So I have a friend that is due in few months with her 1st child. With day care so expensive she was looking for a cheaper way. So since I am sahm she asked if I be interested. Since I am a sahm I could really use the extra money for my family, so a win win situation for both of us. When she asked how much I would charge I said $20 a day and that seemed okay with her. I will be watching child when she just turns 6 weeks old, and 4-5 days a week from 7 am to 5pm. My older child will be in school all day and my youngest is 3 so this baby will get lots of time with me, as a day care she might have 3- who knows how many babies/kids. So with that said I thought 20 was great deal. I looked after my youngest was born when I was thinking of returning to work and at pretty much one of the cheaper but still good day cares they wanted 760 a month till potty trained. If you don't bring your kid, you still pay. If your kid is sick you must come get child. With me, if she is sick, I could work with her cuz I know whats its like to miss work, and if baby was not with me I would not charge. With all this said, she called back.few weeks later and wants me to go down on price. I said we could discuss. She said she is stressed out about how to afford. I don't mind helping her out, but how much should I go down? I feel like I was already giving her great deal. Also, not that its any of my business, but they just bought new car, a knife set that's they bragged about at dinner a month ago that costs them 100 a month for like 8 months, and her husband makes very good money, and she makes okay amount (way more than min wage by far). So with this said, how much would you watch brand new baby for? She is a friend, not a best friend.
That’s less than 1/2 what a daycare or nanny would cost. I wouldn’t go down any further - in fact I’d up it to $30 per day.
Holy crap! $20 a day for a newborn??? NO WAY! Don’t budge because you are already being extremely generous! I charge $120 a week for 4 and 5 year olds!
I agree with the others - $20 a day is EXTREMELY cheap! While I do believe in home care should be a little less than a center (because there’s the reliability factor - someone is always there even if a caregiver is sick or whatever). When my children were newborns it was more than $60 a day in a center. I’d say stay where you are - little babies are a lot of work - especially since you have your own children.
If I were you, I would check locally with in-home and centers. Then you will have a better idea. She will still be saving because you aren’t charging when she’s not there and I bet you aren’t planning to close holidays and still charge her. Do the math and show her what theirs would be at 52 weeks per year (there or not) and then show her what yours would be at the same 52 weeks per year and point out the holidays and sick days etc.
Friend or not, $20 per day is more than reasonable especially for an infant. I would also have something written up in the form of a contract…spelling out things like cost, pay day, and who provides what.
$20 per day is beyond generous. If she is that stressed about $ she should have a close relative watch the baby. My immediate family members are the only people who watch my children for free. And even then I still contribute something as a thank you. Don’t watch this child because it will be nothing but stress w more and more demands from her. Or charge $20 daily & exchange care. You take days and your friend babysits evenings and weekends for you.
I don’t think you should change your price…and she should bring diapers, formula (food later on) and thank her lucky stars she has you to turn to! If she gets any kind of assistance she might want to see if they have any programs to help pay for daycare. My daughter works at a center and they charge a lot more than $100 a week! Not only that they require diapers, formula, and you pay if your child is there or not. Not to mention the level of personal care is a lot higher with a good sitter. You might also tell them if they report your earnings they have to pay the 30% self-employment taxes.
That is a very good price (and generous). In my area, most home daycares are charging between $135 - $150 per week (and you pay if they are there or not, and some take paid vacation time too), but they are licensed so the parents do get a little tax break at the end of the year. The daycare facilities in my area for a newborn range from $200 - $275 a week (again, you pay if they are there or not). The ladies around me, who are not licensed - but watch one or two other children besides their own for some extra cash, charge between $80 - $100 a week (and you only pay on the days they are there).
I wouldn’t go down at all…she’s trying to take advantage of you… because her other options are going to be a lot higher, and her child won’t be getting as much attention at a facility it will with you.She should recognize $20 a day as a great deal and not be so greedy.
Well don’t look at what people spend on things because often times those people are way maxed out on credit cards. Bad decision I think, but it is what it is.
However, $20 a day is VERY low. That is $100 a week! I pay that just for 2 hours in the morning and I feel like I am not paying my sitter enough. I pay her whether she is there or not because I’m asking for her time.
I think you should not go down at all. If she can’t afford $100 a week, then she needs to stay at home herself.
In our area, for what you’re offering, it would be $1600-$2500 a month.
$100 per week instead of $350-$500 per week leaves me unable to comment beyond that you’re essentially charging $2 per hour.
I can’t believe she is trying this with you . . . my kids are 18 and 15 (YEARS) and that would have been a great deal when THEY were infants! Wow!
I’m not sure I would want to deal with her - she doesn’t sound right in the head. Good grief, the last person I ever wanted to “screw over” was my daycare person. I would pay her BEFORE my house payment. She doesn’t even have sense enough to know that she’s getting a great deal and situation. What else is she going to dream up while you’re watching her child?
JMO.
Oh good grief.
Sorry, but $20 a day is really cheap.
Why don’t she go and ask a relative to watch her baby so she won’t even, have to pay.
She needs to realize, that if you watch her baby, from 7:00am-5:00pm, and certainly she will be late in picking up sometimes, YOU are not able to do anything. ie: YOUR appointments, YOUR errands etc. because you are with the baby all day and get no day offs nor any vacations etc.
AND most babysitters/Daycare, charges extra… if a parent is late in picking up their child.
I would find it insulting, that she is asking to bring down your price.
I used to do childcare in my home, when my eldest child was a Toddler until I was like 8 months pregnant with my 2nd child.
And I charged a FLAT monthly rate.
AND the parents had to pay in full, at the beginning of the month, and even if their child was here or not, because, I had to, keep that slot open… FOR them. AND if the parent was late in picking up their child… it was $5 for every 1/2 hour of lateness. Most places, in my city, charge $5 for every 15 minutes of lateness.
Sorry, but this woman is having a baby. And she has to realize, like the rest of us, that childcare is not cheap, and most childcare Providers, are paid well below what they should.
You will have her baby for TEN hours, per day.
MAKE sure, that if you babysit her child… that, you know if she will be claiming you on her TAXES or not?
AND you need to have RULES and policies, for your “services.” Because, if not, you will have daily issues of what to do or not. ie: foods, diapers, naps, how to handle her baby, what she expects, what will you do or not, etc.
She will NOT get, anything cheaper than what you are offering… unless she has relatives that will do it, for free.
We paid $25.00 and now $35.00 with two kids. We brought formula, bottles, water, baby food and diapers. Now we bring milk and diapers, the home daycare provider provides everything else. We can drop off after 6:00 and pick up anytime before 5:00. good luck! Mine started at 6 months and then at 3 months.
Yikes…I paid more than that…in 1993!!! This was to a family member and for much less hours. My 19 year old daughter wouldn’t work for $2/hour that’s for sure.
I am adding a link to show you what the state of Oklahoma pays the providers who have a contract with them to accept families who get all or part of their child care paid by the state.
Most child care centers go by this rate schedule because most take state families.
http://www.okdhs.org/NR/rdonlyres/2E81F077-8947-487B-A406-D6DC4A313D67/0/C4B.pdf
What this means is:
You would be the same, in my opinion, as a 1 or 1+ STAR home. You are a mom BUT you have no professional training that an actual licensed provider would have. You do not have first aid and CPR, nor the 20 hours of professional training each and every year that is required by the state for each child care provider.
So, for an infant in a 1+ STAR home the state of Oklahoma would pay the provider:
Full child care facility:
Ages 6 weeks to 12 months they would pay $21.25 per day.
Home child care:
Ages 6 weeks to 24 months they would pay $19.25 per day.
Most child care is for up to 10 hours per day. Mom or dad has to be at work at 8 and it’s a bit over 20 minutes to get to work so they need the child dropped off by 7:30 at the latest. Even if they need to stop and pick up something they have that right. They have paid for the services and they can use their time however they want. Even if they take the day off and still bring the child.
They go to work, take a lunch break, get off work around 5pm. Traffic is heavy and they take half an hour instead of 20 minutes. So the child has been in child care when mom gets there at 5:30-5:45 from 7:30am - 5:45pm. Over 10 hours total care.
So, although I think if you were licensed and had a higher STAR rating you could easily charge her more, I think the $20 per day is fair if you were in Oklahoma.
You are asking for a very reasonable rate, do not let her push you around. Trust me, it can make things difficult if you do not have a contract written up. I babysat for a friend and she totally took advantage of me, wouldn’t pay for weeks, would show up very late to pick her child up, would come on days unannounced on the weekends, wouldn’t bring bottles/food/diapers and I had to buy them, would bring the baby if it was very sick… you need to have things very clearly written out. If she can’t agree to your terms, then tough cookies, she will have to find somewhere else that is going to me MUCH stricter and MUCH more expensive… If she can’t afford $100 a week, then she needs to be a stay at home mom herself.
Sounds like a screamin’ deal to me! 
However, I would call around and see what the going rate for infant care is in your area. I know we paid more than that for p/t care (and then add in sick/vacation time off where we had to figure something else out) but it might differ in your area. Go to your “discussion” with hard facts & figures. Tell her straight out what you are willing to accept & give her an idea of what she would be paying elsewhere. Also, be very upfront about expectations - what if you get sick? One of your children? One of your kids needs to go to the Dr?
It’s a lot to figure out - but do it now before agreeing to anything!
Good luck!
I know this has been decided, but your friend is very fortunate to have found you! Do not sell yourself short.
You need to be careful. I watched my friend’s first and she paid $15 a day (9 years ago) for him. Make sure that finances are never discussed once you enter into business with her, both of you could end up resenting one another. What made me upset is that she lived across the street at the time and so I knew when she got home from work. So she would bring him over straight from the crib in his jammies, no diaper change, nothing, and then she would wait an hour after she got home to pick him up. Daycare here in Nampa you can get for $480 a month for babies so that would be $24 a day, I think for babies I would do $20 a day and then toddler/ kid I would do $15 a day.
I live about 4 hours north of you so sort of the same area of the US. 8 years ago when I did daycare in my home I charge $20 a day. Now when i occasionally watch a friends’ kids she gives me $30 a day per kid. If I were doing daycare again full time I would definitly charge $25 a day. Things are a little more expensive here in the West than they are in say Oklahoma. Do not lower your fee.