She’s going to watch this lady’s eight-month old for seven hours a week, at our house. (All in one day each week.) She’s saying she wants to charge them $35 for it. That sounds like way way too little to me. What do you think?
Are they really good friends? That’s a really good friend price, like have keys to each others houses good. Otherwise IMO, at least $10/hr depending on how skilled she is.
I cat-sit sometimes, and charge $20 per visit, often with 2 visits a day. As a vet tech and very skilled at working with cats, I’m worth it.
that question wasn’t what i expected when I saw the thread title.
Sounds like a favor, not a job. You ever wonder why those daycare places have at least 10 kids at a time?
If it’s a favor, and you guys will have a reciprocal benefit in the future, then free is fine.
If it’s one time thing and you don’t expect future benefits, then $40/day sounds a lot more reasonable.
$40 a day doesn’t seem like that much more than $35 a day… did I understand you incorrectly?
To clarify, she’ll be watching the kid for seven hours each Tuesday, and wants to ask for $35 for each Tuesday. Basically, $5 an hour.
Superhal may have misunderstood you, and thought it was $35 for the week.
I know I did.
To me $35/day sounds like a pretty good compensation as a favor to a friend. I take it she’s not running a licensed daycare ($200/week was not untypical back when kayla was a little one).
Her own of course, and she works for about 12 hours a week at her gym’s child care center.
Yeah, I think that’s crazy. Also to clarify my post, a visit usually lasts about an hour. So I charge $20/hr to feed/medicate and play with cats. Your wife either severely undervalues herself, sucks at taking care of babies, or is really close friends with the baby’s mom.
So $35 a day is reasonable? That makes me feel better.
Oh wait, ya’ll are thinking this is a favor. It’s not a favor–this person is a stranger.
$35/day sounds reasonable for just babysitting.
$10/hour probably includes other services.
I would charge $20-25/hour for K-8 tutoring, 35-45 for high school level, 50-60 for college, but I could also provide diplomas, background checks, criminal record checks, references, and bonding, if necessary.
This is part of her argument–$200/week is about $5/hour.
But that’s in the context of watching a whole bunch of kids at once. Naturally you can charge less per kid in that situation. For a single kid, you’d charge more.
I was thinking $12 an hour.
What does a 16 year old girl charge by the hour for babysitting? She should get more than that. This will include at least one feeding and probably 2 diaper changes, right?
That is definitely a “best friend favor” pay rate.
A friend of mine watches:
11 month old, 8 hrs/day
4 yr old, 2 hr/day, she’s usually at preschool
She gets $70/day. She also gets the use of the family mini-van while she has the children, including gas. When she occasionally watches another child (friend of the family) she gets an additional $8/hour.
nm
I think I’ll just let it go whatever the case may be. Part of what’s driving the price down, so to speak, is that she’s willing to work for less just to feel like she’s doing something to bring in a little extra. Okay. That’s fine. $35 > $0.
I’d say “no” outright then. There’s too much liability in watching other people’s children.
That seems very low. That’s the price we were paying 19 years ago when my son was a baby. And that was in a small group (6 babies/toddlers, 2 care givers), not one-on-one care.
Today’s rate? At least 8-10/hour.
There’s also the consideration that going to the neighborhood of $12/hr might impel the mother to find an actual daycare center.