How Old Do You Have to Be to Babysit in the US?

If a mother of small children had appeared in our parent’s time with the urgent need for someone other than herself to look after her children, we assume that her environment would have reacted. However, as much has changed since then, and as babysitting, grandparents, and babysitters have taken over childcare, not only is it socially acceptable, but it has become the daily routine of every 21st-century parent.

Today, regardless of whether the parents are employed, it is entirely expected for the children to have a nanny or babysitter or some other professional with experience in babysitting and babysitting. Therefore, modern parents do not have any special wishes; they are just parents who have to organize both their own and their child’s time according to the obligations and rhythm imposed by the 21st century.

Nowadays, it isn’t easy to find an adequate person to give complete confidence in babysitting. Therefore, despite the recommendations, it is still difficult for mothers to decide on a nanny or babysitter to whom they will “open” the doors of their house and life.

Even when parents decide on a woman to help them with childcare, unexpected circumstances can always occur that prevent her from coming to work. For example, if the nanny or babysitter gets sick or has some urgent obligations, the parents must manage ad hoc.

How Old Do You Have to Be to Babysit?

Most states do not have a specified minimum age for babysitting in the US. However, some states, like Kansas, have a minimum period of 6 years, while the minimum age in Illinois is 14. So, usually, teenagers above 14 can be babysitters in the US.

How much should I charge for babysitting?

In the US, you should charge $19 per hour for one child and $22 per hour for two kids. This is the average rate in 2022. based on several babysitting auction websites where the babysitting price range is from $10 up to $28 per hour. However, if you care for children for 10 or 12 hours in a row, your minimum rate can be $5 per hour.

In addition, the market for babysitting is entirely unregulated, has no rules, and operates on a “who’s asking” basis. Due to the lack of professional staff, such as graduate educators or nurses, parents often have no choice, so they are forced to choose a candidate on the recommendation to look after their children, even though he is not a professional.

There are two types of candidates. The first type of babysitter is a young girl around 20, often a female student looking for a temporary job as an additional source of income while studying. The other type is middle-aged women with secondary education and adult children, and this job represents their “second” salary in the household.

What is the difference between a nanny and a babysitter?

The main difference between nanny and babysitter is that nannies typically work full-time for a family while babysitters are only temporarily “on-call.”In addition to the fact that nannies are primarily women who are full-time employees to take care of the child, the nanny must work with and educate the child and to age, develop, and improve the child’s abilities – whether it is learning about nature and animals, weaning from pacifiers, getting used to costumes and nappies, putting on shoes or feeding on their own…

On the other hand, a babysitter does not have that obligation. Based on the meaning of the English babysitting – caring for a baby or a child, can it be concluded what her responsibilities are? Accordingly, she has to look after the child on time, change clothes, feed, and entertain her. No kind of education of the child is expected from her.

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Daniel Smith

Finance Analyst at Poduno LLC

Daniel Smith is an experienced economist and financial analyst from Utah. He has been in finance for nearly two decades, having worked as a senior analyst for Wells Fargo Bank for 19 years.

After leaving Wells Fargo Bank in 2014, Daniel began a career as a finance consultant, advising companies and individuals on economic policy, labor relations, and financial management.


At Promtfinance.com, Daniel writes about personal finance topics, value estimation, budgeting strategies, retirement planning, and portfolio diversification.


Read more on Daniel Smith's biography page.

Contact Daniel: daniel@promtfinance.com

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