Please help-need advice!

[PrincessMama605]

My friend needs someone to watch her child during the week and she asked me if I would help her out. I don't mind because I am home with my daughter and could use a little extra $$. I am just not sure how much would be fair to charge her?? Since she is a friend I don't want to ask too much, but I still need to make it worth my while. I need some opinions on what's fair. TIA!

 

[paladin]

You probably should check around and see what the going rate is and then you can decide if you want to discount that rate.

 

[java]

What hours are you talking about? And how old is the child?

 

[Our 2 Princesses]

I also have been watching a friend's dd age 2. I watch her from 8-5 M-F, only thru the school year. She has been paying me $25. My friend just had a new baby though, so I will now be charging $25 for one child and $12.50 for the second child. HTH!!

 

[java]

I also have been watching a friend's dd age 2. I watch her from 8-5 M-F, only thru the school year. She has been paying me $25. My friend just had a new baby though, so I will now be charging $25 for one child and $12.50 for the second child. HTH!!

Is that $25 a day or a week?

I used to watch my son's older son for about an hour everyday after school for free- Then they gave me $100 gift card at the end of the school year which was very nice and unnecessary.

 

[PrincessMama605]

What hours are you talking about? And how old is the child?

She's 4, just a little older than my dd. They are friends so my dd will be thrilled. It would be anywhere from 4-6 hrs a day, about 4 days a week.

I also have been watching a friend's dd age 2. I watch her from 8-5 M-F, only thru the school year. She has been paying me $25. My friend just had a new baby though, so I will now be charging $25 for one child and $12.50 for the second child. HTH!!

Thanks! $25 daily or weekly?

 

[mom2cookies]

You could ask her what she feels is a fair price. If you feel it is not fair then plainly tell her. I would expect a little more if the child was a toddler or older then i would an infant since a toddler would need more tending than an infant that would sleep.

Also make some inquiries of local day care what they charge and state a price a bit less then what they would charge.

 

[Kathi OD]

Is that $25 a day or a week?

I would hope that it's a day. I got more than $25/week when I babysat...and that was over 20 years ago!

 

[princessmorgan]

Wow, you guys are a lot nicer than me. I don't know if it's the area I live in or what, but I'm watching my nephew (2) and my sister pays me $5 an hour. I only watch him from 8:15-12:45, so she pays me $25 a day regardless. I provide lunch and snacks. He's even family. I love my nephew, but it's hard work to watch someone else's child when you are watching your own, too. At first everything is fine and it's fun for the kids to play together. Then as time goes on you start to feel a little guilty for not putting as much time as you could with your own children. My daughter who is the same age has started to resent the fact that he comes over every day, so I had to cut back to 3 times a week. That has just been my personal experience and the experience of a friend of mine.I'm sure not everyone feels the same. Oh my friend gets paid $7 an hour to watch a friend's little girl. Good luck!

 

[cepmom]

i get paid $40 a day to watch my friend's 14 mo old. He has older sisters that I watch before and after school so I get an additional $20 for them too. When I have all the kids, all day (summer, vacations) I get $80 per day.

It roughly breaks down to about $5 per hour. I don't charge when the kids don't come.

princessmorgan...I have to agree with you about your own kids becoming resentful. The girls I take care of and my kids have been friends for years, but my kids do get sick of them coming over all the time. It's a big commitment to take care of someone else's kids.

 

[Our 2 Princesses]

Is that $25 a day or a week?

I used to watch my son's older son for about an hour everyday after school for free- Then they gave me $100 gift card at the end of the school year which was very nice and unnecessary.

Sorry! Guess I should have specified that the amount was per day!!

 

[java]

Sorry! Guess I should have specified that the amount was per day!!

Ok that sounds fair to me! But hey you never know.

 

[PoohHappens]

Wow, I am getting paid really well. Do not forget about taxes, you have to get paid enough to make it worth your while after you pay your taxes and social security on it.

Unless I really needed the money it would not be worth my time for $25 a day, however I have another job as a nurse that I would be working if I were not watching my friends baby. And obviously that pays much more, but this way I am home more.

I would find out what it costs to send the child to a day care center and charge slightly less than that. She pays me what she would have paid at the center he was going to go to, but he is getting individual care and she was happy to do so. I am also very blessed as she owns her own business so she cuts me a payroll check and my taxes are already taken out and that also means she has had to cover about half my social security.

Best of luck coming to an agreed on price. It really works out well for many and helps earn some extra money.