How Much To Charge For Overnight Babysitting?

If you’re looking to babysit overnight, you pretty much want to know how much to charge for overnight babysitting.

Well, the rate for an overnight babysitter is different from that of a daytime babysitter. Overnight babysitters are asked to stay over after the children have gone to sleep.

They are available to babysit for parents whose children are asleep and who are scheduled to return home late or, in some cases, the next day.

Due to the nature of the job, an overnight babysitter can command a higher rate. So, if you want to know how much to charge for overnight babysitting, continue reading.

How Much To Charge For Overnight Babysitting?

When it comes to charging for overnight babysitting, it depends on what you and your employer have agreed on.

Since overnight babysitting requires you to stay overnight, you might wonder if your sleeping hours are paid.

Generally speaking, yes. The sleeping hours of an overnight babysitter are paid. So, if you’re paid by the hour, your sleeping hours are included. (1)

To establish the rate per hour, you would have to consider some important factors. These factors include location, number of children and other responsibilities, such as picking up the children or cleaning the house.

The location has a huge impact on the hourly rate of babysitters. If you live in a city where the standard of living is high, expect the hourly rate to be pretty high as well.

For example, the standard hourly rate in cities such as New York and Stamford is $21.50.

The hourly rate is higher in cities such as San Francisco and San Diego. It’s $24 per hour.

In cities such as Kansas and Las Vegas, the standard hourly rate for babysitters is $17.50.

So, for you to be able to establish your hourly rate, you would have to know the going rate in the city where you live. That is a good place to start.

Once you have a good idea of what the standard hourly rate is in your city, you can adjust it depending on the extra services you’re required to do.

For example, you might be required to cook or clean the house. If that is the case, you can add on to your hourly rate.

If you’re certified to do first aid, then you can command a higher hourly rate as well. The same thing goes if you have to watch more than one kid.

Hence, you will only know how much to charge for overnight babysitting once you have figured out the standard rate in your location. From there, you can add on the extra services you’re willing to offer.

You can also offer a flat rate for overnight babysitting. A flat rate could be much higher, but it might not include the sleeping hours.

So, when it comes to charging for overnight babysitting, it would really depend on what you and your employer have agreed on.

That is why it’s best to discuss the payment schedule before accepting the job. This way, expectations are set. You won’t have to deal with any unnecessary issues.

One thing’s for sure. Overnight babysitters are compensated more than daytime babysitters. Aside from the fact that she has to stay overnight, she is most likely tasked with doing other jobs.

The general gist of the job of an overnight babysitter is to keep a child in a safe environment at night. Hence, it’s important for parents to trust you to take care of their child.

Before taking on an overnight babysitting job, make sure you know exactly what the parents want from you.

Have the parents explain to you their child’s sleeping schedule, food preferences, and special care instructions.

It’s important that you know the child’s bedtime and wake-up time. That way, you can schedule things well. You’ll know exactly what to do while the parents are gone.

It’s also important to know the child’s health history. If the child has any health conditions or allergies, you need to be aware of them.

You should also have a list of medications just in case of an emergency. Make sure you are briefed on how to handle the child in case he or she gets sick under your care.

Nighttime babysitting duties may be minimal, but they will depend on the age of the child and their needs.

The most important duties of an overnight sitter are feeding, comforting, and keeping the child safe.
As an overnight babysitter, you may need to prepare some meals and snacks. Make sure you know exactly what to prepare.

The toughest part about overnight babysitting is getting the kids to bed. Some kids get excited about being home alone with the babysitter, thinking they can get away with some stuff like sleeping late.

Remember that your job is to get them to bed on time. You need to be stern about it.

Since you will be staying the night, it’s important to pack extra supplies. You’d want to avoid having to go out to get some stuff. It’s better and safer to stay home with the child.

Your mobile phone will be very useful for keeping in touch with the parents. Always make sure it’s within your reach, in case of an emergency.

It’s also a good idea to bring your laptop or tablet for entertainment. A comfortable nighttime outfit will help you get a good night’s sleep.

While overnight babysitting can be fun, it can take a toll on you; especially if you’re not used to sleeping in somebody else’s home.

There are a lot of things to sacrifice when you babysit overnight. It’s for that reason that you have to know how much to charge for overnight babysitting to make it worth your while.

How Do You Negotiate Babysitting Rates?

Your hourly rate depends on several factors, such as your experience and skills. Other factors that will determine your rate include certifications such as first aid.

As previously mentioned, your geographic location pretty much determines your hourly rate. You can use a babysitting rate calculator to determine the hourly rate in your location. (2)

So, if you have extensive childcare experience and various certifications, you can be confident enough to negotiate your desired babysitting rates.

The key to negotiating your babysitting rates is communication. Parents are often uncomfortable discussing money matters with babysitters.

So, make sure to open up and, in doing so, present your skills and certifications.

Establish rapport with the parents so that you can start negotiating your rate. You will be able to communicate clearly once you have established rapport.

Where Is The Best Place To Find A Babysitter?

Parents rely on Sittercity to find a babysitter. (3) Sittercity has been a reliable and trustworthy source of credible babysitters. It’s a great platform to consider if you’re looking for trusted employers.

It’s easy to sign up for Sittercity. Babysitters can sign up for free. With Sittercity, there’s no need for you to figure out how much to charge for overnight babysitting.

You will have a good idea of how much to charge. You can do some research and learn more about overnight rates from the babysitter profiles you have access to.

Best of all, you can use Sittercity to run a background check on yourself. It’s very affordable to run a background check on Sittercity.

If you have a background check, you can display the badge on your profile. This makes it easy for parents to know that you have already been screened.

Hence, you have more chances of getting hired. Best of all, you won’t have a hard time figuring out how much to charge for overnight babysitting.

With your experience, skills, background check, and access to data-driven information on the Sittercity platform; you’ll have a pretty good idea as to how much to charge for overnight babysitting.