How much should I pay the sitter?

Question

My mother in law has been baby sitting my 3 and 6 year old boys while my husband and I work. I home school them so putting them in daycare or public school is not an option. We are paying her $200 a month for 3 8 hour days a week. I am only getting $9 an hour so we can't pay her more. She has turned down a good full time job to help us. So this is why I ask is this a fair rate? Does she need more?

Thanks in advance to all who answer!!!

To natashas
I home school my children because that is my choice. Do not judge my parenting without knowing what my family is going through. My sons both have physical issues that keep them home a lot of the time.The schools in my area are not the greatest and home school is not a form of abuse!!!!!!!!!! They are my kids and I home school them because I love them. That is not going to hurt them in any way because they are involved in many social activities.

To everyone else thanks for the answers!!!!

Also she baby sits here in my home and I feed them. She does not take them places.

Also I must stress again I will not put them in daycare or public school.

I cannot quit my job since it is the family business and I have been a stay at home mom since my sons were born. I just now started working again last week.

Answer 1

Well, I mean if she turned down a full-time job then you know its not about the money. She sounds like a very caring person. Its apparent that she understands your financial situation because she is not asking for anything more. Just let her know that you are aware of this, and that you really appreciate her. Try showing your appreciation buy cooking nice dinners for her at times or things like that.

Answer 2

First of all, these are her grandchildren so she doesn't need to get paid to take care of them, if she needs the money then she should take the job. If you would pay more for daycare than you make at your job, why not quit your job and stay home with your kids and let your husband work to support your family and let your mother in law take the job she was offered. I am a mother of two kids and wouldn't make enough money at a job to cover full time daycare so I opted to stay home until both of my kids were school aged. If you staying home is too hard financially on your family then why not work opposite shifts as your husband? It is not fair that your mother in law turned down a full time job to be a daycare provider for your kids part time. You need to call around to daycare centers and ask what they would charge you to watch your two kids for the same amount of time and see how much of a discount you are getting.

Answer 3

If you were paying a daycare business for babysitting your children you would be paying that much PER WEEK, PER CHILD. So $200 a month and she turned down a good job? No, I don't think it is enough. However, she may be okay with it because she'd rather stay home and watch the kids than work.

But you should talk with her about this. If someone has to suffer financially, it should be you and not your mother-in-law.

Just my opinion.

Answer 4

i don't know why or the place your daughter have been given this concept yet she is misguided.IF she needed to furnish a room on the reception for infants and pay a sitter to computer screen them that would desire to be one element .you may desire to all evaluate this experience to be like all over lower back the mothers and dads circulate out.They pay for the sitter. I additionally think of that if she does not desire infants there those interior the marriage might desire to leave after the ceremony and not stay for the dinner.in the event that they stay this might reason some undesirable emotions between travelers.

Answer 5

Doing the math, that's like $2/hr or $1/child. Granted she doesn't have to go to a workplace or need a business wardrobe or pay for gas, but she is forsaking a "real" job, feediing your children, taking them places, and probably paying for expenses for where they go - movies, etc.
Honestly, she's probably losing money. I was a single parent, working and paying for daycare, and I know I could NEVER have paid what that wonderful woman was worth to me. A safe, fun environment, good meals, field trips, a soft place to nap and all the love he could ask for. Twenty two years ago - I paid $125/wk -looking at increasing that by the rate of inflations over 22 years--------you get the picture.
I watch my toddler grandson one day a week for free, because I want to. I still have a full time job, but I love the one on one with him. But, again, I still have a job.

Answer 6

Well...$2.08/hr is certainly not the going rate. She *is* family which does account for the difference. I'm not sure if the cost of living differs where you live...but if you're only making $9/hr you can't afford to pay her at all! I also don't know what her financial situation is. From where I sit, you paying her the $200/month that you do, is a very nice gesture of appreciation. When my mother or mother-in-law watches our daughter they do not charge at all. You can certainly add to that by giving her cards, small gifts, words of appreciation, and as someone suggested...cooking her meals as well. My husband and I also do not utilize daycare for our 3 year old daughter. We work opposite schedules to avoid the costs of daycare (and to avoid having her with strangers that we can't necessarily trust). We do plan to place her in an alternative private school at the appropriate age, but I understand homeschooling completely.
Don't listen to the answerers who are harshing on you for homeschooling. They are obviously not educated on how it can be done. My mother home schooled my brother, and he got plenty of interaction with other children. She belonged to a home school cooperative. They got together with other home schooled children several times a week for coop school (things like Spanish, art, music etc) and field trips. When he was 9, my brother asked to go to school. So, my mother placed him in the local public school. He tested at a 6th grade level in all subjects, but was placed in 4h grade to be age appropriate. He excelled not only in his studies, but also socially. He made friends with everyone, and certainly did not get picked on. The next year he chose to continue at school, but my mother decided to place him in a private school. There were too many "trashy" children at the public school. By "trashy" I mean children who's parents obviously did not do much disciplining at home, and actually seemed to not do much parenting at all. Sorry that my answer was more of a comment on homeschooling, but I felt it was important to give some input on it...since so many people like to give their $0.02 when they have no idea what they're talking about. Good luck.

Answer 7

If she turned down a full time job I think she really cares about the kids or she wouldn't have done that for you. Also if you are worried about not giving her enough, you could do something for her like wash her car or invite her over for a homemade meal. Invite her husband too if she is married. Just offer to do some nice things like that for her in additon to the pay you give her if you can't pay her any more. I also was raised to believe that family should help family for free if they can...so you are paying her plenty.

Answer 8

its up to you and your MIL if she is happy with that then its fine. She turned down a full time job because she is happy too take care of her wonderful grandchildren. Most grandparetns are. At least you are paying her some dont. I wouldnt be too worried about it. i was paying my SIL $300 a month too look after my kids from 7am - 4pm 5 days a week. (all their food, nappies, milk etc was supplied) families should do discount rates, thats what families are for.

Answer 9

I'd figure you'd pay at least $6 an hour to have them in daycare. She probably isn't doing it for the money though. Maybe you can talk to her and tell her you know you're not paying her enough, you appreciate it, you want to know if there's anything you can do for her. She probably appreciates the chance to get to know her grandkids, but if you're wondering about it you should bring it up.

Answer 10

Well, that comes out to about fifty cents an hour per child....I would never pay a baby-sitter that little but then again I don't have children (!) and I don't know what the protocol is when it is their grandma. I would ask her how she feels about the rate. Most likely she will say it is fine even if it isn't, but it might give you some peace of mind.