Almost half of mums pay their babysitter an hourly rate of €10. Two-fifths of mums will enjoy three or more nights out over the festive season with mums handing over between €150 to €250 on babysitting fees. MummyPages.ie, Ireland’s largest online parenting community has launched the results of its babysitting survey. Focusing on all aspects of babysitting, insights from the MummyPages community highlight the cost, the house rules, and most importantly, the factors parents consider when choosing a babysitter for their children.
When it comes to paying a babysitter, 65 per cent of mums choose to pay a nightly rate with 50 per cent of mums forking out between €40 and €50 at the end of a night. Interestingly, MummyPages research highlights how babysitting fees can vary dramatically based on location. Babysitters in Dublin can expect to receive a generous nightly rate of €45, compared to €32 in Limerick.
Further insights from the MummyPages Babysitting survey include:· 72 per cent of mums will party between two and three nights this festive season, with one in 10 having 4+ nights out.
86 per cent of mums have not discussed with their babysitter what to do in an emergency
Regarding the age of the babysitter, 3 per cent were 14 years old, 17 per cent, 15 years old, 56 per cent were 16, and 24 per cent were 18yrs+.
Some 19 per cent of mums have tried to poach a good babysitter from their friend or neighbour. More than half (55 per cent ) of mums have experienced difficulty in finding a suitable babysitter, and a similar percentage of mums supply loads of added extras such as snacks and goodies to keep their babysitter happy. However, 60 per cent of mums would not allow a babysitter to have friends over while looking after their children, and 79 per cent would not allow their babysitter to bring a boyfriend / girlfriend over while looking after their children.
Commenting Laura Haugh, Mum-in-Residence for MummyPages.ie, Ireland’s largest online community of mums says: “Although babysitting fees can make a night out very expensive, cost is not a factor for our mums when it comes to the safety of their children. The more important factors such as trust, familiarity, and reliability, outweighed the cost of a babysitter by a significant amount.”
