Gen X parents won’t leave their tweens alone — and the babysitting fees are adding up. What’s behind the ‘strange’ shift
The same generation that came home from school to empty houses, made their own snacks and entertained themselves until dinner is now, in many cases, paying someone to watch their 11-year-olds.
It's a shift that even the CEO of a major babysitter-finding platform finds puzzling. "It does feel strange to me that so many parents of kids 10 and older are using so much care," Lynn Perkins of UrbanSitter told the Washington Post. "I was hired by families on our street to watch their kids, at an age when I probably now, today, would have had a babysitter myself."
Must Read
-
Jeff Bezos backs a platform that lets anyone invest in rental homes for as little as $100 — 6 ways to build wealth like a landlord without actually being one
-
Dave Ramsey warns nearly 50% of Americans are making 1 big Social Security mistake. Here's what it is and 3 simple steps to fix it ASAP
-
The tax breaks in Trump's 'big beautiful bill' expire after 2028. Here are 4 moves to make before the window closes
The data backs up the anecdote. A Washington Post analysis of 2023–2025 Census data from the University of Minnesota found that 15% of parents whose youngest child is 10 years old and 11% of those with an 11-year-old pay for regular childcare — spending a median of $3,000 per year. That figure works out to roughly three hours of supervised care per week, though many families concentrate that spending in the summer months.
Why this generation of parents can't let go
Researchers and experts point to a confluence of forces, not just the much-discussed trend toward overprotective parenting, the Post reports.
For example, car-dependent suburban layouts and shrinking public transit options mean many tweens simply can't get themselves anywhere. Travel sports leagues — which in some areas have largely displaced neighborhood games and school teams — require adult transportation to games and practices scattered across multiple towns.
According to the Aspen Institute's Project Play , the average American family spent $1,016 on their child's main sport in 2024 — a 46% jump since 2019, or twice the rate of general inflation. That figure doesn't include the cost of getting kids to and from practice, which someone has to handle.
And genuine concern about adolescent mental health has made many parents reluctant to leave kids unsupervised for extended periods, even as some studies suggest that limited independence may itself be contributing to the crisis.
"One thing you can say is true about latchkey parenting is it's very low-cost," psychologist and tween expert Lisa Damour told the Post. "If we as a culture are less inclined to be okay with latchkey children, there's going to be a cost associated with keeping those kids busy."
Middle school teacher Douglas Haddad, who has taught in Connecticut for 26 years, sees the comparison culture driving it further: "Social media allows parents to see what everyone else's children are doing," he told the Post. "Modern American life has really raised the expectation placed on parents."
The cost is rising and accelerating
The financial pressure is compounding. Babysitter median hourly rates on the platform Sittercity were around $12.50 from 2018 to 2020, according to Post reporting. Today, that figure sits at $22.50 an hour — an 80% increase in roughly six years.
Part of that jump reflects a shift in who's doing the sitting. Fewer teenagers are taking on babysitting jobs, and the market has tilted toward adult professionals who command higher rates. According to a Bureau of Labor Statistics analysis , the share of private household childcare workers with college degrees nearly doubled between 2000 and 2023 — a professionalization of the field that's reflected in the pricing.
Broader childcare costs have followed the same trajectory. According to Child Care Aware of America , the national average annual price of childcare reached $13,184 in 2025 — consuming 10% of median income in two-parent households and 33% in single-parent households. For all states with data, care costs for two children in a center exceed median rent and, in most states, mortgage payments.
Isabelle Plante of Sittercity says many families are adapting by piecing together solutions rather than paying for full coverage. "They're ending their workday to pick up their kids instead of getting a nanny to do that," she told the Post.
The tweens see it differently
Many of the 11-to-13-year-olds interviewed by the Post were either already babysitting others or covertly rolling their eyes at still having sitters of their own.
Becca Pyser, 13, babysits three times a week for two neighborhood families, earning up to $25 an hour. Her nine-year-old brother still has a sitter. "If my mom were to leave him home alone for an hour or two, I think he'd be fine," she told the Post.
Fiona Englehart, 13, has been staying home without her parents since she was seven. Her assessment of the debate was succinct: "The kids are always fine with it. The parents are the ones that need to trust them."
What To Read Next
-
Millionaires under 43 hold only 25% of their wealth in stocks. Here's where their money is actually going
-
Here's the average income of Americans by age in 2026. Are you keeping up or falling behind?
-
Robert Kiyosaki says China is 'dumping' the US as America piles on debt. Fortify your riches with 4 key assets
-
This fund has historically paid 8% or higher for 25 months, with just a $100 minimum to start — 4 ways to grow your cash without the stock market
This article originally appeared on Moneywise.com under the title: Gen X parents won't leave their tweens alone — and the babysitting fees are adding up. What's behind the 'strange' shift
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
