Do you think this is fair? Childcare question

[Pea-n-Me]

It may depend on where you live, but I think $5 was low in the first place - for the reason that others have mentioned: it involves a commitment on your part and you have the right to be compensated for that. To me, a half hour or an hour is the same - minimum charge one hour.

My house has always been open to friends in a pinch. On occasion I've even gone out of my way to help a friend. Would never dream of charging. But being home and/or available EVERY DAY for the ENIRE SCHOOL YEAR is a different matter altogether. It's basically a job.

 

[L&Lfan]

If she's not willing to pay $10 for an hour of my time 180 days out of a year, I'd tell the scrub to get lost.

 

[Disney_traveler]

My opinion is if it were a last minute favor I wouldn't charge.
Ex: hey sue I have a last minute meeting tomorrow that's gonna run late. Would you mind picking up tommy when you pick up Susie?

That is something you do for a friend.

I also wouldn't charge of it was a longer term emergency.
Ex: hey sue my sister has a broken hip and I need to go out of town to take care of her. Since hubby works late can you pick up tommy and watch till hubby gets home?

That is something you do for a close friend.

Now in both instances the OP mentioned I would definitely charge:

Wil you pick up tommy everyday after school for the entire school year and watch him for 30 minutes/an hour.

That's a job!

 

[aprilgail]

The after school program at my school is $4 an hour. My children's babysitter charged me $40 a day (8 hours a day) for care at her home.

That is probably a bit low around here. I used to babysit my friends sisters 2 kids and 15 years ago we were getting 50.00 a night- she worked 4-12 so the kids would come here at 3:45 and by 9 they would be in bed sleeping, she would wake them up and take them home at midnight. I know to use a place you drop them off at like a tutor time or kiddie academy it about 1500+ per month.

 

[1983DisneyFanatic]

$10 is not too much to ask for the commitment you are making with your time to watch her child regularly for an hour, but from her perspective, maybe she is only making $13 an hour. $10 may seem steep to her because after child care she is only making $3 for that hour. This is why I ended up quitting my job to be a STAHM. When I had to put my then youngest daughter in daycare, after daycare expenses, I was only making $25 for an 11 hour day at a job I didn't enjoy and was a lot of work and stress.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

She is a friend, but someone I'm not really close to, we don't really see each other outside of school activities or around the neighborhood. I also don't charge extra if she is late or needs me to watch her on days during school breaks or if she needs an extra hour or so for late meeting, etc. It is every day after school for an entire year, so it is a commitment and I treat it like a job. If I was just watching my own children, I could do things like run errands after school, but with this commitment my time is set. I also provide snack, and we do crafts or I plan an activity like a special game or toys. She is not in a financial hardship, I just feel like my time has value and it is certainly more work then just having my children at home, because I need to balance everyone's ideas and interests and play referee between squabbles. I will also be helping with homework after school this year.

Part of me feels a little guilty to ask for more, but like I said, I do feel like my time has value.

Here is a thought, kind of crabby I admit, however I would be a bit peeved she is haggling the fee.

I would tell her that I was planning on raising the "rate" to 7.50/half hour this yr and you prefer to charge her 15.00/hr but you will settle for 10/hr. Also you will no longer babysit for free on school vacations. You need to nip THAT ONE in the bud!

Explain your service includes snack, craft, and homework help this yr and that you can count on me babysitting everyday without worry.

That is worth something.

 

[mjkacmom]

The most expensive sitter option is having someone come to your home, and just watch your children. The rate is typically $10+ an hour. The next most expensive option is a licensed daycare center, which is more likely around $7 an hour (depending on the age of the child, older kids are cheaper). The absolutely cheapest form of childcare is unlicensed home care, especially if the sitter has her own kids there. It's rare to pay more than $5 an hour.

 

[2forMe]

I think it all depends on the local going rate. In my area $10 would be a reasonable rate.

 

[Magpie]

What happens if the friend decides she wants to claim the child care credit on her taxes? Will the OP be willing to hand over the required info so that the friend can get the credit?

Why would this be a problem? I tutor children out of my own home at a rate of 25 dollars an hour (which happens to be about half the usual rate for tutors). You bet I give people receipts for their taxes!

The only "required info" is the date, everyone's names, purpose of the transaction, and how much money was spent. Receipt books can be picked up at the dollar store.

 

[LisaR]

My friends and I never changed each other for stuff like this. It never occurred to any of us to treat our friendship like a business transaction.


What happens if the friend decides she wants to claim the child care credit on her taxes? Will the OP be willing to hand over the required info so that the friend can get the credit?

I'm curious what you mean by, "My friends and I never charged each other for stuff like this." By "stuff like this," are you saying you watched a child at a set time every single day after school for 180 days, an hour a day (or more if they were late) and you did all that for free?
When my kids were little, my friends and I most certainly helped each other out for free when someone had an appointment or something here or there. I would never charge a friend who needed to run one kid to the doctor once in awhile, but five days a week at a very set time for an entire year is no longer a favor in my book. That's a job and deserves compensation.

 

[jenm2878]

I think it depends on the going rate for your area. I have two kids in daycare and pay around $45 a DAY for each of them. They are there around 8-8 1/2 hours a day, so it's really only a little over $5 an hour for each kid. This is at a quality daycare center too. $50 a week for 5 hours sounds a little steep to me, but again, it depends on the going rate in your area.

 

[Disney_traveler]

Just a question because I do t have kids and never was a babysitter: is the planned snack and craft a usual thing with any babysitting? Or is that an extra perk?

 

[mjkacmom]

I think it all depends on the local going rate. In my area $10 would be a reasonable rate.

I'm curious where you live. Home daycare costs about half of what a typical babysitter charges. In home daycare where I live is about $45 for a full day. However, I pay sitters who come to my house $10+ an hour. When my twins were little, I loved the ease of someone coming here to watch them, giving them full attention, but it was expensive, so we switched to an in home sitter half day care (only twice a week). That cut our costs in half (and it was licensed). I live in one of the most expensive areas in the country.

 

[justgrace]

nvm

 

[barkley]

I think $10 when it's for just 1 hour is a fair deal. if it were for longer periods of time on a regular basis then I would consider a lower per hour fee (but not much lower). I haven't used after school care for years but 12 or so years ago where we lived NONE of the family home daycares would have taken a child for just an hour a day-they required (use it or not) a parent to pay for an 'afterschool' slot that reserved the child's spot 5 days per week until 6 p.m. for a flat weekly or monthly fee (and those slots were HARD to come by b/c they preferred f/t kids). the programs the public schools offered that were low or no fee were subsidized by taxpayer dollars so what they charged couldn't be used as a comparison (and they had horrific waiting lists). the only game in town for hourly (outside a private arrangement) was one of the chain preschools who offered a program called 'drop in'-after paying a hefty registration (yearly) fee a kid (if space was available) could be dropped off for care at a fee of $7.50 per hour. since the regular preschool program only went until 2 p.m. it was usually no problem for an elementary aged kid to get in for 1-3 hours after school BUT school district minimum days, altogether off days (like teacher in service days-so non legal holidays) it was a crap shoot on if space would be available.

any place (family home daycares, chain center) did NOT provide transportation from the school.


I was curious what the going rate around here is (medium cost of living area)-$50 per week w/a weekly contract so you pay if you use or not, $17 per day if you don't want to commit to a weekly contract (and these are subsidized programs so the fees are lower than the private providers).

Just a question because I do t have kids and never was a babysitter: is the planned snack and craft a usual thing with any babysitting? Or is that an extra perk?

depends on the place-from infant/toddler care through afterschool care w/my kids I always had to provide EVERY meal and snack. the only places that provided them around where we lived were family home daycares or subsidized programs b/c they have some kind of deal with the usda to get subsidies (reimbursements through the 'child and adult care food program'.) a friend operated a family home daycare and started out providing snacks but when the reimbursement rates didn't cover them AND her customers hedged at her upping her rates a bit to make up the shortfall she just made parents provide all food items individually for their own kids.

 

[katie01]

I'm curious what you mean by, "My friends and I never charged each other for stuff like this." By "stuff like this," are you saying you watched a child at a set time every single day after school for 180 days, an hour a day (or more if they were late) and you did all that for free?
When my kids were little, my friends and I most certainly helped each other out for free when someone had an appointment or something here or there. I would never charge a friend who needed to run one kid to the doctor once in awhile, but five days a week at a very set time for an entire year is no longer a favor in my book. That's a job and deserves compensation.

Agreed, and don't forget that the OP is also giving homework help and providing snacks. If anyone gave my kids an after school snack every day they would be in the red, my kids eat the equivalent of a small meal after school and it costs more than the $5 the OP is earning.

I also have helped a friend many a time with child care or rides or other things, but a 10 month commitment to be responsible for the health, safety, and welfare of another child, at the expense of doing one's own errands or chores, every single day after school, is more than a small favor. I wonder if the "friend" does any favors for the OP? You've said you really don't socialize, has she ever watched your kids for a date night or anything?

 

[Chocolate Cake]

This is not about what "the going rate" is. This is a unique situation. I dare that woman to find a traditional day care where she can march in, drop her child off for an hour, and name the price that she is willing to pay.

OP--I would explain to the woman nicely that you have thought it over and have decided that you won't be babysitting any longer. It is just too disruptive to your day to have to sit home for one hour, 5 days a week. Say that your child is getting older and you like the flexibility to come and go when you please.

Yes. It may be "just an hour" to the woman dropping your child off. But much more than that to you.

She will then see what a huge favor you have been doing for her. She is not going to find anyone or anywhere else that is going to give her the flexibility to drop her child off for an hour. And certainly not for $10 a day. Never.

 

[mjkacmom]

Agreed, and don't forget that the OP is also giving homework help and providing snacks. If anyone gave my kids an after school snack every day they would be in the red, my kids eat the equivalent of a small meal after school and it costs more than the $5 the OP is earning.

I also have helped a friend many a time with child care or rides or other things, but a 10 month commitment to be responsible for the health, safety, and welfare of another child, at the expense of doing one's own errands or chores, every single day after school, is more than a small favor. I wonder if the "friend" does any favors for the OP? You've said you really don't socialize, has she ever watched your kids for a date night or anything?

I actually watched my friend's ds every day before and after school, for 2 years. However, it was my idea. He was my ds's friend, she was a teacher in another town, and I felt bad she had to pay for before and aftercare for under an hour each. I'm a SAHM, the rule here has always been snack and homework after school, so it wasn't a bother. They walked home from school.

 

[jenm2878]

Just a question because I do t have kids and never was a babysitter: is the planned snack and craft a usual thing with any babysitting? Or is that an extra perk?

My daycare gives them a hot lunch, two snacks, milk/water, and they are constantly doing activities/crafts/games/etc.

 

[Chocolate Cake]

.... and she told me that her hours at work changed, and instead of a half hour, I would be watching her for about an hour. I texted her and asked that since she'd be here for more time, if charging $10 a day would be alright and she texted me back saying that it seemed a little high.

Right there I would have said "This doesn't work for me. I wish you the best in finding afterschool care for your daughter."

How bold of her to tell you that you would be watching her longer. And how brazen of her to tell you what you are worth. Nope.