New job = New budget - childcare questions

[disneyandme]

I would look at your hourly expectations (looks like 42 hrs a week) and be realistic about a weekly price. $250 week breaks out to about $5-6 hr. I know it's ony for a month, but would you be willing to work for $5 hr?

 

[Mom_Rides]

We will be paying $5 an hour for before and after school care for our DD at her school. She will go approximately one hour in the morning and two hours or less in the afternoon. We're budgeting $15 per day/$75 a week/$300 a month for her care in addition to her tuition. Next year she'll move on to another school and their after school care is $3.75 and hour. No before care is offered (school opens at 740am and starts at 8am).

Have you considered asking your teenager what she charges? Perhaps she has a number in mind that will work with your budget and get her to her goals.

 

[clintswifeymomof4]

Edit: Sorry I misread.

I would caution against the teen watching the kids when school is in session... if she is involved in any extra curriculars, clubs, wants to go to a ball game, or has trouble in her classes and needs to stay after school for tutoring, her obligation to watch your kids may need to take an unexpected back seat. I'm a high school teacher with 5 kids and even though it costs more, I am dependent on a child care facility bc I know they will always be there for me and will never call in sick. Good luck!

 

[mistysue]

At what age can kids be home alone in your state?
The 11 and 9 year old, depending on the child, may be able to be left home alone- which means it may be an option for you to have somebody who just stops in a few hours every day (say 11:30-4 every day) which could both make it cost less and make it a more appealing job for somebody because of the consistent hours. The temperment of your children makes such a difference in your options.
If the older two could be alone, have you considered sending the youngest to a day care and then having somebody you know just check in for an hour a day?

During the school year, I live in a low COL area and my cheapest child care center that does after school is $20 per day per child. The school works out to something like $8/day plus a small amount for over 90 minutes... You might want to look into whether the oldest one or two of them can go home and you just have the little one go to child care.

 

[maggs1035]

LOL - You must have misread my post (or maybe I didn't make it clear) - the $150 per month per child is for before school care only. From 7:30 am-9:15am at the school. The YMCA runs the before and after school program there. If you want before school only it is about $150/month per kid (if you're a Y member,nonmembers maybe $180/month). If you do the after school program, it is maybe around $250 per month per child (not sure since I've never used it). if you do both programs, then you pay both amounts together.

It is very affordable and convenient being right at the school. We are lucky to have the Y run the program there.

For my full day coverage in the summer, I pay $60 per day for both kids, total. That works out to $300/week (if I used her every day).

Lol, I did MIS read your post, I thought it said $150 a month for ALL children! I just noticed that you list your home as Rochester NY, your school district wouldn't be Victor schools would it? Just wondering cuz they are the only school I know of that has a YMCA on school property? And my kids have gone to Victor for 12 yrs!

 

[averysmom]

Would you have to pick up / drop off the sitter, or would they find their own way to work everyday? The convenience of not having to take your kids to and from daycare, and just having someone come to your house is worth a lot to me. For my two,7 and 10, I paid 35.00 each for in home sitting by a university student (so 70 dollars a day). I'd pay a little more than half for the half day... half day of work isn't really a half day, kwim? So for a week of 3 full days and 2 half days, I'd pay in the neighbourhood of $290.00. We live in a low cost of living area, so it might be more where you live.

I'd also offer to pay a bonus if they make it the whole month with no sick days or early quitting. Teenagers can be notoriously fickle, and when all their friends are out at the pool or the mall, being stuck babysitting can start to look like less and less fun!

 

[littlebit0863]

Wow, your kids are lucky. I have 4 younger siblings and had to babysit them from age 11 all the way til about 17 I'd say. Every summer my mom would get a summer job and we were left alone all day. The first summer my mom worked I was 11 (2 months shy of 12), my sisters were 9, 6, and 4, and my brother turned 1 that summer. It went on like that until I turned 17 and got my first summer job. During the school year my mom didn't work, oddly enough. How responsible is your oldest? Maybe you could pay her to babysit the younger ones, and just ask your mom to call and check on them frequently. I don't know, maybe 11 is too young to babysit, but I always did so I'm not the best judge.

 

[aprilfoolwed]

My oldest is very responsible, and if it were just her, I'd trust her home alone. But my middle child (9) is not responsible at all, so there's no way I would leave him home alone at this point. And I don't want to have my oldest in charge of the other two yet.

The salesperson for the new development we are buying in emailed me a name of someone who does childcare today, so I am getting some leads there.

I am soure it will all work out. I am such a Type A planner though that I overtink things. I should just sit back, wait for the interview and job offer, and then just see what happens.

 

[Feckless]

Pay for childcare is extremely dependent on where you live. I pay our 17 year old summer sitter minimum wage for our location. In fact childcare is exempt from min wage legislation here so many people pay less.

 

[Feckless]

My oldest is very responsible, and if it were just her, I'd trust her home alone. But my middle child (9) is not responsible at all, so there's no way I would leave him home alone at this point. And I don't want to have my oldest in charge of the other two yet.

The salesperson for the new development we are buying in emailed me a name of someone who does childcare today, so I am getting some leads there.

I am soure it will all work out. I am such a Type A planner though that I overtink things. I should just sit back, wait for the interview and job offer, and then just see what happens.

Good luck! And I feel the same about leaving my two. My oldest is doing the babysitting course and I'm sure will be a great sitter but NOT to her brother! LOL. She wants to babysit with a friend for the first while - she won't feel comfortable otherwise.

 

[friend2Figment]

If you are looking at paying a teen cash one way to look at it is, if they worked in a store they may make xx amount more but then possibly 30% would be taken out of their check for taxes. If you can figure out the tax rate for a job making $7.00 ph would $5.00 cash be close?? Possibly.

Is the teen looking to help you out but make some cash in hand money? I would ask the teen what kind of hourly or weekly rate they were looking for.

Have you asked at church or school for names of families with teens that live near you and babysit? That is how I got a couple sitting jobs when I was a teen.

 

[KY*Figment]

I have a teenager coming over to cover childcare one day a week (summer) from 7:45 until about 3:30. I pay her $60 per day. I have 2 kids - 10 and 8.

During school year, I pay for before school care for an hour and a half...It is $150-ish per kid per month....So I guess that's about $35 per week per kid.

Oh and just a heads-up to be very careful about asking family to 'help'. If it is a family member who is looking to make some money- great. If it is someone who is going to look at it as 'doing you a favor' - I personally would stay away from that - it might not be worth it in the end. For example, when the babysitter can't do it this day or that day for whatever reason or if you need him/her to come over or watch the kids early or late one day - you end up feeling guilty and then having to move everything around. It is much easier now that I pay for the before school program that we have at the school.

WOW!!! I about choked on the summer care cost you have listed. I pay $110 for two kids to attend 3 days a week of summer day camp. After school is about the same here as you.

 

[DebMcDonald]

My 18 year old DD is doing summer care for some friends kids, age range from 6-11 and she gets $30 a child per day under the table. There are some days that she's making $120 a day, if these parents sent them to our summer program through the schools they would pay $37.50 per child and both the parents she is sitting for say it is worth the money knowing what she is doing with the kids. I would see what you'd pay through the school and take money off of that. I would probably pay 7-$10 an hour and ask them to complete homework, get snacks, clean up after snacks.

 

[Hannathy]

If you are looking at paying a teen cash one way to look at it is, if they worked in a store they may make xx amount more but then possibly 30% would be taken out of their check for taxes. If you can figure out the tax rate for a job making $7.00 ph would $5.00 cash be close?? Possibly.

Is the teen looking to help you out but make some cash in hand money? I would ask the teen what kind of hourly or weekly rate they were looking for.

Have you asked at church or school for names of families with teens that live near you and babysit? That is how I got a couple sitting jobs when I was a teen.

Doesn't work with teens. most don't make enough to pay tax and what they do pay, if they pay any is very minimal, it certainly isn't 30%

 

[mama2ella]

since the oldest can stay alone would your mom be up for watching the other 2? Or could you "pay" the older one something to help your mom with the other 2?


Also would the job be willing to wait a few weeks? That way your mom wouldn't have them as much?