Fair price?
Moms View Message Board: General Discussion: Archive September 2007:
Fair price?
I do not do childcare, so I have no idea what a fair price is.
I am watching my friends 5 yr old from 11:30-2:30 during the school year. My friend has 2 daughters one is in the 3rd grade, the youngest started Kindergarten.The 5 yr old is in morning Kindergarten. So the bus drops her off at my house at 11:30. At 2:30, my friend picks up her 8 yr old daughter and my 8 yr old and we do a switch LOL...
So basically Im babysitting 3 hrs a day , 5 days a week. My friend had asked me how much I was charging. I always feel funny discussing money.
So I came up with 45$ a week. 9$ a day($3 an hour). She said that was fine. BUT... it is too much to charge, too little to charge? I have no clue.
We have worked out that she brings over lunch food for her daughter on Monday, for the week.So I am really not using extra food of mine. Of course I do give her some our snacks as well, but thats no big deal.
I never wanted to do childcare. I feel like this more babysitting then childcare. I mean she is 5 yrs old. She comes in, eats her lunch. Her and Faith play for a bit. I put Faith down for a nap, and the the 5 yr old will work on homework, and then have time to watch tv or play with toys. The 3 hrs go by fast.
Your friend's getting a good deal. If you're happy with the arraignment, I'd say you're set.  The going hourly rate where I am is anywhere between $5-$10 an hour. I'd take school aged kids if we had busing. We're only 1.5 miles from the school, though. I'm not disrupting the younger kids day to go pick up older kids anymore. I hate having babies fall asleep in the car and then they won't nap! lol
I charge $15 per day/ per child to pick up my friends kids from school and watch them for 3 hours. That is $5 per hour.
Cat, I so agree about waking up babies to put them in the car to pick up other kids. That is why this year will work out well. Faith still naps. SO many times I would have to wake her up and put her in a cold car to get Elizabeth. See we are in the walking zone, so we dont get bus service. So with my friend picking up her daughter and my daughter after school, I wont have to be waking up Faith if her nap runs long and putting her in a cold car
Even though we are in the walking zone, they let all Kindergarten kids take the bus for the first yr , no matter where you live. So it is nice that the bus drops off right in front of my house.
Jackie, that sounds like the perfect arrangement!
Given the convenience this arrangement provides for both of you, I'd say that's a very fair price. $7-10 per hour are the standard, in-home, afterschool babysitting prices around here.
Sounds like a great situation!
It seems so strange to read, "the five year old will work on homework", but I know that's where it's at now.:-|
The going rate around here is $2.50 for the first child and then an additional $1 for every other child. I think $3 is a fair price especially if she is picking up your daughter.
If I'm not mistaken the friend that is picking up your daughter is not the mother of the 5 year old.
Thats a deal if you ask me. After care in my area for my 3yr old is 65 or 70 a week 3:30 to 6:00pm(depending on where you go) but school after care is supposed to start on September 17th and I heard it's free. So forget my birthday this weekend you know what day I'm waiting for.( Notice how I slip that in there) LOL.
But I think that is a fair price, a great arrangement that you don't have to wake Faith up from her nap. I wish I had a friend to help me out like that.
The mother who is picking up my 8 yr old from school, is the mother of the 5 yr old. Sorry to be confusing..
See my friend(Catherine)has 2 daughters, an 8 yr old and a 5 yr old. Catherine works in the cafetaria of a Local Catholic Highschool. So her hrs are about the same as the public school. She leaves work 15 minutes early to be at the school to pick up her 8 yr old daughter and my 8 yr old daughter.
The plan is that she arrives at the girls school, picks up both girls, comes to my house. I give her , her 5 yr old, and she gives me my 8 yr old LOL..Sorry if its confusing.
Sorry I didn't understand.
Well this is just me , but since she is providing food for her daughter to eat when she arrives home from school,and she was saving me from having to wake my youngest from nap by picking up my daughter and bringing her home. I would take it for just what you said.
we do a switch LOL... ( she gives you your daughter and you give her hers).
And I wouldn't charge her anything. this is just me of course, I see it as I'm helping you and your helping me.
With all that you have said about the situation, I think you set a very fair price.
My friends husband "insisted" I charge them. He wanted to make it clear, since they were both working fulltime, they had no reason not to pay for a babysitter.
My friend picks her daughter up everyday, from school regardless. So her getting my daughter is not putting her out. She has to come by and get her 5 yr old daughter from my house anyways..
The reason why she brings her own food is, simply that she likes certain foods that we do not have here.
So far she has not picked my daughter up at all, because the weather is been so nice, we have all(me, Faith, and the 5 yr old)walked up to the school. I wait with the kids until Catherine gets there. That will soon change once the weather changes LOL..
It will be a great help when the weather is bad, and my friend will be bringing my 8 yr old home.
30 yrs ago when I was a young teenager and use to babysit I was receiving 2$ and hour. So 3$ an hour seems like a real bargain to most LOL....
Oh yes, babysitting a child for 15 hours a week definitely deserves some pay!!! I think you've set a more than fair price, in that she is also servicing you by bringing your DD home, but that is NOTHING, IMO, to babysitting three hours each day!! (can you tell I hate babysitting??) She's getting quite a deal, IMO. It was nice of you to set the price on the low side since she does bring DD home for you. Good luck with the arrangement. I hope it continues to be easy for you.
Don't get me wrong , I wasn't saying that there is anything wrong wtih you charging her. I was just saying that if it was me (and she or her husband didn't insit on paying then I (me) wouldn't charge.
but frankly I can understand and if the sititution was reversed I would insist on paying also. Because I know that i'm the type of person I would worry all the time if my friend thougt I was using ehr or taking advantage.( again thats just me).
But you question was is it a fair price.
Yes I feel that it is very fair.
I think it is a very fair price. It sounds like a great situation for both of you.
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