Results from PSP's Bebesitters Survey Are in, and the Findings Are Hot! (sort of)

In January, local parenting guide blog Park Slope Parents conducted a survey on babysitters, which they aptly titled "Babysitter Survey 2012." Much to everyone's my thrill and awe, the results have been culled together in an extensive 45-page report. Don't have the time or attention span to read the whole thing? No worries -- I did it for you. The results are taken directly from PSP's report, and the commentary from my brain. First...

The Definition of a Babysitter:

"Babysitters (e.g., Date Nights) who are NOT employed on a regular weekly basis for more than 15 hours). If your daytime Nanny helps with babysitting, please DO NOT take the survey)."

(I'm not a 100% on their parenthetical work up there) 

Who Took The Survey?

• 512 parents from Brooklyn took the survey.

• 87% were members of Park Slope Parents. The remaining 13% came from similar sites or email forwards from friends. 

• 59% of those surveyed live in Park Slope or close-by neighborhoods such as Prospect Heights, Windsor Terrace, Ditmas Park and blah blah blah.

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Boogieman Insurance: Why babysitters need to earn the same wage at night

A long-time trend among Park Slope parents is to pay babysitters less to watch their sleeping kids. They hire their regular sitter to arrive after the teeth are brushed and the stories read, paying her slightly less than usual. Or, they hire a less expensive sitter exclusively for nighttime gigs. Either way, this is uncool. Parents need to understand they are paying for the sitter’s time, not her level (or the kid’s level) of exertion. I was a babysitter in park slope for five years, until I had my own baby. A family once asked me to lower my rates at night. Another family said that they were "splurging" on my pricey nighttime sitting.

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