Watch neighbors child over the summer?

[runwad]

Nicolet me and my hs dd's watched an 11 yr old boy last summer 3 days a week for $20/day. Not enough at all and mom brought the boys lunch but he was still eating my food and snacks and more times then not mom was late getting home from work so I fed him dinner too. I felt funny taking more money because she is a single mom but we really did short change ourselves. She was used to sending him to day camps so she had a sweet deal. At first I too figured it'd be a playmate for my DS10 but it became even a chore for him to have this boy around. We couldn't wait till summer was over and won't do this again unless we get a lot more money it just wasn't worth it always having someone around.

 

[pyrxtc]

$200 sounds good and make sure she knows that you will be taking him with you places and then you won't have to be home all day on the days you have him. That way you can go to the movies or shopping or whatever and some of that extra money will pay for that along with whatever meals he will be eating at your house that you make or if he gets injured while with you.

 

[NYCDiane]

I would watch him and take the $200. Keep in mind, you're going to be feeding him, entertaining him, etc all summer. A trip to an amusement park with 2 boys could easily run you $75. A trip to a Fun Zone type place w/two kids and having lunch would be about $50. You're also going to be feeding him lunch (and probably breakfast and maybe dinner; definitely snacks) every day he's there, so there's extra food you'll be buying.

Don't feel badly about taking her money. It would be different if she just wanted to go out on a date with her husband or go to the grocery store. In that case, I wouldn't take any money. In this case, you're responsible for this kid for 3 full days a week. $200 is very fair.

 

[skmommy]

I have 2 teachers who watch my 8 and 10 year olds while I am at work in the summer. I pay them $10/hour and also give them about $40 a week for "spending money" (movies, lunch out, craft stuff, whatever). I average about 35-37 hours a week so it ends up about $400 a week. $200 for 3 days seems reasonable to me, I would try to figure what an average "responsible adult" type sitter makes per hour per child in your town. Here it is about $8/1 child and $10 and up for 2 or more. There are so many factors to look at, but I would pay (and do pay) more to have the individualized care than I would pay if I was sending them to day camps. I think just talking with her about things will get everyone's expectations out on the table and then you just "go from there".

Sorry to ramble, hope that helps

 

[DisneyLoverUSA]

Don't shortchange yourself. LET HER OFFER you however much money she thinks it is worth FIRST. She may be willing to pay $40 a day instead of $25. If you automatically throw out that figure than that is what she will pay you. Ask her what she is comfortable paying and if it is less than $25 I would tell her that I would have to pass on it. But if she offered you $25 a day or more then I would accept it.

The 2 weeks you have Boy Scout camp is it not possible for him to join you and your son for it? I know Boy Scouts will let you join any time for 30 something dollars for the year. If the boy's mom joined him up just for the summer then he could go to camp too and she could pay for the camp fees.

I will tell you from personal experience...no matter how well behaved this kid is or how well the boy gets along with your son, it does get OLD having someone else around all the time. For a few weeks it's not bad but for an entire summer, I wouldn't do it personally.

You can work at a part time low paying job when you are on disability and make up to so much money per week before they reduce your benefits, but in all honesty, I know all the DIS'ers are honest law abiding citizens and would NEVER do anything immoral, but a lot of ppl on disability work cash jobs under the table to make extra money. Nobody can survive on what disability pays. $600 a month or whatever it is they pay nowadays is less than poverty level income.

 

[disykat]

I'm jumping on the $25 a day is too low bandwagon. It'd be one thing if it were an occasional thing or just for a week or two. Like others, I've done the low paid favor thing for friends and it gets old. You do start to feel taken advantage of, even in the best of situations.

You're going to have this child if your kids are sick, if you are sick, maybe even if he is sick. You may have to give up a chance for an out of town getaway or turn down invitations that don't include him. He'll still be coming even if it rains for two weeks straight, your basement floods, and the sewer backs up into your house. You are making a committment, that's way different than having regular playdates.

If $200 seems too much to let a friend pay you (it does sound like a lot for three days) then tell her you'll do it for $50 a day.

If your friend was ill and needed help, that'd be one thing. But if she is out bringing in money, she should share the wealth! I'm guessing she'd be very uncomfortable letting you watch him as work daycare if she wasn't paying you the going daycare rate.

 

[dawnball]

Before I agreed to do it, I'd look at all the ramifications of earning money in your situation. How will it affect your disability, any tax-related issues, etc. What of your personal life would need to be re-arranged (medical appointments, vacations, etc)?

My understanding (and I'm far from an expert, but have done some digging for my MIL, who is on SSI) is that this would count as a trial work period (any month in which you earn more than $720) - you get 9 months of trial work period over a rolling 5-year time. In addition, your benefits are reduced based on your income. And if you hit $1000 in any one month (say because you were paid for 5 weeks in a single month because that's the way the check-dates worked) - your benefits stop.

Benefits can be reinstated. But the SSA is pretty slow to respond to things. So you'd be setting aside some of your benefits to repay overpayments, and then you'd be without benefits again while they sorted things out.

Is it worth it to you? Is there something else that can be bartered? Can you come to a mutually-acceptable payment that wouldn't count as "income" to the SSA? Do you have private disability insurance that needs to be evaluated for impact?

 

[luvthemouse71]

Absolutely, I babysat my nephew (year long, from an infant until school age) and a little girl (summers only). My insurance agent came to my house one day, for our garage or something. She seen the extra children and told me the possible situation I could be in if someone got hurt while I was babysitting them, for payment, no matter how little I was making (and trust me it was not much at all) . I didnt need a daycare providers licence, but I did add an insurance policy to my homeowners, just in case. Once I stopped babysitting I canceled it, nothing happened,as far as a child getting hurt. But when you take in children and get paid,(no matter how much) you do open yourself up for liabilities, so make sure you are aware of what all it could cost you. (including the possibility of your disability money?)

Not to mention that today's climate is tough. People are nervous about child molestation and abuse. Who's to say that something could happen to one of the kids when they aren't even in your home and you get accused? It's nice that the OP wants to help a friend but it's just not worth it, IMO. Especially not for $25 a day- good grief.

What's with people complaining about childcare costs and trying to low ball providers? Suck it up, it's par for the course if you have to work and want to have kids.

 

[starann]

Before I agreed to do it, I'd look at all the ramifications of earning money in your situation. How will it affect your disability, any tax-related issues, etc. What of your personal life would need to be re-arranged (medical appointments, vacations, etc)?

My understanding (and I'm far from an expert, but have done some digging for my MIL, who is on SSI) is that this would count as a trial work period (any month in which you earn more than $720) - you get 9 months of trial work period over a rolling 5-year time. In addition, your benefits are reduced based on your income. And if you hit $1000 in any one month (say because you were paid for 5 weeks in a single month because that's the way the check-dates worked) - your benefits stop.

Benefits can be reinstated. But the SSA is pretty slow to respond to things. So you'd be setting aside some of your benefits to repay overpayments, and then you'd be without benefits again while they sorted things out.

Is it worth it to you? Is there something else that can be bartered? Can you come to a mutually-acceptable payment that wouldn't count as "income" to the SSA? Do you have private disability insurance that needs to be evaluated for impact?

The reason you got disibility is because you 'can't work'....taking money for services rendered means you are working, which as quoted above, can affect your disibility payment.

 

[leahjade]

Don't you lose your disability income if you are able to work another job?

 

[MingDynasty]

Haven't posted in years and can't for the life of me, remember my username - LOL.

I just wanted to bring thoughts from the other side of this situation. I had someone volunteer to watch my kids afterschool last year. I offered to pay her and she wouldn't take it. Now I always feel like I will owe her. No matter what I do, I never feel that I have paid her back for helping me - I hate this feeling! I wish she would have let me pay her - it would have stopped me from feeling indebted to her. Going rate in my area is about $300 per child for full 4 and 5 days per week and $250 for 3 days.

 

[fakereadhed]

Don't you lose your disability income if you are able to work another job?

Wish there was a "like" button!

I can't get past that issue to focus on the actual question. I can't wrap my head around continuing to collect disability when you no longer disabled.

 

[leahjade]

My friend is a "disabled" postal worker who climbs up on the roof to put up his Christmas lights each year and has a large fishing boat that he takes out every weekend. He does all his own heavy yard work (and I'm talking several acres) and yet he collects a large check every month from the government for back pain and has for at least five years now. He's outside washing his huge truck now as I type!

 

[Pooh Girl 71]

I work as a vocational counselor. In a nutshell, I help people with disabilities find meaningful, competitive employment. There are two types of disability. SSI is for people who have either never worked or have not worked enough to get credits in the system. This is the low payments (less than $700 a month). Then there is SSDI, which is for people who have worked enough. The payments for that depends on what your income was. I have seen people receiving over $2000 a month.

You CAN get a job when on disability. Each one has its own rules about how much income one can make and still get benefits.

ANd, yes, it is a very bizarre system. You can't disability if you are working but you can go to work afterwards.

As for the daycare issue, if you are comfortable with the $25 a day that's fine. I'd just ask for extra money if you go out and do stuff. I would have been ecstatic to have summer care that inexpensive.