How much to charge?

[EveDallas]

I've been asked by a woman I sit for to watch her two daughters next June while she is getting married. Of course I said I'd be interested. She wants to know what I would charge. It would be the evening of the 28th, all day the 29th and 30th, and they would return in the afternoon July 1st. She'll be in Mexico, so nowhere she can quickly return from. I would be staying at her house with the girls. They will be 2 1/2 and just turned 1 at the time. I'm trying to come up with a fair number. I normally charge her $20 per hour, but obviously I'm not going to charge that as it would be well over $1000. But I don't want to shortchange myself because it will be a ton of work. She will also leave money for me to take the girls to the zoo one day and extra cash for food. What would you charge?

 

[TwoMisfits]

I've been asked by a woman I sit for to watch her two daughters next June while she is getting married. Of course I said I'd be interested. She wants to know what I would charge. It would be the evening of the 28th, all day the 29th and 30th, and they would return in the afternoon July 1st. She'll be in Mexico, so nowhere she can quickly return from. I would be staying at her house with the girls. They will be 2 1/2 and just turned 1 at the time. I'm trying to come up with a fair number. I normally charge her $20 per hour, but obviously I'm not going to charge that as it would be well over $1000. But I don't want to shortchange myself because it will be a ton of work. She will also leave money for me to take the girls to the zoo one day and extra cash for food. What would you charge?

Well, you charge $20/hour and she pays that now, so I'd probably go with...
$240/day (figure 12 hours of babysitting and they sleep 12 hours you give her free except for your provided meals)
$120 for the 1st evening/last morning (I figure you'll only sit for an hour or 2 the 1st day and then a few hours on the last day)
So $600/trip (2 full days and 2 partial days) plus provided meals for you (either money or groceries).

I think it's fair without ripping her off or shortchanging you. It would work out the same if you dropped your rate to $15/hour awake hours and $5/hour for nights...however you'd like to sell it...

I'd propose anywhere between $500 and $700...

 

[kymom99]

Well, you charge $20/hour and she pays that now, so I'd probably go with...
$240/day (figure 12 hours of babysitting and they sleep 12 hours you give her free except for your provided meals)
$120 for the 1st evening/last morning (I figure you'll only sit for an hour or 2 the 1st day and then a few hours on the last day)
So $600/trip (2 full days and 2 partial days) plus provided meals for you (either money or groceries).

I think it's fair without ripping her off or shortchanging you. It would work out the same if you dropped your rate to $15/hour awake hours and $5/hour for nights...however you'd like to sell it...

I'd propose anywhere between $500 and $700...

If I was going out of the country and leaving you with my very small children I would think that was totally fair

 

[teller80]

Your normal rate is $20/hr? I must be totally out of the loop for babysitting prices. I think I would ask her what she wants to pay, if it's a really low amount I think I'd just tell her you can't do it.

 

[EveDallas]

Your normal rate is $20/hr? I must be totally out of the loop for babysitting prices. I think I would ask her what she wants to pay, if it's a really low amount I think I'd just tell her you can't do it.

Well, it's not like I'm a teenager. I have a degree in child development, am trained in CPR and first aid, and have been caring for children for approximately 20 years (give or take a few). So yeah, parents are willing to pay for experience.

 

[EveDallas]

Your normal rate is $20/hr? I must be totally out of the loop for babysitting prices. I think I would ask her what she wants to pay, if it's a really low amount I think I'd just tell her you can't do it.

And I did ask. She wants me to give her a price.

 

[teller80]

Based on that, I would think the price the other poster suggested ($500 - $700) would be fair.

 

[cel_disney]

I was a nanny thru college and have had several jobs like this one - and now, I am a mom of 2...

It's been 19 years since I last watched kids over a wedding weekend and about 21 years since watching kids with parents out of the country (a 2 year old for 2 weeks!).

Anyway - way back then - I would get paid $200-250/night, and 8 years ago, I paid $250/night plus gas and a hotel room to have my sitter travel to my sisters wedding with me.

With kids that young - the likelihood that you get a full nights sleep seems low. I would probably be at $300/day (starting Friday afternoon, thru Monday afternoon is 3 days - so $900)

The one thing I haven't totally figured out how it would play into the rate is that you said SHE is the one getting married?! I could see this *maybe* changing things if you were friendly with her and would want to give her some child care as a wedding gift? Lastly - do you think she can afford it? Those would both be reasons I might scale it back..

 

[EveDallas]

I was a nanny thru college and have had several jobs like this one - and now, I am a mom of 2...

It's been 19 years since I last watched kids over a wedding weekend and about 21 years since watching kids with parents out of the country (a 2 year old for 2 weeks!).

Anyway - way back then - I would get paid $200-250/night, and 8 years ago, I paid $250/night plus gas and a hotel room to have my sitter travel to my sisters wedding with me.

With kids that young - the likelihood that you get a full nights sleep seems low. I would probably be at $300/day (starting Friday afternoon, thru Monday afternoon is 3 days - so $900)

The one thing I haven't totally figured out how it would play into the rate is that you said SHE is the one getting married?! I could see this *maybe* changing things if you were friendly with her and would want to give her some child care as a wedding gift? Lastly - do you think she can afford it? Those would both be reasons I might scale it back..

They can easily afford it. She is an engineer and her husband to be works on an oil rig. I wouldn't give a gift normally because we aren't social. We are friends in that I watch her girls on a regular basis and she trusts me with them, but we have very different social circle. I've just never had a sitting job last longer than overnight so I was floundering a bit on what to charge. FYI, I talked to her this morning and quoted $700, which she agreed to.

 

[MomToOne]

I don't have any feedback on price, but be sure to get a notarized limited medical power of attorney for the girls if the mother is going to be out of the country (or any other significant distance away).

 

[Sagginit]

My mother does adult care at times and has over 20 years experience. She charges similar rates (at least $20 an hour if its just 2-3 hours I think as do others in the industry), I believe right now she gets $100 for a 5-6 hour day, she does hourly rates with a minimum and for overnights it does amount to less than the hourly rate due to sleeping as others mentioned and most people charge less for overnights. I think $700 for that is fair considering how many days she is asking for and that they are two small children that will require a lot of attention (and perhaps diapers).

She too comes with loads of experience and has worked at agencies that will charge $13-17 to start for someone just trained, so $20-25 cash is not a bad deal for quality care. Anytime overnights are involved it will also including items outside normal babysitting such as bathing, laundry, and cooking. That is where the extra pay comes in as well for these types of situations.