Do you accept money for babysitting your grandchild?

[thumpersfriend]

My son just asked me tonight if I would babysit an extra day each week and he would pay me whatever I wanted. I already babysit my l4 month old granddaughter 1 day a week and love it. I retired and don't have a real job now so I am thinking of charging them $20 for the extra day. The other day I consider Grandmas day. I intend to get disney dollars or travelers checks with this money and use it for our family trip in a few years. Does anyone else take payment for their grandkids and do you feel guilty?

 

[TiggerPiglet]

Well, I'm not a grandparent, but my parents watch my sister's 3 kids ranging in age of 11 months to 8 years everyday and they do take money from her. Mostly because my mom was going to get a part time job once she retired, but then my sister asked her to instead watch her kids and she'll pay her. I'm not sure what they get, I never asked, but I don't think they feel guilty about it and they shouldn't and neither should you. They are, after all, helping my sister out.

 

[floridaminnie]

My mom cut back her hours from full-time to part-time to watch my DD from birth to when she was three. I paid her every week. What she ended up doing was putting the money aside, without me knowing it, and she ended up giving me that money later when I really needed it. Her original plan was to give me that money for a down payment on the house.

 

[thumpersfriend]

I feel better already. It just feels weird to take money from my kids rather than handing it out. They feel so much better having me watch my granddaughter and actually so do I. I figure if anyone is going to mess her up it's going to be me! Just kidding.

 

[CamColt]

If I had my parents watching my kids regularly for me to work, then yes, I would pay them. In fact my sister used to watch DS while I worked and I did pay her. In cases like that I look at it as a job for the babysitter. However when my parents watch my kids from time to time for us to go out for a night or whatever, I dont think they would accept money for babysitting their grandkids.

 

[Beth E. (NJ)]

My parents or in laws watch my children upon occasion, but it is just for an evening when we go out. The longest has been when we took a vacation without the kids. In instances like that I didn't pay them, but if they were watching them for me on a regular basis than I would pay them.

When they are babysitting at night for DH and myself I do arrange dinner for them.

 

[cruisnfamily]

My MIL quit her job to stay home and watch my two nieces full time. My SIL paid her weekly. It was a lower rate than she could get daycare for but still a reasonable amount, I believe it was about $75 per child per week. When she watches the kids at night or on the weekends, that's "grandma time" and she doesn't charge.

 

[Hillbeans]

I agree with the other posters and feel that it's acceptable for you to be paid for your "extra" day for babysitting.

I'd do what you said with the money, take it, buy something nice for yourself and/or your family on your next vacation.

Unfortunately my mom was really never able to babysit for our children during work hours(my brother and my kids). She wasn't in good health and passed away last year. I can't think of a better way for you to spend time with your granddaughter and make a little spending money.

 

[thumpersfriend]

I never got help from my mother and especially not my MIL so I am glad I can help. The extra money will help pay for a nice hotel at WDW which they are saving up for now. It would be nice to tell them to keep their money that they save for this because the trip is already paid for. Plus more time with my granddaughter!!!!!

 

[janette]

One of my sisters babysits for her 2 grandkids all the time while the parents work. She told me once that she'd gone up on her price. I was since I thought she did it for nothing. What she'd done was ask that they provide the diapers! So I quess it was a pretty good deal for them before She has also started asking that they bring foods that the kids prefer that she wouldn't normally have on hand. The other rule was that if they had a 3rd child she wasn't prepared to babysit, suprise suprise they haven't had another

 

[BrerMom]

My lucky friends that have grandparents in the area have the same agreement as most people on this thread: any babysitting done while mom/dad is working is paid and babysitting for "dates" and similar things is volunteer.

 

[nana2tots]

No way, i enjoy every minute that i have them!!!!!! disneykid

 

[cassie]

I'm a grandmother that works full time. If I wasn't working I would enjoy have the grand child one or two days a week for nothing, anything more, I would expect payment. As it is now, I watch the kids at night once in a while for no pay, but I get reimbursed by my son-in-law for helping me out with work in the house...it works both ways.

 

[gottaluvPluto]

My parents watch my two kids and my brothers two kids. They will not let us pay them anything for watching our children. My parents take 3 of them to elementary school and then one to preschool. Then they will pick all the kids up from school and take them back to their home. We will usually pick up our kids around 4 or 5:30 depending on the day. My brother will sometimes only have my parents watch is kids for 4 days and my parents have my kids for 5 days. We have tried to pay them, but they said the kids our their grandchildren and they enjoy having them over. My parents are also on a limited income, so we will try to have them over for dinner or buy them some things. We will also sneak some money in their room hoping they will think they found a $20 they must have forgotten.

 

[4nana]

This nana quit her job to help take care of our grands part time!
With 4 children, I've been blessed with a grand every year since ~
LOL!

Our daughters make very descent money and insist it only fair that they pay me, as they say they feel lucky to have my help. I admit, at first it felt weird taking money from my kids, but, it is not nearly as much as the professionals chg and I feel like we are helping each other. I save all the monies and in 2002 took all our grands on a 7 day Disney cruise. Now I secretly put money away for their college fund.

I do love my Nana fix and having them here, so I usually volunteer if they want to go out in the evening.

Enjoy your special time with the lil ones!
Sandie ~ Nana 10x

 

[KimRaye]

My Mom watched my DS for 10 years. She also watched my nephew for about 1-1/2 years and, she's currently watching my 2yo niece. AND, she's probably going to get nephew back again. The only grandchild she hasn't watched is my 6yo DD, since I stayed home with her.

My Mom would NEVER take money from us, believe me, we tried but, she would finally end all discussions about money with, "If you bring it up again, I won't watch (insert kid's name here)".

So, we compensate with extra nice/expensive gifts, that she rarely needs but, we feel obligated.

I would have NO PROBLEM paying my Mom but, she wouldn't take it.

Your "token" $20 request, imo, is NOTHING. The love she's getting by being with you will never be worth $20!

FEEL NO GUILT and, ENJOY at the same time!

 

[aprilgail2]

Wow my mom would never take money to watch my daughter. Sometimes I will say I am going to get a babysitter if I am going out at night and she yells that she is home all the time why would I do that. She watches her 5 days a week while I work too and freaks if I mentioned paying her. I do take her on vacations with me and my daughter (not to babysit while I do other things) and I took her on the Disney Cruise with us and plan to take her on another cruise next year.

 

[Keli]

My mom babysat for one of my nephews on a regular basis while his parents worked and she didn't take any money from them. But they were having a hard time finanically at the time and I think she was wanting to help them out as much as spend time with a grandson.