CO-HOST | Make Money Babysitting: Andy Cohen's $30/Hour Controversy and the "Free" Teen Babysitter Debate

Producer Eric joins Travis in studio for a Halloween-season episode about the business of babysitting. They react to the backlash over Andy Cohen paying his young sitter $30 an hour to watch his two kids, check what babysitters actually charge in Los Angeles, and weigh in on a viral Reddit post about a sister-in-law who signed up a 15-year-old to watch seven kids for free during an adults-only party. Along the way they get into creative ad segues, paying friends and family for their time, and Eric's pay for dog-sitting (in McDonald's nuggets).

On this episode we talk about:

Travis's holiday-themed ad segues and his trick for tying sponsor reads into episode content

The Andy Cohen babysitting backlash and whether $30 an hour for two kids is cheap

Typical babysitting rates in Los Angeles ($23–$35 an hour, per child) and the "celebrity tax"

Why Travis thinks a deal both sides agreed to isn't anyone else's business

The Reddit post about a 15-year-old volunteered to babysit seven kids for free, and how the family should have handled it

Top 3 Takeaways

Know the market rate before you hire or set a price. Babysitting in LA often runs $23–$35 an hour per child, so pricing for multiple kids should reflect the extra work.

Never commit someone else's time or labor without asking them and agreeing on pay up front, even when it's family.

If both sides agree to a fair deal, it's their deal. But if you have the means, paying a little extra (or covering the cost yourself to avoid conflict) builds goodwill.

Notable Quotes