The playgrounds, parks and pools are full of laughter again this summer and it sure is refreshing. The last two years have been a struggle for families as we all had to adapt and change to the pandemic policies and restrictions. Now that things have gotten back to a more normal routine, it feels good to get back to the things we love and the kids love to do.

For parents, the COVID-19 pandemic was especially difficult as we tried to coordinate the family schedule around what schools were doing and the changes that were happening at our own workplaces. It turns out that finding reliable childcare was more difficult than ever because of the ever changing schedules. Babysitters that were the most flexible were and continue to be the most valuable.

But what is the proper compensation for a babysitter in the Buffalo area? How much is the right amount of money to pay a person to watch your kids when you go out on a date or have to be at work during the summer? It may change based on the amount of kids you have or if the person watching is family. But the AVERAGE price seems to be just under $15 per hour for a sitter in the Western New York towns.

The average rate for a local babysitter in Buffalo, NY is $14.75 per hour as of July 2022 according to Care.com's data. This rate can change depending on the specific needs of your family such as the number of children to be cared for or if you require any specialized care.

We have three kids age 6-years-old and younger and they can be a handful. There sure is plenty of energy and thankfully,we have found some excellent babysitters to help us manage our family schedule. When mom and dad have to be at work or if we decided to spend a little quality time away from the boys, being able to call on our sitters and know that we can count on them to be responsible and attentive is probably the biggest source of comfort when making our plans.

The summer is more than halfway over but there are still plenty of days until the next school year begins. Hopefully you are able to get a sitter you can count on as well.

Unique AirBnB Is Less Than 6 Hours From Buffalo

Gallery Credit: Brett Alan

Here Are The 10 Best Tequila Bars In Buffalo, New York

Cheers to National Tequila Day right here in the 716!

Gallery Credit: Facebook/Canva

12 Roads Western New Yorkers Want Fixed RIGHT NOW!

We all know there are some pretty bad roads in Western New York. Here are 12 of them that you said should be fixed ASAP.

Gallery Credit: Dave Fields

More From The New 96.1 WTSS