Babysitting

mayday

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Don't really know where to ask this, so I'll ask it here.

My neighbour has her daughter and granddaughter living with her, and they have a French au pair. My neighbour has suggested I use their au pair occasionally to babysit so I can get outside and do some property maintainance (don't know if she was hinting my garden and paddocks look a mess :lol: ). Her daughter suggested about £8 an hour was the going rate for a babysitter, but I reckoned £15-20 for a morning was not a bad payment for someone to come and watch TV at my house instead of in her room next door. The au pair lives with the neighbour, and would only have to pop through the gap in the hedge. She is a 20 year old with a french college education in childcare. Her English is poor but OH and I speak french. I would like to leave her in the house watching TV and maybe playing with my baby while I go outside and do stuff with my horse, and maybe some DIY as my house isn't finished yet. I would leave the girl with a walkie talkie so she could call me if she has a problem. The furthest away I would be would be 300m.

Do you think the payment is reasonable, or too much or too little? I am interviewing her on Saturday - what should I ask her? What other things do I need to think about?

I have only left my baby with my mum and my 2 best friends before, who are both experienced with babies and a lot older than 20! Am I being paranoid, or will I be OK to leave this girl in the house with my baby while I go outside? I'm only going to the bottom of the paddock at the most!
 
I was told, that the going rate is £5/hour, not 8. We are quite lucky with Daniel, cos we have a neighbour, who has a baby son (1year old) and2 girls. 9 and 14, so the 14 year old one looks after Daniel sometimes if we want to go out in the evening (well, Daniel is asleep, so "looking" isnt quite as difficult as it could be). It costs us £5 per evening, from about 7pm till 11pm.

So £15-20 is a VERY good payment! I dont think it is scary to leave Daniel with a 14 year old, cos I was 16 when I babyseat for our friends 1 year old, its just depends on a person. (And, especially girl has a little brother and mum down the road in case she needs something).

Just talk to her and see. I think you will understand if she is trusworthy enought. And, of course, see if you LO likes the girl. I left Daniel first time with our girl just for five minutes (while I went to the kitchen) just to see how they went along. Oh, and make sure she doesnt have a cold or anything!

It is always scary to leave your LO for the first time! So good luck to you, hun! :hug:
 

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