Im sure this has been asked a million and 1 times but how much do you ladies give your sitters?
i just took on a part time job as a groomer and my best friends mom is going to watch my extremely well behaved 8mth old. i mean, this kid doesnt cry, he eats well, he will be napping a third of the time hes with her. and laughing the rest of the time.
i dont want to pay her too little, her and i are very close and i dont want her to feel taken advantage of, yet im not rich, far from it. im so broke im broken! so whats proper protocol here?
My neighbor, who is a licensed daycare provider, charges $5/hr. I guess it would depend on how long she will have him. Is it the same schedule every week? If so, maybe you can negotiate a price that both of you are comfortable with. I would just ask her how much she wants and go from there.
Ask her how much she charges-don't negociate with yourself!
The truth is, as hard as it is to be broke, the price really should not have anything to do with a persons status as married or not or broke or not or that the child is nice and sweet. You need to find out what she is willing to take. That's the only thing that really matters.
I pay $10-12/hr and round up when possible.
I pay my college sitter at least 9 dollars an hour. She is very responsible and plays well with my child. I know she's not on the computer or phone the whole time. She was a student of mine in college and I'm very picky about who I watch my son. In the few years I've taught, she is one of two students I have had that I trust enough.
I think they should be paid at least minimum wage (8.25 in Illinois). My child is well behaved, too, but they are taking time from other things (another part-time job, schoolwork, other obligations) to babysit so I think they should be compensated at least min. wage. I usually give her a few extra dollars for gas, too.
I say you figure out what you can afford and have an honest conversation with her. Tell her you'd really love to have her sit, but all you can afford right now is ___, and you'll understand if that's not enough for her to take the job.
It depends on your area.... a rural area would probably be less.
My 16 yr old babysits and averages $12-$15/hour cash. She has 3 regular families who pay this rate. She did not set the rate.
When we used a sitter for our weekly date nights that we still go on for 22 yrs, we paid $60-$80 a night cash.
I agree with others to check providers in your area to get a feel for the rate and then make sure you communicate very well with this new sitter to establish the rate so there are no surprises for anyone.
Updated
It depends on your area.... a rural area would probably be less.
My 16 yr old babysits and averages $12-$15/hour cash. She has 3 regular families who pay this rate. She did not set the rate.
When we used a sitter for our weekly date nights that we still go on for 22 yrs, we paid $60-$80 a night cash.
I would contact a day care center in your area and find out how much they would charge just so you get an idea - I was working part time making $140 paying $120 a week for my daughter. It ended up making sense for me to pay my mother-in-law the same $120 because I knew that eventhough there would be a fight for her to take it, she loved spending the time with my daughter, she needed some extra money, but the money she would normally spend on my daughter would be what I was paying her. Not out of her pocket. It's hard being a mom, and trust me BROKE becomes our middle name, but this way you can discuss things with this woman and you can see what a fare amount would be. Good luck!
yeah, i totally understand you're trying to weigh all the factors, but broke or not broke, well behaved or colicky, these things are irrelevant. i agree with the other ladies. talk to HER.
