2022 Holiday Tipping Guide for Families

Every year, UrbanSitter surveys families across the U.S. for the latest holiday tipping trends including how much of a holiday babysitter tip parents are planning to give. With the looming recession, we especially wanted to know if families will be tipping more or less than last year. Read on if you’re wondering what an appropriate tip would be for your babysitter, what the standard nanny bonus is the right now, or how much other tip their housekeepers and pet sitters.

Will families tip caregivers more this holiday season?

While a majority of families will be tipping the same amount as last year, more than a third of families said they will tip caregivers more this year, according to UrbanSitter’s survey:

54% tipping about the same
34% tipping more
6% tipping less
6% not tipping

The Babysitter

  • 60% of parents plan to tip their babysitters with cash for the holidays
  • $15-25 is the most common babysitter tip followed by $25-50. 21% don’t give special holiday tips. Others give a gift instead of a tip (19%).
  • Breakdown of 2022 babysitter tip amounts:
    • Under $15 (21%)
    • $15-25 (25%)
    • $25-50 (22%)
    • $50-100 (18%)
    • $100+ (13%)
  • Gift cards and food are the most popular gifts for sitters and nannies this year. Check out our Babysitter Gift Guide for more ideas!

The Nanny

  • The most common nanny bonus or nanny tip is one week’s pay.
  • 68% of parents give their nanny a holiday tip, 28% give a gift instead of tip, 4% don’t tip at all.
  • Breakdown of 2022 nanny tip amounts:
    • Less than 1 week’s pay (30%)
    • 1 week’s pay (52%)
    • 2 weeks’ pay (12%)
    • 3 weeks’ pay (2%)
    • > 3 week’s pay (5%)

The Pet Sitter

  • 58% of pet owners give a holiday tip. 18% give a gift instead, while 24% don’t tip for the holidays.
  • Of those that give a tip at the holidays, $15-25 is the most popular pet sitter tip followed by less than $15.
  • Breakdown of 2022 pet sitter tip amounts:
    • Under $15 (32%)
    • $15-25 (37%)
    • $25-50 (16%)
    • $50-100 (8%)
    • $100+ (6%)

The Housekeeper

  • A large majority, 72% of families, plan to give a holiday tip to their housekeeper this year. 10% give a gift instead, while 18% don’t tip for the holidays. $100+ is the most popular tip. 
  • Breakdown of 2022 housekeeper tip amounts:
    • Under $15 (15%)
    • $15-25 (17%)
    • $25-50 (21%)
    • $50-100 (19%)
    • $100+ (27%)

The Elder Care Provider

  • 56% of families tip their elder care provider, 16% give a gift instead, 27% don’t do special tipping for the holidays.
  • There is no ‘most popular tip’ amount for this category. Some families give as little as $15, while nearly the same percentage of families give more than $100.
  • Breakdown of 2022 elder care provider tip amounts:
    • Under $15 (22%)
    • $15-25 (22%)
    • $25-50 (22%)
    • $50-100 (16%)
    • $100+ (20%)

The Tutor

  • 51% of parents plan to tip their tutor, 23% give a gift instead, while 26% don’t do special holiday tipping.
  • Of the parents who do give a monetary tutor tip at the holidays, 35% of parents give $15-25 followed by 31% who give less than $15.

UrbanSitter Guides to Holiday Tipping – Past Editions

2014 Holiday Gifting Survey: Babysitter Gifts and Nanny Bonuses for 2014

2015 Holiday Gifting & Tipping Survey: Babysitter and Nanny Bonuses

2016 Holiday Tipping & Gifting | Babysitter & Nanny Holiday Bonuses & New Year’s Eve Rates

2017 Holiday Tipping Guide & New Year’s Eve Babysitting Rates

2018 Holiday Tipping Guide & New Year’s Eve Babysitting Rates

2021 Holiday Tipping Guide

The holiday times are the perfect time to book a sitter for a night out to enjoy a holiday party or shop without the kids!

Babysitter Gift Ideas, Nanny Bonus & More: UrbanSitter’s Guide to Holiday Gifting

Holiday Babysitter gifts, nanny gifts, nanny bonus

Putting together your holiday gift list? Chances are babysitter gifts, nanny gifts and nanny bonus are high up on the list. Around the holidays there are a lot of questions around this, such as “what is a thoughtful gift for my nanny/sitter?” “What handmade gift can my child can give the nanny?” “What does a nanny or sitter actually want as a holiday gift?” “What’s an appropriate nanny bonus or holiday babysitter tip?”

The holidays are the perfect time to show a bit of extra gratitude for all your caregiver does for your family with a thoughtful gift. We have plenty of gift guides (and pinterest board) to help point you in the right direction for a perfect babysitter gift. Plus, UrbanSitter creates a yearly guide on holiday tipping & bonuses.

Gift Guides for the Holidays

We have your gift guides covered from holiday gifts kids can give, handmade gifts from kids, to gifts for the babysitter, nanny gifts and even the ultimate mommy gift guide.

Top Nanny Gifts for the Holidays:

  • 91% of parents surveyed gift their nanny a Christmas bonus or gift.
  • Gifts include gift cards to a favorite retailer or restaurant, spa items or a gift card for spa services, scarves, other handmade items, a framed photo of the kids, candles, gourmet foods such as baked goods or chocolates and fine teas. In addition, kids oftentimes make a gift for the nanny.

Popular Babysitter Gift Ideas for Christmas:

  • Top babysitter Christmas gift ideas include a gift card to Starbucks or iTunes, handmade gift from kids, or baked goods. Other gifts are time off, food, jewelry, tickets, and of course, cash!

Babysitter & Nanny Holiday Gift Guides

Holiday Handmade Gifts from Kids

Other Gift Guides

Need more ideas? Visit our Gifts for Sitters and Nannies Pinterest Board.

Holiday Tipping & Nanny Bonus

Now that we’ve covered gift ideas for babysitters, let’s dive into the nanny bonus! Each year we survey parents to get the scoop on holiday tipping and bonuses. Year after year, the top nanny bonus given by at least 50% of parents is a nanny bonus that equals one week of pay. Most sitters also expect a tip or bonus over the holidays. In addition to tipping or a bonus, parents oftentimes give their nanny or sitter a gift. Keep in mind, 82% of sitters & nannies would prefer cash over a gift as their bonus/tip.

Check out our most recent Holiday Tipping Guide, which includes nanny bonuses and babysitter holiday tip suggestions.

Show Your Appreciation: Babysitter Gift, Thank You Note & Bonus

Giving a small gift, thank you note, and an appropriate cash bonus or tip based on how often and how long a caregiver has worked for you is one fabulous way to show your appreciation. You can even have the kids participate (if age appropriate) and create a handmade gift for the nanny or write a little note.

Ultimately, any sentiment that shows you truly appreciate the work your nanny or sitter does year round to take care of your kids, keep them safe and bring them joy can go a long way in continuing to build a wonderful relationship and make the caregiver feel valued.

The holiday times are the perfect time to book a sitter for a night out to enjoy a holiday party or shop without the kids!

5 Helpful Tips to Get an After School Care Sitter and Rates

After school sitter, picking up kids from school, after school babysitter

Finding after school care and the perfect after-school babysitter is more than a matter of luck. We surveyed 500 sitters who are looking for an after-school job this fall to find out what would influence them to take the after school nanny job and what hourly rate they’d expect. Based on their feedback here are 5 tips to help you secure your after school sitter and what hourly rate to pay (the average and by region).

1. Provide a Gas Allowance

Soaring gas prices are top of mind for sitters who will be using their own car for school pick-ups. With 69% influenced by an allowance for gas, this is definitely a factor sitters consider when determining if the job is a fit for them.

2. Guarantee Weekly Hours

To make an after-school job worthwhile, a majority of sitters (66%) want guaranteed hours each week. 50% prefer 10-20 hours per week, and 24% between 20-25 hours per week.

3. Consider a Flexible Schedule

If your family’s schedule allows it, offering a flexible schedule is highly sought after and would influence 64% of sitters to say yes to an after-school job offer. One option for flexibility is to allow the sitter to choose which three days of the week they work (M-W-F or Tu-Th-F) or certain days they stay later and others they don’t.

4. Pay a Competitive After-School Babysitter Rate

One of the top questions is how much should you pay an after-school sitter in 2022? The ideal hourly after school babysitter rate is around $20 per hour—that’s around $300 per week based on 15 hours. With that said, there is variability by city and region. The Northeast region is the most expensive per hour at $21.60/hour. The least expensive region is the Midwest at $17.33/hour. To attract the right sitter for pick ups and after school, ensure you are offering a competitive baby sitter hourly rate for your city.

RegionAverage Hourly Rate
Per Region		Weekly Rate
(Based on 15 Hours)
Northeast$21.60$323.93
Southeast$17.37$260.61
Southwest$17.39$260.80
Midwest$17.33$259.96
West$21.58$323.64
Pacific Northwest$20.89$313.34
National Average$20.57$308.55

If you’re looking for an alternative to an hourly rate, according to our survey, 49% of sitters offer flat rates. Flat rates are usually offered by the day with 51% stating they offer daily rates, 26% offer weekly flat rates and 12% offer monthly flat rates.

5. Include Other Perks

Including a few other perks in the job, such as offering a car service when the sitter works late, is another popular deal sweetener. Easy parking and convenient location also ranked highly for sitters. 

Set yourself up for Success in Finding After-School Care

Communication is essential in hiring an after school sitter. Communicate if you have flexibility in the hours for the position. If the sitter drives the kids in their car, communicate about an added gas allowance. It’s also helpful to provide an estimate of how many hours a week or month you’ll need. With COVID-19 still a concern, it’s important to be transparent about vaccination status and if you are looking for a vaccinated after school sitter. UrbanSitter makes it easy for you to communicate all these details in a job post and view a caregiver’s vaccination status badge. You’re sure to find the perfect person to provide after school care if you follow these 5 helpful tips and pay a competitive hourly after school care rate.

Looking for an after school babysitter or nanny? Join UrbanSitter to browse profiles, sort by pay rate, and book jobs online.

7 Tips For Hiring An After School Nanny Or Sitter

A good after school nanny can be difficult to find. Without the right hiring and screening process completed upfront, you may rely partially on luck to locate the right caregiver for your children. To improve your efforts to hire a qualified, caring nanny or sitter incorporate these tips into your search.

1. Prepare a Job Description

When you prepare a detailed job description at the beginning, this is an easy way to quickly narrow your search to candidates who satisfy your essential needs. In the job description lay out your objectives, expectations, work schedule and other factors (such as if you want to work only with a sitter or nanny that is vaccinated against COVID-19 – UrbanSitter allows caretakers to provide this information and add it to their profile). Nanny-finding sites streamline this process, for instance UrbanSitter provides a job posting form that helps you summarize your after school care needs by ticking boxes. Don’t forget to research average nanny rates in your area to be competitive. 

2. Be Realistic About Tasks for an After School Nanny

Some parents understandably get excited about getting extra help with the kids and with chores around the house. Keep in mind even the best nanny may not be able to tackle everything you might otherwise be able to.

3. Consider Transportation Needs

Will your after school nanny need to pick up your children from school or drive them to and from their various activities? If your nanny will need transportation, ensure that the nanny has a safe, reliable car and a great driving record. Something else to think about is many families will allow their nanny to use the family car for transportation.

4. Look for Flexibility

In many cases, parents may arrive home from work at different times in the evening from day to day. If this is the case for you, find a nanny who can stay later as needed and without advance notice. If you can’t find one nanny to cover every afternoon, consider splitting the job across two sitters/nannies. The bonus is that you then have two people who you can reach out to when in a pinch.

5. Pay Attention to Values of the After School Nanny

Your nanny/sitter will spend a considerable amount of time with your children and may be responsible for preparing meals and snacks, helping with homework and enforcing rules. Ideally, their efforts will be a seamless extension of your own. Trust your gut. If something seems like it might not work out, it probably won’t.

6. Complete a Background Check

A background check should be completed on any serious candidate, and it should include a review of criminal history, credit rating, and employment history. Any red flags should be taken seriously. Reputable sites like UrbanSitter only offer nannies who have already passed a background check through a third-party service.

7. Contact References

After you have thoroughly interviewed and screened potential nannies, the matter of actually calling references may seem rather unimportant. However, the types of references the individual provides as well as what these references may say about the candidate can tell you valuable information you may have not yet learned through your other efforts.

Follow the 7 tips above to make your search for an after school nanny or sitter much easier! 

Not sure which type of after care you need? Review this list of 6 practical after care solutions.

 

Your life may be rather stressful and chaotic until you hire the right nanny to care for your children, that said, you should avoid rushing through the hiring process. You may find yourself dealing with many new problems if you do not take proper steps to make a the best selection for your family.

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After-School Babysitter: Your 101 Guide

The start of a new school year gives you a chance to get off on the right foot with a new after-school babysitter or refresh the relationship you have with existing sitters. Seize the opportunity to evaluate your after-school childcare expectations and have a candid discussion with your sitter to let her know what’s important to your family and how to best support you in caring for your child. Open and honest communication is the key to both of you getting what you want out of the partnership.

Here are five back-to-school tips to help you maximize your relationship with your after-school babysitter. These messages will go a long way toward ensuring the best possible care for your kids while you are away and will help you avoid misunderstandings or disappointments that can arise when you are not upfront with your child’s childcare provider.

1. Clearly define the hours
“After-school” care may translate differently to you and your sitter. Let the sitter know the hours you will need assistance, including whether they are in charge of dinner and bedtime. Also discuss availability and willingness to stay late in the event that you’re stuck at work, need to run a few errands or hoping to squeeze in a date night. If your return time consistently varies, you won’t be happy with a sitter who isn’t able to stay late.

2. Discuss driving expectations and rules
If your sitter is charged with dropping off or picking up your kids from school, lessons, activities or play dates you should have a frank conversation regarding your expectations for driving – including no talking on a cell phone or texting while driving. Also make sure your sitter understands the importance of your children riding in car seats and that they know how to properly install them. Do your homework before hiring a sitter to drive your kids by checking to see that the child care provider has a valid driver’s license and a safe driving history.

3. Provide snack and meal guidelines
Make your sitter your wingman in your fight to keep your family’s nutrition and health on track. Rather than hoping for the best while the kids are in the caretakers hands, let your sitter know what you’d like your child to eat while you’re away. You want the sitter to spend time playing with your kids, rather than spending time in the kitchen, so don’t require the sitter to prepare time-consuming meals and snacks.

Instead, make it a practice to keep nutritional snacks in the house. Choose snacks that your children are accustomed to eating so there is no battle of the wills. Also, make sure your sitter understands that meal prep is part of the responsibilities (if you require her to prepare your child’s dinner) and let the sitter know if you prefer that your child wait to eat with you when you return.

4. Ask the sitter to supervise homework
It’s fantastic when your after-school babysitter goes the extra mile by taking the time to help cover activities you’d be doing if you were home and will otherwise have to handle when you return. Most sitters are more than willing to lend a hand, but may not realize where their help is useful. Let your sitter know if you want them to help your child knock out their homework, log daily reading time or if your preschooler could benefit from some one-on-one practice tracing the ABCs, learning to write their name or mastering colors and numbers.

5. Set the after-school babysitter up for success
You can help your sitter do their best by providing all they need to succeed. That means making sure there are clear instructions, schedules and directions to wherever the kids will need to go. Be sure your kids’ activity bags are packed or provide details on where to find everything your child needs for lessons or practice so the sitter isn’t scrambling to find soccer cleats or stressing over what your child is supposed to bring to dance class. In addition, be sure the sitter has the food she needs for snacks or to make dinner, and that there’s a clearly marked homework spot with everything your kids need to do their work. Your sitter is there to take over while you’re away, but the sitter can do a much better job caring for your kids with a little help from you.

Your sitter will appreciate your candid discussion and be better prepared to provide your child with the best possible after-school care. You’ll both be happy you had this important conversation, and will be off on the right foot for the new school year.

Need help finding an after-school babysitter? Check out our 7 tips for hiring the best after school nanny or sitter. Here are also some ideas for some fun after-school activities.

Looking for a babysitter or nanny? Join UrbanSitter to browse profiles, sort by pay rate, and book jobs online.

Before and After School Child Care: 6 Practical Solutions

The new school year is around the corner which means it’s time to nail down your before and after school child care. From morning drop-offs to shuttling kids to after school activities, the back to school hustle can leave you juggling a lot of different schedules. Not sure what kind of after school child care is right for you? Have no fear! We have 6 before and after school babysitter and nanny solutions that will help your family get an A+ this school year.

1. The Full-Time Nanny

Full-Time Nanny Before and After school babysitter

Work full-time? Need a helping hand before and after school? Have a little one in school and one still at home? A full-time nanny may be just what you need to cover all your bases. Nanny-finding sites like UrbanSitter conveniently allow you to search or post a job for this type of “split shift” schedule. 

Pro-tip: Check our blog post for suggested questions to ask when interviewing potential nannies.

2. The Carpool-Driving Sitter

carpool driving sitters

Maybe your mornings start early and you need help getting the kids ready and dropped off on time to school. Or, maybe you can’t leave the office early enough to pick them up. Problem solved! Book a carpool driving sitter.

Pro-tip: Use UrbanSitter’s search filter to find sitters ‘willing to drive kids’ in your car or theirs.

3. The Homework Tutor

sitter tutor before and after school babysitter

Let’s be real, kids have A LOT of homework these days and sometimes our kids need a little extra help. Find and book a sitter who’s ready to hit the books after school.

Pro-tip: Sites like UrbanSitter make it easy to search for sitters by the grade levels and subjects they teach or tutor.

4. The After-School Sitter

after-school sitter

Soccer practice, music lessons, dance class, or even just a trip to the park can be hard to juggle when you have more than one kid, errands to run, or when your work schedule keeps you late. Have no fear, an after-school sitter can help you feel like you are in more than one place at the same time.

Pro-tip: If you aren’t finding any sitters to cover every day of the week, consider splitting your job into two jobs with a sitter for Monday-Wednesday-Fridays and another for Tuesday-Thursdays.

5. The Last-Minute Sitter

urbansitter app last minute sitter before and after school babysitter after school child care

When the kids have an unexpected day off from school or your usual nanny calls in sick, you’ll need access to a last-minute sitter for backup child care. 

Pro-tip: Download UrbanSitter’s child care-finding app for free for access to last-minute child care. 

6. After School Programs

after school program

Some schools offer after school programs to give parents a few extra hours of child care beyond the school day. If your school doesn’t offer an after school program, many local YMCAs offer affordable school age after school child care.

Found the right before and after school child care solution for you? Now get started on your caregiver search by creating a free account on UrbanSitter.

Back to School: The Nanny Conundrum

Keep the Nanny Busy when kids are in school, nanny to take child to school

whitney_tang_nanny_magContributed by guest author Whitney Tang, Executive Editor of Nanny Magazine

It’s September, which means hordes of children have headed off to school, many for the first time. As you gear up for that first day of meeting the teachers and kissing your munchkin goodbye, a momentary thought might pass through your mind: What in the world will your nanny do for these three or so odd hours every day? Not paying her is out of the question. You need your nanny to be on call for all those sick days, snow days, and, heaven forbid, any emergencies. But should you really be paying her to sit around your house all morning with nothing to do? Here are some things you might want to consider to maximize your nanny’s time on the clock.

Keep Her Busy

Depending on where school is located, your nanny might not have the flexibility to go all the way back home during school hours. This is a great opportunity to ask her to pick up your child’s much-needed rain boots or craft supplies. Keep in mind that just because your child isn’t in the house doesn’t mean it’s your nanny’s downtime. School hours are the perfect time for your nanny to get caught up on your kids’ laundry and other child-related chores around the house, such as meal prep. Do you already have this covered? Let your nanny invest some time in her own professional development. Register her for an online course to enrich her childcare skills or hook her up with some great nanny-related reading to help her sharpen her skills and get new ideas to better take care of your children. The ways to make the time while your child is in class count toward your nanny’s paycheck are endless.

But Don’t Keep Her Too Busy

Keep in mind that your nanny’s top priority is your child. Even with some “free” time, you can rest assured that she is most likely planning the next great museum outing or tomorrow’s very messy (but educational!) science experiment. Good nannies rarely stop brainstorming new activities, planning new adventures, or educating themselves on caring for your child. Let your nanny use this open time to rest, think, and plot. Even the best minds need a few minutes away from the constant commotion to come up with truly great ideas.

Encourage Conversations

Do you really need eggs for tonight’s dinner but don’t have time to pick them up after work? Don’t be afraid to ask your nanny for some help. But also don’t be upset if she has something else planned. She might be busy picking up craft supplies for the afternoon’s art project or returning the nearly late library book just in time. In order to prevent yourself from becoming annoyed and your nanny from feeling pressured, be sure to open up various communication outlets. As long as a conversation is always going, each party will have better expectations for the school days ahead.

It’s Simple

Your nanny has more scheduling flexibility to take care of errands and chores when her charges are not in her direct care. Make the most of the time but don’t underestimate her. Just because your kids aren’t with her doesn’t mean she isn’t busy with their care. How do you keep your nanny busy when your kids are away at school?

If you’re looking for an after school nanny, review these tips for finding the right one for your family!

Whitney Tang, Executive Editor of Nanny Magazine is a freelance writer, a graphic design artist, and most importantly, a nanny! But the best part of her day involves a lot less typing and a lot more mess making, with glitter and flour being the usual suspects!

Find trusted nannies near you at UrbanSitter.com.

Tips for Lining Up College Students for Summer Childcare

Summer childcare, summer babysitters, summer college babysitters, summer babysitter, summer child care

In a few short months, school will be out for the summer and you likely have different summer childcare needs than you have now. You may need full-time help, a regular sitter for part-time care, or maybe just a reliable bevy of sitters to call when you need some time to yourself during the school-free months ahead.

There are many excellent sources for summer childcare, including nannies, camps, daycare or mother’s helpers, but college students – those returning home for their summer break or local students sticking around to take classes or to work – are one of your top resources for summertime babysitting. Here’s why students work well as babysitters and how to line them up now so that your summer childcare needs are covered well before the season starts.

Why College Students are often Fantastic Babysitters 

  • College students typically have some babysitting experience and are motivated to earn extra money to help pay for their education and living expenses. In addition to childcare experience, they are likely to be CPR certified, have completed a first aid class or studied a bit of early childhood education.
  • Students taking summer classes may have a hard time finding a part-time job that fits around their class load. Babysitting is in many ways the ideal job for them, as they can typically create a babysitting schedule that works with their class schedule.
  • In addition to being available, responsible and ready to earn, they are often vibrant young people with lots of interests, hobbies and experiences to share. They may be able to tutor, help sharpen sports’ skills, or help little kids prepare for kindergarten and bigger kids stay sharp while away from school. Your children could benefit from their skills and mentorship.
  • There’s rarely much of a commute for a student babysitter, especially if you have a campus nearby or are employing a neighbor’s child who is returning home from college for the summer.
  • Students often have plenty of backup if they have a conflict or if they are sick when they are committed to babysit. If they are interested in babysitting to make extra money, their friends likely are, too. Although you need someone who is dependable, it’s nice to have access to backup sitters when you need them.

How to Find and Hire Students for Summer Childcare

Sold on the idea of hiring a college student to help with summer child care and wondering how to score these ideal sitters before their summer is spoken for?  Here are a few tips for lining them up now:

  • Reach out to sitters on UrbanSitter who attend local colleges or who live nearby and inquire about their summer plans. It’s likely they will be as anxious to nail down summer work as you are to line up care for your kids.
  • Post a job on UrbanSitter that outlines your needs. This is especially helpful if you have a need for a full-time summer sitter or for someone to babysit on a regular basis. Local sitters will see your request, as will students returning home and looking for nearby work.
  • Check local college job boards for sitters advertising for summer work or post a job request. Join local Facebook or Google groups where sitters may post looking for summer babysitting opportunities. 
  • Talk with friends and neighbors to inquire about students returning home for the summer and their potential interest in babysitting. Encourage these sitters to join UrbanSitter to post their availability and profiles so booking is quick and easy.

With a little advance planning, you can quickly and easily find an excellent summer sitter well before summer arrives. Need help finding your summer babysitter? Join UrbanSitter.

2021 New Year’s Eve Babysitting Rates & Tips

New Year's Eve Babysitter Tip, New Year's Eve Sitter Rates

Countdown to the New Year! Certainly, after the last couple of years, parents are ready to celebrate the new year in a big way! Or just get together with a few friends to toast to a wonderful new year. If you’re going out, what’s that going to cost you? What are the New Year’s Eve babysitting rates this year? Do sitters expect a NYE babysitting tip too?

We asked hundreds of sitters across the United States to see if they plan to work on New Year’s Eve, if they’ve already booked a job, what their New Year’s Eve sitter rate will be, do they expect NYE perks and more…

The Highlights of New Year’s Eve Babysitting Rates

  • The majority of sitters, 76%, either have a job or are hoping to book at NYE babysitting job.
  • Sitters plan to ask for a premium this year, with 80% charging 1.5 to more than 2x their normal hourly babysitting rate. In addition, 57% expect a NYE babysitting tip on top of their hourly rate – making going out on NYE a pricey occasion.
  • 24% of New Year’s Eve babysitters do expect transportation to/from the babysitting job, whereas the majority, 76%, do not.
  • Dinner is split about evenly, with 45% expecting dinner and 55% not expecting it.

Covid’s Impact on NYE Babysitting

  • When asked if the sitter would work for a family that doesn’t plan to get vaccinated, 42% said they would not work with an unvaccinated family, whereas 37% yes they would, and 21% were on the fence.
NYE babysitting rates

Key Reasons a Sitter would not Decline a New Year’s Eve Babysitting Job

  • More money, higher hourly wage, tips
  • Working for a family they enjoy
  • Close to home
  • Feeling appreciated for giving up their New Year’s Eve so the parents can go out
  • Being valued
  • Extra incentives, such as transportation, extra pay and dinner
  • No extra perks needed – they simply love being a babysitter, regardless of it being a holiday

UrbanSitter Guides to New Year’s Eve Babystting Rates – Past Editions

2019 New Year’s Eve Babysitting Rates

2018 Holiday Tipping New Year’s Eve Babysitting Rates

2017 Holiday Tipping Guide New Year’s Eve Babysitting Rates

2016 Holiday Tipping Gifting New Year’s Eve Babysitter & Nanny Bonuses

2015 4th Annual Holiday Gifting & Tipping Survey on Babysitter and Nanny Bonuses

2014 3rd Annual Holiday Gifting Survey on Babysitter Gifts and Nanny Bonuses

2013 2nd Annual Holiday Gifting Survey on Babysitter Gifts and Nanny Bonuses

Looking for babysitter gift ideas for the holidays? Check out our Ultimate Babysitter Gift Guide & Nanny Bonus

Book your NYE sitter now and enjoy a night out without the kids!  

2021 Holiday Tipping Guide: Babysitter Tip, Pet Sitter Tip, Housekeeper Tip

A holiday babysitter tip can be stressful to figure out as well as holiday tipping etiquette for other service providers. What is the appropriate babysitter tip or pet sitter tip during the holidays? What is the right amount for a nanny bonus? Do you tip your tutor or housekeeper? We can help. This year, like in past years, we asked families and babysitters from across the country to get the inside scoop on holiday tipping and gifting! UrbanSitter asked families to share how they handle holiday tipping – from babysitters and nannies to tutors. 

HIGHLIGHTS OF HOLIDAY TIPPING

The Babysitter

  • 51% of parents give a monetary tip to babysitters at the holidays, $25-50 is the most common babysitter tip followed by $50-100.
  • Of the other parents, 15% tip on every job, so they don’t give extra holiday tips. 16% don’t tip at all. Others give a gift instead of a tip (18%).
  • Gift cards and crafts are the top gifts for sitters and nannies this year. Check out our Babysitter Gift Guide for more ideas!
  • Fun fact: The size of babysitter tips has grown over the years during the holidays. In 2018, only 25% of parents were tipping more than $25. In 2021, 42% of parents are tipping more than $25 and 26% are tipping more than $50.
  • Breakdown of 2021 babysitter tip amounts:
    • Under $15 (15%)
    • $15-25 (18%)
    • $25-50 (25%)
    • $50-100 (24%)
    • $100+ (18%)

The Nanny

  • The most common nanny bonus / nanny tip is one week’s pay.
  • 53% of parents give their nanny a holiday tip, 33% give a gift instead of tip, 7% give a combination and 7% don’t tip at all.
  • Breakdown of 2021 nanny tip amounts:
    • Less than 1 week’s pay (32%)
    • 1 week’s pay (42%)
    • 2 weeks’ pay (16%)
    • 3 weeks’ pay (4%)
    • > 3 week’s pay (6%)

The Pet Sitter

  • 37% of pet owners give a holiday tip. 19% tip on every job, so they don’t give extra holiday tips. 35% don’t tip at all.
  • Of those that give a tip at the holidays, $25-50 is the most popular pet sitter tip followed by $15-25.
  • Breakdown of 2021 pet sitter tip amounts:
    • Under $15 (37%)
    • $15-25 (23%)
    • $25-50 (28%)
    • $50-100 (10%)
    • $100+ (2%)

The Housekeeper

  • A large majority, 71% of families, give a holiday tip to their housekeeper. 33% give $100+ and 30% give between $50-100.
  • $100+ is the most popular tip. 71% of families give a holiday tip. 11% tip on every job, so they don’t give extra holiday tips. 12% don’t tip at all. Others give a gift instead of a tip (6%).
  • Breakdown of 2021 housekeeper tip amounts:
    • Under $15 (7%)
    • $15-25 (13%)
    • $25-50 (17%)
    • $50-100 (30%)
    • $100+ (33%)

The Tutor

  • Of the parents who do give a monetary tutor tip at the holidays, 33% of parents give $25-50 followed by 19% who give $50-100.
Tutor Tipping, Housekeeper Tipping, Babysitter Tipping, Pet Sitting Tipping

UrbanSitter Guides to Holiday Tipping – Past Editions

2014 Holiday Gifting Survey: Babysitter Gifts and Nanny Bonuses for 2014

2015 Holiday Gifting & Tipping Survey: Babysitter and Nanny Bonuses

2016 Holiday Tipping & Gifting | Babysitter & Nanny Holiday Bonuses & New Year’s Eve Rates

2017 Holiday Tipping Guide & New Year’s Eve Babysitting Rates

2018 Holiday Tipping Guide & New Year’s Eve Babysitting Rates

The holiday times are the perfect time to book a sitter for a night out to enjoy a holiday party or shop without the kids!