Sitter Stories 

If you're following me on Facebook, which you should be: Hoboken Nanny, I told you that I  am going to do a series of stories that just babysitter's have emailed me about. Some are hilarious and some are just downright sad that they have to work with these people.  C'est la vie!

Let's start with this one.  From a Sitter named Rachel.  

"I have a full time job in the city.  I like to babysit on the side, not just for the extra cash but because who doesn't like hanging with a cute baby or kid from time to time?  My hours at work are 9-5.  I get back to Hoboken and often go to meet families for a potential date night or whatever.  I'm in my early 30s and have been babysitting for 15 years.  I've got the experience.  I want to know why when I give people my rate($18 for one kid), I never hear back from them?  Can you help me with this one?"

Rachel, here's my answer: people are cheap as F%#@.  I once read this quote "If you want an average Babysitter/Nanny, you pay for an average Babysitter/Nanny.  If you want an amazing Babysitter/Nanny with experience, you pay for an amazing Babysitter/Nanny with experience. My advice is to just keep truckin.  I loved when I used to interview and I would go to these million dollar brownstones and lofts and the Parents wouldn't budge on the hourly rate that they wanted to spend on a caregiver.  With your experience, you are worth the $18 an hour.  If the families you meet don't want to spend that, then find a family who will.  They are out there.  Some Babysitters price themselves low, not because they don't have experience, but because they want a steady family who can rely on them.  That's fine too.  Think about it like this: would you rather make $18 an hour one time, or maybe $15-$16 with a family who loves you?  But you could also find a family who relies on you and you can make $18 all the time!  It just depends on how much a family is willing to not be a cheap bastard.