Any babysitters out there?

[airotciv]

My DIL called today to say she can babysit, for $5.00 an hour, a little girl 2 years old. They have a 3 year old and a 6 month old, both girls. She called because I use to babysit in the 1970's, I got paid $100.00 a child. Well she wanted to know the pro's an con's. Well, what can I say, all I could think of was tha con's. Other than the 1 pro, I loved the kids. Well that was many years ago, So what are the pro's and con's now?


In my time:

Pro's:
Love the Kids.

Con's:
Parents never pick thier kids up on time.
Parents that drop thier kids off early.
Parents that go out to dinner, and expect you to take care of the kids.
Never having a Vacation
Everyone catches that cold.

Well I could go on, but I would like to hear from the babysitters out there. I know the kids could use the money, but I don't think she know what she is getting into. Thanks.

[Mel-]

have her look online for a sample contract. it should state what the weekly rate is (regardless of whether they bring them on time or even skip a day it should be a set rate per week). it should also state the penalty for picking up late. penalty goes up every 15 min late. should also state when the 2 week (minimum) yearly vacation time will be for your DIL. your DIL should be paid during vacations.

now, this is if she wants to treat it as a business. a friendly arrangement, she'll end up being treated as you were.

make sure she specifies for that $5 who pays for food, diapers, formula etc.

[airotciv]

Thanks for the good information, I will pass it along to her.

[juliew]

I have to pay $1/minute I am late or early - I NEVER have been. My sitter takes "personal days' about once every other month, and I pay her for those. She also takes 2 weeks of vacation, paid. She's very picky about who she takes - I'm a teacher so she has summer and many days off. I let her take my son places but she doesn't leave the house very often, and I think that's the biggest con. Probably the best advice I have is for your daughter to not be afraid to kick people out or enforce her rules.

[airotciv]

Wow, I'm amazed, how babysitting has changed. $1.00 a minute being early or late. I would have been rich. Well it's not the 70"s and it is now 2008 and I'm so glad that babysitters are getting paid much better than we did. And are smarter than us, to get contract, instead of just a verbal agreement.


Edit: As for leaving the house, I was one of those that took all the kids with me everyday, to run errands ( I was all ways asked? Are they all yours?) We were a family and things need to be done. I remember going to the bank to get a loan, don't have a clue what loan now. But when we walked in with 6 children, the loan officer asked if they were all ours.

[mellba]

airotciv, at $100 a week in the 1970's you'd have seemed rich to me. In 1976 I think I brought home $495 a month as a teacher in a public school in GA. I'm thinking SIL paid about $35 a week for her daughter's childcare back then. I guess things were probably cheaper in GA since wages were certainly a lot lower.

[Maria]

I liked doing part time daycare when my kids were little. It gave them someone to play with.

[airotciv]

Originally Posted by mellba

airotciv, at $100 a week in the 1970's you'd have seemed rich to me. In 1976 I think I brought home $495 a month as a teacher in a public school in GA. I'm thinking SIL paid about $35 a week for her daughter's childcare back then. I guess things were probably cheaper in GA since wages were certainly a lot lower.

That was a $100.00 a month for each child, I wish it was a week.