How mich is child/pet care worth?

[semo233]

My 15 yo DD has been begging for a job!! I'm going to suggest a mass email to those we know with small children/pets for the holiday season. She took and passed the Red Cross Babysitting Course and does babysit about once per month.

What would this be worth to you?

4 hours child care, including 1 meal (choose from 3), 1 activity (several to choose from), games, holiday movies, etc.
Available while parent is home or out (parties, shopping, cooking, wrapping, etc.)
Price for 1 child, 2 children, 3 children, etc.

Pet care for the day or weekend or over school vacation, not live in. Rate would depend upon number of visits and duties required.


Suggestions?

 

[disprincessatheart]

I have a 22 month old. I pay my teen aged sitters $7 hr. Other than easy Mac I would have them feed him stuff that I have ready (cut fruit, sandwich). They play and watch movies while they are here.

 

[KristinU]

We pay about $10 an hour for babysitting, kind of the going rate a few years back among DS's daycare teachers (though I think many of them charge $12 and hour now.)

A mid-day dog visit goes for about $15 with our dogsitter, but that's a licensed, bonded, insured pet sitting business...I'm not sure what the rate would be for a neighborhood student to come over.

 

[AZMermaid]

We pay $10/hr for babysitting for my 14 month old. My sitter is college age. I would pay $8-10 for a high school aged sitter, depending on experience. I would probably start in the $8/hr ballpark and if I was happy after a few times, bump it up- I want to be on the higher end of the pay scale so she takes my jobs!

When I have baby #2 and start using a sitter again for both, I figure I will raise my rate $2 an hour!

I would pay $5 a day for a once a day visit type dogcare, maybe $10, I am not really sure what the rate it. We pay my sister $10 a day to stay here, but she is working and stuff, so it is really not a huge deal for her to come hang out here!

 

[vsimeone]

My kids are grown but I pay $25 per day for dogsitting. The girl that watches our dog usually spends the night and I stock the refrigerator and pantry for her.

 

[Gigi22]

I pay my cat sitter, who is bonded, and does more than just cat sitting when she visits, $26 each time she comes over. The cat sitting includes giving the cat food and water, cleaning out the litter boxes and disposing of products, grooming and playing with the cat. If needed, she can also give medications.
She also checks our property, makes sure everything is OK, switches lights and appliances on and off, waters the houseplants, takes in the mail (our paper is cancelled during our trips), and adjusts the window coverings to make it look as though we are still at home. If something goes wrong, she has a list of emergency contacts to call. It is our responsibility to make sure that leaves and snow are taken care of while we are away.

 

[java]

My 14 year old is getting a bit over $10 an hour for 1-2 kids. There seems to be a bit of a bidding war going on in our neighborhood. New neighbor moved in and payed her very well. Now everyone else is nervous and paying her way too much too. I told them she books on a first come first serve basis regardless of money- but I guess they don't believe me.

 

[torinsmom]

I don't think I would put the 4 hours including one meal, activity, etc on the flyer/email. I would put that she is a certified babysitter with X years(or months) of experience and with references. I would state how much she charges per hour. I would say $7-$8/hour for 1-2 kids and then $2 more and $10/hour for 3-4 kids.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

My 15 yo DD has been begging for a job!! I'm going to suggest a mass email to those we know with small children/pets for the holiday season. She took and passed the Red Cross Babysitting Course and does babysit about once per month.

What would this be worth to you?

4 hours child care, including 1 meal (choose from 3), 1 activity (several to choose from), games, holiday movies, etc.
Available while parent is home or out (parties, shopping, cooking, wrapping, etc.)
Price for 1 child, 2 children, 3 children, etc.

Pet care for the day or weekend or over school vacation, not live in. Rate would depend upon number of visits and duties required.


Suggestions?

I pay $10 per hour for a teen that drives herself and watches my 4 kids. I pay commensurate to experience.

Your dd should probably charge $5-$7 per hour. As a client, I avoid sitters that I have to pick up as it is too inconvenient for me. So I will hire non-driving sitters if they can have someone drive and pick them up. Some moms are great about that---and some will do it, but charge their child for gas.

Pet care--I paid $10 per day for cat sitting that included 1 visit to feed the kitties, clean the litter and play with them a little bit. A dog requiring multiple visits should be more per day with a price reduction per visit in the same day. So, perhaps $10 for the first visit and then extra visits during the day would be $5 per visit.

The meal is tough--unless your daughter is providing the ingredients, we would provide our own meals for the kids. I won't pay extra for meal prep--though I do try to make it convenient and easy.

I agree about not listing what she has in the way she has done it. Unless she were doing something special like a Black Friday thing--no need to get too specific in services.

But if she will include crafts that she provides--I would certainly list that as a selling point. I had one sitter that had special toys she picked up from the dollar spot at Target. My kids just loved her. She was so good with the children.

Good luck to your dd and her new business!

 

[MichelleinMaine]

I think the 4 hours, one meal, one activity set up is too confusing. What if someone only wants 2 hours? Or not around a meal time? I say just an hourly rate. Could certainly focus on being a "holiday helper" and watching the kids while the parents get things done (or for holiday parties).

My 15yo DS gets $7-8 baby sitting one or two kids. (I think he's on the low side locally as doesn't yet have alot of experience.) I used to do the "noontime feeding" for a friend with a pet sitting business. I'd let the dogs out, play with them for a bit, bring them in and make sure they had water. (Also had one horse client, I just had to give them all hay and check water.) I got $10 per visit.

 

[lovetheduck]

We pay a high schooler (with her own car) $12 an hour to watch my 2 girls (10&7). She was paid $10 an hour when I had to pick her up and drive her home. If my kids need a meal while she is here we either order a pizza or she will make mac & ch or chicken fingers (in the toaster oven). If we are out all day I pay her $10 to come over, let the dog out and feed her. If we are away overnight I board the dog ($80/nt). Assuming I would leave the dog in the house alone overnight, I think $25 a day for 3 visits would be good (breakfast, dinner, before bed).

I think the answers you get will very widely by where people live. What we pay is the going rate in our town. We live in SW Connecticut.

 

[semo233]

We live in Fairfield County, so it's nice to have a price comparison!

 

[jessica52877]

I would let the people decide what they pay her she can then decide if it is worth it or not. Usually most parents have a rate they are willing to pay which is probably more then she would ask for.

I also wouldn't include anything else, just babysitting services available. Maybe add in that she is happy to craft, play, etc.

 

[disfan07]

I started babysitting 10 years ago when I was 12. I never took a babysitting class. I did take a CPR class but that was it..

My first family I sat for had 2 kids ages 2 and 4. I was paid $10/hour. But the kids were my former 5th grade teachers kids so I think he paid me a lot more.

The next couple of families that I sat for between the time I was 12 and 16 all had two or 3 kids. I got between $7-$10/hour.

When I was 17 and could drive, I started charging more and I charged a set rate (before i was not charging a set rate). 1 kid was $10/hour, 2 kids $12/hour, 3 kids $14/hour, 4 kids $16/hour.

These days, I am 22 and I have 10 years babysitting experience, 1 year preschool camp experience and 1 year daycare experience. I charge:
1 kid $12/hour
2 kids $14/hour
3 kids $16/hour
4 kids $18/hour

I am on the cheaper side of where I live. But I live in southern california so take that into consideration as well.

Carfts, playing, meals, etc are kind of a part of babysitting. I have never charged extra. i charge for babysitting and I do the duties that come with that.

That includes crafts, playing outside, board games, homework, snack, meals, clean up, bedtime, etc.

 

[fakereadhed]

My DD charges $5/hr. She gets tons of referrals and nobody ever really pays her $5- they tip her $20's. That was her idea because she says it's really easy and to charge more would be a ripoff. Anyway, she's first on everybody's list and she always makes more than $5/hr. She makes more sitting than either of her "real" jobs. It was a great idea!

 

[LSchrow]

Suggestions?

since you asked add the wording "mother's helper" - it fits the 2nd description, but is less wordy and has more punch. i know many ppl around here are using or looking for a MH (long island).
i agree with pps....leave out the time frame, meals, rates, etc, but include experience, courses, "references available", etc
something like this (use a nicer font,

JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
experienced and mature babysitter/mother's helper available to make your holidays easier. Red Cross certified, loves kids, lots of activities and FUN
pet-sitting also available.


rates vary by area so i would prefer not making a suggestion.
hope she does great!

 

[puffkin]

I pay $5/hour for a babysitter. We have one very independent 5 year old. I also use a 14 year old who is just starting out so I know it is a little on the "cheaper" side. I don't expect her to do much except make sure he doesn't burn the house down.

We pay $10/day for our "pet sitter". We have 2 cats and our neighbor comes over, drops food in their bowl, scoops the boxes, changes their water and brings in the mail/newspaper. About 15 minutes tops. Pretty easy money for what he does. Our dog stays with my father when we travel...if he were home we would have to pay significantly more.