How much should each family pay the baby sitter?

[kdonnel]

This.

I've thought about something similar... let's say two families are renting a villa. Family 1 is a couple and three kids. Family 2 is just a couple. That shouldn't be 50/50. So to me, you split the cost by total number of people, then each family pays for the appropriate number of people. So if the rental is $700 (for example), family 1 pays $500 and family 2 pays $200. Seems simple to me.

I think the villa should still be 50/50. When sharing a villa I see it just as two families no matter the size of each family. There are fixed costs associated with renting the villa and all families should share in those costs.

 

[sam_gordon]

I dismissed the 1/3, 2/3 option because there are certain fixed costs with getting a baby sitter that both sides should pay.

It would appear in this instance that the baby sitter has decided that 1-2 kids is $3. So following that logic it cost $9 an hour just get the the baby sitter to come out, an additional $3 for the first 1-2 kids, and $3 for each additional kid. That works out to each couple paying $4.50 of the fixed costs plus $3 for their kid(s).

You're assuming kids 1 & 2 are the same cost as kid 3. Maybe it costs $5 to come out, then kids 1 & 2 are $4.50 each, and kid 3 $3.

 

[kdonnel]

Seems like a ridiculous thing to fight about. I can’t see where it would be more than the difference of $15 vs like $40. Not a huge amount of $ either way. How petty!

I agree. Makes me glad my parents and in laws always lived close enough that we never had to use a by the hour baby sitter.

 

[sam_gordon]

I think the villa should still be 50/50. When sharing a villa I see it just as two families no matter the size of each family. There are fixed costs associated with renting the villa and all families should share in those costs.

So let's make it extreme... lets say you have a family of 10 using 5 bedrooms and a family of 2 using 1 bedroom (in a 6 bedroom house). Both families should pay the same? Use the same number of kids... should the family with 1 kid pay the same as the family with 10 kids (just an example)?

Should we break out the restaurant question where two couples go to dinner, one has appetizer, drink, steaks, and desert, and the other couple has soup, salad, and water? I'm guessing those couples should split the check evenly too.

 

[LSUmiss]

I agree. Makes me glad my parents and in laws always lived close enough that we never had to use a by the hour baby sitter.

Yeah us either. I know plenty of ppl do it and/or have no choice, but I also feel much more comfortable leaving DS w/ family too.

 

[Hikergirl]

Sure. But family 1 is getting "more bang for their buck". That's why the percentage works. IMO of course.

True, but they would no matter what since the babysitter charges the same for 1 or 2 kids. They aren't getting any advantage over the 2nd couple by splitting it 50/50 that they wouldn't have gotten if they each paid the "per kid" price set by the babysitter.

 

[DisneyHardin]

I think the villa should still be 50/50. When sharing a villa I see it just as two families no matter the size of each family. There are fixed costs associated with renting the villa and all families should share in those costs.

I agree that it should be 50/50 if it is a 2 bedroom and each family is using one of the rooms. If they had to step up to a larger Villa because the one family has kids, then I think the kid-family should pay more.

 

[skyblue17]

How often do they share, and how long was the baby-sitter for? I honestly would need to have this happening a LOT to worry about nickle and diming it like this! They're FIGHTING over it?!

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

$15 divided by 3 kids = $5 per kid
Family of 2 pays $10
Family of 1 pays $5

They both saved money and both pay their fair share.

And in the future they do not share services.

This.

 

[mjkacmom]

If I had the 2 kids I would offer to pay 2/3. If I had the 1 kid I’d offer 50/50. I do not like to argue about money.

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

$10 and $5. Look at it this way, if they didn't know the price for 1-2 kids and were just quoted $15 for 3 kids, would people still argue that it should be split down the middle, or that the cost would be divided per kid? The price for 1-2 kids is kind of irrelevent because that's not how many kids are being watched for this particular scenario. It's also not really fair to compare the costs if both parents hired this sitter separately and say they each would have had to pay $12, so they should split the cost. Maybe Couple 2 with their one kid would have typically gone with a different sitter that would have charged them less than $12. Also, assuming none of the kids are infant/toddler age, the sitter is likely spending a fairly equal amount of time and attention (work) on all of the kids. Why should both couples pay the same when it's double the work and attention spent on the two kids vs the one?

 

[Hikergirl]

I just really can't believe family isn't speaking to each other over $4.50 an hour for a few hours.
There must be some real issues between them already for something like that to set them off. Maybe it's better they don't plan anything together anyway.

 

[dish rag]

The one who makes the most money needs to pay their fair share and should pay 90% of the total.

 

[soccerdad72]

The one who makes the most money needs to pay their fair share and should pay 90% of the total.

Do families need to provide their 1040 when dropping off their kids?

 

[TheFloatingBear]

If I had the 2 kids I would offer to pay 2/3. If I had the 1 kid I’d offer 50/50. I do not like to argue about money.

I was just about to say this...If I was couple 1 (2 kids) and I was "asking" for a contribution, I'd ask for 1/3. If I was couple 2 (1 kid) offering to contribute, I'd offer 1/2. But either way not worth it to me to have any type of conflict (barring historical circumstances!). (But given that they're sibs and this is such a contentious issue, good luck to them if and when they need to deal with their parents' assets - that will definitely test a sibling relationship and conflict resolutions skills...)

 

[sam_gordon]

Here's another way of looking at this...

What if Family 2 (with one child) is the one who arranged this? So that child is actually child 1. So do you look at it that child 1 pays $12, child 2 pays $0, and child 3 pays $5? So the family with 1 kid pays $12, and the family with 2 kids pays $3.

OR

Family 1 & 2 split the cost of 2 children (so $6 each), then Family 1 pays the cost of the third child ($3).

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

I dismissed the 1/3, 2/3 option because there are certain fixed costs with getting a baby sitter that both sides should pay.

It would appear in this instance that the baby sitter has decided that 1-2 kids is $3. So following that logic it cost $9 an hour just get the the baby sitter to come out, an additional $3 for the first 1-2 kids, and $3 for each additional kid. That works out to each couple paying $4.50 of the fixed costs plus $3 for their kid(s).

When you go to Penny's and buy a shirt do you quote fixed costs in order for the next person in line to pay part of your shirt? When you go the hairstylist and get your haircut do you tell the mother daughter behind you they have to contribute to your haircut because of fixed costs? Absolutely not. You pay for the good or service received. And mother and daughter pay for their goods or services received. The cost for babysitting was $15. That's $5 each kid. Each family pays for the service received. By the way there is no fixed cost here as neither family has to hire the babysitter at all if they don't want to.

 

[kdonnel]

So let's make it extreme... lets say you have a family of 10 using 5 bedrooms and a family of 2 using 1 bedroom (in a 6 bedroom house). Both families should pay the same? Use the same number of kids... should the family with 1 kid pay the same as the family with 10 kids (just an example)?

Should we break out the restaurant question where two couples go to dinner, one has appetizer, drink, steaks, and desert, and the other couple has soup, salad, and water? I'm guessing those couples should split the check evenly too.

As for the restaurant one I am all for people paying for what they ordered and not splitting it arbitrarily.

For the extreme rental option, I could seem coming to some agreement on usage by number of bedrooms but also taking into account the common costs.

 

[dish rag]

Do families need to provide their 1040 when dropping off their kids?

LOL and also their K1.

 

[Deb & Bill]

This.

I've thought about something similar... let's say two families are renting a villa. Family 1 is a couple and three kids. Family 2 is just a couple. That shouldn't be 50/50. So to me, you split the cost by total number of people, then each family pays for the appropriate number of people. So if the rental is $700 (for example), family 1 pays $500 and family 2 pays $200. Seems simple to me.

If Family 1 has a room and Family 2 has a room, they should each pay half. If Family 1 takes up two rooms and Family 2 takes up one room, Family 1 pays 2/3, Family 2 pays 1/3.