Hey Dadfor2,
Give me a call I'LL BABYSIT for $10/hr
Seriously, I believe you get what you pay for with sitters. If you have a sitter you really like and really trust and want to keep around - it's worth $10/hr easy. Look ar what you pay someone to mow your lawn for an hour or clean you chimney. This is a pretty important job!!
I have four older kids that are pretty independent and I usually pay $7/hr for a couple hours after school to monitor the refrigerator and make sure everyone wears a helmet on their bikes etc. DH and I haven't had a date in forever - I'd probably pay more for bedtime, meals etc.
A good babysitter is worth their weight in GOLD!!
Just my 2 cents
Martha