Babysitter cost for over night? Updated post 35/43

[seven dwarfs]

I am watching a 2 year old as a favor. I am paid $30 a day plus $2.00 for his food. So total, $32.00 per day. He comes to my house anywhere between 9 and 10:30 (long story drives me nuts!) and he gets picked up anywhere between 4:30 and 5:30. I never know day to day.

Yesterday I was asked to keep him overnight as an emergency favor. He arrived here at 5 last night and just left today at 4. I was paid $30. So I made the same that I would have made for just a day??

Anyhow, she said she wants to pay me 2 different ways. If she were to bring him at 7pm and I keep him over night it will be $15 extra. If I keep him continuous then she would pay me $20 extra. So I guess if he comes on Monday at 9 and leaves Tuesday at 5, I would be paid $80 (my regular $60 plus the extra $20) Of course I would also be feeding him 2 additional meals.

I guess my question is does this sound fair? I was thinking it sounds a little cheap but I have never paid for daycare and never needed anyone to watch my children.

Updated post #35

Wanted to ad, I did ask this question a month ago but it was for keeping him a whole week which never happend. I just found out how to find my old thread and am re reading that now. So this is a little different of a question.

Help, I live in Maryland if that matters to anyone.

 

[Kellydelly]

Somebody sure is getting a deal! If they kid stays overnight, then they should pay you double. You need to speak up!

 

[indimom]

Sounds like you are getting about $4 an hour on a regular day. I see no reason why you should be paid any less during the night. Yes, the child is sleeping part of that time, but you are still 100% responsible for their care and well-being.

Is this going to become a regular part of the job? I would come up with a fee schedule you both can agree on and get it written up in contract form. This can save a lot of problems for both of you since all expectations will be out in the open.

 

[Kat&Dom]

When I needed overnight care for my son, I paid $50 for the overnight portion and $30 for the day portion. I dropped him off at 4 pm and picked him up the following day at 5pm. I sent supper along with him so all he was feed by the provider was breakfast and lunch. I had to be out of town for work and the grandparents weren't available to take my son. To me, $50 for overnight is fair because there is a lot of work with overnight care, you have to help brush the teeth, get them ready for bed, get them up and ready in the morning. Yes, they are sleeping for 10 hours of the time but evenings and first thing in the morning is busy and should be paid accordingly. I hope that helps! If I would have needed care for 2 full days and overnight, the cost would have been $110 - $30 for the daytime and $50 for the night.

 

[disneyofcourse]

Well, I have a friend in Maryland who used to provide childcare services 7/8 years ago. The going rate was $80+ for night and *I think* it was between $50-70 for the day or it was maybe for half day and she was considered affordable...

I texted her just now so hopefully she'll get back to me with the correct numbers.

 

[katied]

Well - I pay my nanny $150 per overnight - so if she arrives 8 am Friday morning, and works until 7 pm Saturday, she is paid $300. (in fact, this just happened, and that's exactly what I paid her).

That is the "going rate" in this area for a professional nanny - so I would think at a minimum you should be paid half that - $75 - $80.

 

[lady_bug_888]

If you normally charge $30 for a day then I agree that $50 at night sounds reasonable. If you are watching the child for 2 days and one night you should get $110.

Make sure you are clear about your expectations. This is a reasonable amount to charge but if you don't speak up you are getting taken advantage of. Also remember that she may not really know what to pay you.

Personally I worked out an hourly rate with my babysitter...that way sometimes I benefit and sometimes she benefits but I know that she is happy and that is the most important thing to me.

 

[Desnik]

Wow, what a deal! I think you are getting paid too little. A 2 year old is very hands on, 24/7 kind of babysitting. $4 an hour is so little!

My kids are 13 and almost 8. For overnight babysitting I pay my sitter $100.
For her to watch them a couple of hours for our "date night" we pay her $10 an hour.

 

[treehugnmama]

you are beeing way underpaid for the night. It should be at min the same rate as daay. I feel it shopukld be more than the day rate as it is overnight and outside of regular hours so to speak.

 

[Darcy03231]

In our area it's $100 for an overnight

 

[seven dwarfs]

Thanks everyone so far for your help. The more I think about it the more offended I am. To pay me $15 for overnight is nothing. And the fact I feed him out of that money and we eat healthy so he gets fresh fruit and veggies and whatever meat/sandwich my kids have that day plus 2 snacks a day. And to only give me $30 today for keeping him overnight and all day today?? Just seems like not very much money to me for all the work.

I spend a lot of time working with him because he is very behind for his age. I have taught him to get dressed, walk up and down steps, get in and out of the car and his car seat, and he is learning to buckle it as well and lots of other things. He now knows his colors and I have been working hard on his speech which seems behind to me but I may be unfairly basing that on my kids at his age. So, it is not like he just runs around and I just watch him.

I am thinking of telling her $30 for night time. And if they ever ask me for the full week, it will be more. I am trying to decide if I should even charge $35 for night time. I am guessing she thought he sleeps for part of the night so less work? I feel like it is more. I cook/feed him, clean him up and his high chair, brush his teeth, (which I worked with him last night because he doesn't even know to spit) put on his jammies, change his diaper...you know what all it takes. Then I have to get him up and do it all over again. Plus it takes away time with my family. I hate being put in this situation. I am such a push over!

 

[prncess674]

grow a set of cajones and tell this family the going rate. If they balk, then tell themm to try to find someone else to work for the pennies they are offering.

My sis lives in Houston, TX (very low cost of living) and they just went on a date night and paid an older lady $12 an hour to watch a 4 month old during the middle of the afternoon on a Saturday.. Heck even when I was a 15 yr old (circe 1989) I was paid between $4-$5 hour even when the kiddos were fast asleep

 

[sk!mom]

I'm confused- You call it a "favor" yet they are paying you and you wonder if you're paid enough.

To me, if it's a favor, then money usually doesn't change hands. Although sometimes some token of appreciation will be given- maybe a gift card. If it's a favor, then the daily rate seems fine as I wouldn't expect any pay for a favor but it is puzzling that she would not give you more for overnight.

However, if they are paying you a regular set amount then, to me, that's a job. In this case, what is the going child care rate for a day? $30-40 per day/$150-200 per week would typical for one child around here. Overnight, I would expect to be paid at least the same hourly rate with some bonus for my trouble. Around here you would be lucky to find someone for overnight and it would be at least $100.

Your tone doesn't indicate a favor attitude to me. Seems that it's time to speak up and ask for the pay that you want.

 

[mjkacmom]

Wow, what a deal! I think you are getting paid too little. A 2 year old is very hands on, 24/7 kind of babysitting. $4 an hour is so little!

My kids are 13 and almost 8. For overnight babysitting I pay my sitter $100.
For her to watch them a couple of hours for our "date night" we pay her $10 an hour.

Apples and oranges - one should expect twice as much for a sitter who comes to your home. Dd14 has been sitting for almost 2 years, and gets paid $8 - $10 an hour.

 

[seven dwarfs]

I'm confused- You call it a "favor" yet they are paying you and you wonder if you're paid enough.

To me, if it's a favor, then money usually doesn't change hands. Although sometimes some token of appreciation will be given- maybe a gift card. If it's a favor, then the daily rate seems fine as I wouldn't expect any pay for a favor but it is puzzling that she would not give you more for overnight.

However, if they are paying you a regular set amount then, to me, that's a job. In this case, what is the going child care rate for a day? $30-40 per day/$150-200 per week would typical for one child around here. Overnight, I would expect to be paid at least the same hourly rate with some bonus for my trouble. Around here you would be lucky to find someone for overnight and it would be at least $100.

Your tone doesn't indicate a favor attitude to me. Seems that it's time to speak up and ask for the pay that you want.

I say favor because I am not a daycare owner. I was asked to watch him for just 3 weeks back in October. Then 3 weeks has turned into many months. Maybe I used the wrong word. I have grown attached to him so it is ok if I continue to watch him but I certainly would like some conpensation so I guess it is a job. To me I feel as if it is still a favor in a way because I am not charging what it would be if it were my job but not a favor as in I do not want to be taken advantage of. I am going to speak up. I have had a issue with this in the past but I am learning to do better.

 

[Desnik]

Apples and oranges - one should expect twice as much for a sitter who comes to your home. Dd14 has been sitting for almost 2 years, and gets paid $8 - $10 an hour.

Forgive me cause maybe my brain isn't functioning well tonight but I am confused by this. . Are you saying that since the OP is babysitting in her home the $4 per hour is a fair amount? Does the fact that the sitting is being dine in your home or the parents home matter?

 

[katied]

I think the question is, are you paying for the sitter's time exclusively, or for their time to be spent on your child plus their own.

So, when a nanny comes to my house to care for my children, she is spending 100% of her time only caring for my children.

We had a nanny for DS who would at times watch DS in her house - but still, he was the only child she was caring for - so no difference in price.

We had another sitter for DS who had 2 kids of her own with her when she'd watch DS- so I would not pay the same as I'd pay for someone's exclusive time.

OP - you say he's behind, but my DS was still working on all of those skills at 2 (and even some of them at 3) - no one would describe my DS as behind. Spitting is something most kids can't do until they are 3.

 

[nstem]

I am guessing she thought he sleeps for part of the night so less work? I feel like it is more.

While in theory, he should be sleeping, young children staying in a strange house (not that your house is strange but not their regular bed) often do not sleep all night. You could be getting up in the middle of the night. Sure, you might not need to but the bottom line is she should be paying you for that level of responsibility.

 

[hollypoast]

Somebody sure is getting a deal! If they kid stays overnight, then they should pay you double. You need to speak up!

Agree, wow!

 

[seven dwarfs]

I think the question is, are you paying for the sitter's time exclusively, or for their time to be spent on your child plus their own.

So, when a nanny comes to my house to care for my children, she is spending 100% of her time only caring for my children.

We had a nanny for DS who would at times watch DS in her house - but still, he was the only child she was caring for - so no difference in price.

We had another sitter for DS who had 2 kids of her own with her when she'd watch DS- so I would not pay the same as I'd pay for someone's exclusive time.

OP - you say he's behind, but my DS was still working on all of those skills at 2 (and even some of them at 3) - no one would describe my DS as behind. Spitting is something most kids can't do until they are 3.

It is hard for me to explain to you in a small thread why I feel this way. I worked in a daycare for three years. I also have six kids. All of mine were way ahead of him and none of them are geniuses. All of my kids could brush their teeth and spit by 2. He acted like he had never seen a toothbrush. All of mine were also potty trained by the age of two. (I understand not all kids are ready by two) He could not go up and down stairs at all. He wanted to be carried everywhere and now at 25 months he can not say one word clear except mama which he calls me. For example, we call my daughter sissy, he says da. Music is also da. Most things are da or ba. I know he is behind but he has done well since I have worked with him. He seems to understand most of what I say to him. This is why I say he is behind and not special needs. I feel as long as he is improving maybe he will catch up. It is just a lot of work on my end but I love him and he needs me. He is not being raised by his parents. He is being raised by his grandmother who seems to love him but has no clue what she is doing.

I never really thought about me having my kids home when I have him and that needing to be a factor in my pay. To be honest I don't spend the same amount of time with my kids that I used too now that I have him.