Is this worth it??

[my3monkees]

I'm looking on getting some imput on a small babysitting job I have. I have been babysitting my friends son 2 1/2 for around a year now. It was supposed to be 5 hr. a day 2x a week for $40. I know it wasn't much but, it was some extra cash for me and it helped them. It actually ended up being more like 6-7 hrs. but I didn't mind.
They recently asked if they could start bringing his baby sister who is 5 mo. old. I said sure, stupidly assuming that they would at least pay me a few more dollars. The only thing that changed is that I have only been babysitting for around 5 hr. each time. That only works out to $4 for 2 kids!
I feel like I am being taken advantage of, but I am also half afraid to tell them I want more money. Because, then I might lose the entire job, and I do count on the money. They can afford more, but he is notoriously cheap. I feel like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. What is the normal charge for babysitting? I don't even know?
Thanks!!

[Lucymb]

kids are worth more!

I pay my sitter 8 euros an hour- not such a lot, but at the upper end of the going rate here. It takes a lot out of my pay at the end of he month, but it's worth it. No one can replace you as a caregiver, but I think what you pay your sitter reflects the value you put on the work done (an amazing input of patience and love), and an investment in a happy, secure child.

A good babysitter is always, always in demand. If you can't bring up the subject of more money with your friends, maybe you should offer to sit someone else's children! Your professionalism and attachment to the children may make this very difficult for you... good luck!

[KingstonMama]

I don't know what the normal rate is, but we pay our teenage babysitter $7/hour to watch our 6 & 5 yo's when she watches them, which is only a couple times a year. A 2.5 yo and 5 mo baby are a lot more work though! It seems like it would be worth more than you are being paid, and personally, it would rub me wrong that they just "threw in" the baby and didn't offer you more. I hope it all works out for you

[mightymoo]

I would just approach them and say 'I think there was a misunderstanding, when you asked if you could bring your second child, I assumed you would be paying for them as well'.

They are definitely taking advantage of you.

[Smithie]

What mightymoo said. Just present it as a misunderstanding. Which, you know, it WAS.

There is no way that you are going to lose the job. They can't get a non-felon to watch two small kids for $5/hr, and they know it. Or if not, they'll find out, and come crawling back. Meanwhile, you could be advertising for a new client with whom you will set out better ground rules to start.

I do think that if you get to have your kids present during the job, then a lower rate is fair. But NOT $5 for two kids. I paid $6/hour for a sitter who worked for me 40 hours/week and brought her kid along, and I still feel guilty about it. $6 an hour is what she ASKED for, but she still wound up being resentful because it just wasn't enough.

[KatWrangler]

Thats ridiculus! You are being taken advantage of! I would say its a misunderstanding. You are not watching two kids for the same price. No way!

[sunflower.mama]

That is nuts! I know around here the range for sitters is $15-20 an hour. It may differ where you are, and my reaction is based on the range I am used to. I also know that I would discount what I'd expect to pay someone if they were caring for their own children as well as mine. So I'd factor that into your analysis of what the going rate where you are is. But $5 is way too low.

[SunShineSally]

When I used to watch my nephew (BIL got laid off they paid me $15 a day. Not sure how much it came to hourly (I do nto feel like figureing iot out) But when I watched a 3yo and her baby brother who was about 8 months I charged her $35 a day but the little girl eat Breakfast and lunch here or she eat lunch and dinner here so we together figured it all out. The only reason I no longer watch them is the baby was allergic to cats and I have 3

[Amys1st]

I pay $5 per hour for each kid. So I am forking out $10 an hour for a babysitter. Well worth it. And that is for the teens in my neighborhood.

[BellinghamCrunchie]

I think the cost of babysitting is probably going to go down if the economy continues to decrease. I would babysit 2 kids for 5 hours a day for $160 a month right now, in our situation, and I would try to add a third kid for more.

That does seem awfully low, but you should check craigslist in your area and maybe call some sitters you see advertised in other places to see what the going rate is. When I had my babysitting service in college, it was half the hourly rate for the second child in a family, not the full rate.

[Sk8ermaiden]

When I was babysitting 00-02, the going rate was $5-7 per kid per hour. My teenage sister informs me the rates have risen considerably.

[jnowacinski]

I pay $20 for my kids to be babysat for 4-4.5 hours about 5x per month or so - they are one and two years old. My sitter asked for $4 an hour upfront before she started and I think it's fairly standard around here. I'm not good at math but for f/t care in a home daycare is usually $25/day/kid so for 9 hours...idk, sounds about right to me? Technically I "owe'' her $16-18, but my ATM doesn't give me that option

[avendesora]

I have never paid per kid. I give the sitter (college-age) $10 per hour, and their time is then my time. If the kids are all asleep, then they clean my house. If a friend of the kids' comes over, then the babysitter can watch them too (within reason, of course, - kids with friends over are often easier to watch than kids who are begging for attention!) However, this is all at my own house, so it's my own snacks they're eating and messes in my own house that they're creating.

Aven

[PassionateWriter]

Originally Posted by mightymoo

I would just approach them and say 'I think there was a misunderstanding, when you asked if you could bring your second child, I assumed you would be paying for them as well'.

They are definitely taking advantage of you.

u are absolutely being taken advantage of

Originally Posted by Amys1st

I pay $5 per hour for each kid. So I am forking out $10 an hour for a babysitter. Well worth it. And that is for the teens in my neighborhood.

exactly

[janerose]

You need to ask for more. Don't undervalue your work!

For my 2 girls we pay $5/hr, but that is for a teenager to act as mother's helper while I'm still around because I WAH. Occasionally I'll run out for an hour or two to do an errand, but usually I'm here. She's expected to do no housework besides helping the kids clean up the toys & no cooking besides basic snacks like crackers, fruit, cheese slices, popcorn. Just play with the kids & mostly no TV, although we do make an exception for that one occasionally.

Good quality child care in our area, NE NY, runs about $1200/mo FT. That's for 1 child in a top quality daycare/preschool or 2 kids with an at-home nanny. That comes out to $7.50/hr.

You can find places for less than that here, but frankly, they're not the type of people I'd want watching my kids. My cousin had his little girl with an unlicensed at-home daycare for $3/hr and she was just BAD. No activities, lots of TV, crappy food, yelled at the kids, heavily favored her son (even if he hit or bit). She had habits it took them years to break her of from going there. So be aware that what you're asking can be telling your clients something about your care, even if it isn't true! Obviously, your friends know you, but if you end up looking for someone else it's something to keep in mind.

Good luck!

[hillymum]

I think you're saying you're babysitting whereas your friend thinks you are providing daycare which is paid at a totally different rate. When I stand in for a friends daycare provider I get paid $42 for 9 hours or more for 2 children. If I were to babysit in the evening I would want $10 to $12 per hour.
In your case I would ask for a slight raise as your work load has increased damatically.

[kalisis]

I currently pay $8/hour for 2 kids. I pay that regardless of my sitter's age (I've had grown women with their own children - which was a steal for them b/c they ate my food and had their kid with them and they still made pretty good money and I currently have an 18 y/o girl who I just adore). And actually, I'm paying her $300/week flat rate. And she's working less than 40 hours b/c both kiddos go to preschool two days/week so she doesn't start till 11:30 those days.

Anyhow, I think you are being taken advantage of. If I expected my sitter to watch another kid, I'd need to raise her pay (say I had a third child or something). I think that's just rude and disrespectful to expect you to watch two kids for the same rate you watched one. Even at daycare, you don't get that big of a sibling discount!

[Usually Curious]

Actually, you should charge more for the infant than the toddler. If you charged them double they would still be getting a great deal!

[ani'smommy]

We pay $8/hour for our 4 year old and 19 month old. Often it's just the little one, as DD is in preschool three mornings a week. We pay $8 regardless. Our sitter sometimes brings her 2 year old along, too. We think it's pretty fair.