A recent article in the L.A. Times called attention to an all-too-familiar problem facing most parents today, specifically the spiraling cost of baby-sitters. As if it isn’t hard enough to find a decent sitter (let alone hold onto one from the desperate clutches of poaching parents), the going rates for responsible baby-sitters now range between $10 to $20 an hour. Taking that a step further, in the fast-paced, cut-throat world of professional child care, many baby-sitting services charge comparitively exorbitant flat rates. Couple those figures with the average cost of a meal and a movie, and suddenly a fun night out with your spouse requires a bank loan. Failing the boring alternative (staying at home on the couch), there are no easy answers, but the L.A. Times articles cites some good money-saving tips like starting a baby-sitting co-op or going out with friends and jointly hiring one sitter to watch both family’s kids (sitter-pooling?) Parents, what suggestions can you share? What do you think is a reasonable rate for a baby-sitter? Do you have any sitter horror stories? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.
Misadventures in baby-sitting
A recent article in the L.A. Times called attention to an all-too-familiar problem facing most parents today, specifically the spiraling cost of baby-sitters. As if it isn’t hard enough to find a decent sitter (let alone hold onto one from the desperate clutches of poaching parents), the going rates for responsible baby-sitters now range between $10 to $20 an hour. Taking that a step further, i