who is not part of the named party. Oh joys, I wished they hadn't asked.
I'm going to contact the guest to get more info. about what is involved. As you say, hopefully they will be in bed and it will just be a matter of being there (not difficult as I'm only next door). However, if they will be up and I have to put them to bed then who knows how the evening could pan out. I guess it depends on how co-operative they are. Yikes.gitemontjoly wrote:I'm fairly sure babysitting isn't as regulated as daytime childcare so the 2 child rule won't come into it. After all, the kids will be in bed for at least some if not all the time you're babysitting (so ensuring the kids are provided with a stimulating programme of activities isn't necessary), and if it was tightly regulated, there'd be many teenage kids out of an evening job.
I used to regularly hire babysitters at hotels where we stayed when there were evening functions that we were attending. The hotel would find a local lady and the remuneration was simply between ourselves.
I think the legalities are entirely different and don't fall under registered childcare at all in this instance as it's babysitting. I don't believe there are any legal requirements that relate to a babysitter.
I can't see why it's a problem for public liability to cover a babysitter either, whether it's you or someone else. Babysitting has taken place in households across the UK for many, many years. If I hadn't been able to hire babysitters, I'd have never been able to leave the house as a single mum with 3 kids!
I think the legalities are entirely different and don't fall under registered childcare at all in this instance as it's babysitting. I don't believe there are any legal requirements that relate to a babysitter.
I can't see why it's a problem for public liability to cover a babysitter either, whether it's you or someone else. Babysitting has taken place in households across the UK for many, many years. If I hadn't been able to hire babysitters, I'd have never been able to leave the house as a single mum with 3 kids!
Rang guest last night to get more information. In the meantime, she appears to have had second thoughts and now wants to bring in two baby sitters from an agency. My first reaction was 'why two?' and I hope it is for safety ratios and not because the children are a real handful. Anyway, I'm quite happy to not have to do it myself TBH.
My concern was that babysitting in a private home, as a private arrangement, could be different to offering it as a chargeable service when running a business.
My insurance only refers to 'paying guests' so I've phoned my insurance company this morning. They did hesitate about public liability cover initially, but finally concluded that although the babysitters would not be 'paying guests' as such, they would consider them as being part of the 'party' for whom the party leader has paid and hence they were happy to cover the scenario of an independent baby sitter coming in. I don't anticipate any problems but I think it is always prudent to be sure of these things.
My concern was that babysitting in a private home, as a private arrangement, could be different to offering it as a chargeable service when running a business.
My insurance only refers to 'paying guests' so I've phoned my insurance company this morning. They did hesitate about public liability cover initially, but finally concluded that although the babysitters would not be 'paying guests' as such, they would consider them as being part of the 'party' for whom the party leader has paid and hence they were happy to cover the scenario of an independent baby sitter coming in. I don't anticipate any problems but I think it is always prudent to be sure of these things.
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Joanna
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We're off site so babysitting for our guests never comes up. However, speaking as a parent, when we go away we use an agency - we're registered with 'sitters' at home and pay a quarterly subscription on top of the babysitting rates. They can get us sitters at hotels and holiday accommodation and we actually use them more when we're at our cottage in Chester than we do at home. Their sitters have all been interviewed, CRB checked and most of them work with children so even though they are 'strangers' the first time they come, we know a lot about them and they've generally been quite good.
I think most of the casual babysitting that goes on is either done by people the parents know or relatives of people they know. As a parent I wouldn't ask an accommodation owner that I hadn't met to provide babysitting and if we were on-site I wouldn't offer it for children I hadn't met (especially if there's 4 of them!). I think they've done the sensible thing by getting an agency in - maybe you could get the agency details to pass on to any future guests who ask.
I think most of the casual babysitting that goes on is either done by people the parents know or relatives of people they know. As a parent I wouldn't ask an accommodation owner that I hadn't met to provide babysitting and if we were on-site I wouldn't offer it for children I hadn't met (especially if there's 4 of them!). I think they've done the sensible thing by getting an agency in - maybe you could get the agency details to pass on to any future guests who ask.
Jo
Joint owner of Baker's Cottage in Chester & Chandler's Cottage in Sidmouth
Joint owner of Baker's Cottage in Chester & Chandler's Cottage in Sidmouth
I have four young children (4, 6, 8 and 10) and pay £6.50 per hour to our local childminder to babysit. This is around the going rate in my part of the Cotswolds.
Agencies usually charge more (around £8 per hour sometimes with a booking fee on top) and if I were on holiday, I'd expect to pay £8-£10 per hour. More than that and it makes a planned meal out too expensive, so I wouldn't bother.
I always make sure my children are in bed before the babysitter arrives - they just have to turn off lights and say goodnight. Mine are generally very well behaved though (for babysitters - not always for me!) and it would be harder work if the children played up or were very young etc.
The agency may stipulate more than one babysitter if there are four children - ratios vary between agencies, and can be age dependent.
I would think it would be no problem babysitting for a fee if you are comfortable with doing so, but you sound a little hesitant so the agency is a good idea.
Agencies usually charge more (around £8 per hour sometimes with a booking fee on top) and if I were on holiday, I'd expect to pay £8-£10 per hour. More than that and it makes a planned meal out too expensive, so I wouldn't bother.
I always make sure my children are in bed before the babysitter arrives - they just have to turn off lights and say goodnight. Mine are generally very well behaved though (for babysitters - not always for me!) and it would be harder work if the children played up or were very young etc.
The agency may stipulate more than one babysitter if there are four children - ratios vary between agencies, and can be age dependent.
I would think it would be no problem babysitting for a fee if you are comfortable with doing so, but you sound a little hesitant so the agency is a good idea.
Yes, I'm very happy not to do it two nights running. It was for 4 children all aged 5 and under, and she could not guarantee they would be in bed! Too much of an unknown quantity for me to want to endure any problems until gone midnight. I like my sleep.Jenny C wrote:I would think it would be no problem babysitting for a fee if you are comfortable with doing so, but you sound a little hesitant so the agency is a good idea.
I gasped in horror when I saw that it was for 4 children aged 5 and under, and then realised that I had exactly that combination when my youngest was born nearly 5 years ago. Mind you, it was pretty hard work and I wouldn't have wanted to be a babysitter for my children then. There must be a fairly small baby and a toddler in the mix with such a lot of young children. Definitely best to outsource that one! Although I can see why the parents want a night or two off while on holiday.Bunny wrote: Yes, I'm very happy not to do it two nights running. It was for 4 children all aged 5 and under, and she could not guarantee they would be in bed! Too much of an unknown quantity for me to want to endure any problems until gone midnight. I like my sleep.
It's a rare two sets of twins! How hard must that be. The woman deserves a medal and yes perhaps a night off.Jenny C wrote:I gasped in horror when I saw that it was for 4 children aged 5 and under, and then realised that I had exactly that combination when my youngest was born nearly 5 years ago. Mind you, it was pretty hard work and I wouldn't have wanted to be a babysitter for my children then. There must be a fairly small baby and a toddler in the mix with such a lot of young children. Definitely best to outsource that one! Although I can see why the parents want a night or two off while on holiday.Bunny wrote: Yes, I'm very happy not to do it two nights running. It was for 4 children all aged 5 and under, and she could not guarantee they would be in bed! Too much of an unknown quantity for me to want to endure any problems until gone midnight. I like my sleep.