I am an in home childcare provider. Im real affordable with the lady that i work for because she just needs me part time. But now she is going to VA for her magazine deadline and she doesnt want to take the 5 and 3 year old. She wants to pay me 400 total for 2 weeks. The reason why she thinks its fair is because she has the kids enrolled in daycare for 5 days a week partime and I wouldnt be there with the kids in the morning but i would be there with them all night. I told her it costs me over 50 to fill my gas tank and after the 2 weeks i will have pretty much only made about 200 because the daycare takes 30 minutes to get to....so an hour of driving per day. AND she wants me to do light housework. I dont think its a fair price and I think im about to be cheated if i do this. She wants me there 24/7 with the kids....I have a husband about to be deployed and son at home as well and her kids are a terror. What do you guys think. HELP!! the job starts Friday.
2007-03-12 03:45:26 · 15 answers · asked by Cmaria L 1 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Parenting
I am loving the answers to the questions and yout guys are being so absolutely helpful. I just wanted to say a quick thanks.
2007-03-12 04:04:40 · update #1
OH YEA... i just feel bad with it coming this close. Ive been working for her for over a month and she has paid me very fairly for 3 days a week and now i feel bad. I called and she thinks the 400 is fair because i wont have the kids during the day but she is not understanding the gas thing. So now what do i do?
2007-03-12 04:12:12 · update #2
I can see your dilemma. What I would suggest is that you ask her to reimburse you for the gas to drive the kids to the preschool. I don't think light housework's too much to ask since the kids are in preschool in the morning. What time is she getting home at night? I would put a limit on the time (say 6 p.m or so?), and then charge her $5 (or whatever dollar amount) for every half hour after that. In a non-confrontational manner, explain to her that you have responsibilities at home and your own family.
Good luck to you - I hope everything works out!
2007-03-12 03:59:03 · answer #1 · answered by Jennifer C 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
YES!! You are being cheated big time!
This is way too little! She should be providing gas, food, etc plus a decent wage. Let's say the kids are in daycare for 5 hour each day. This is 50 hours total. That leaves 286 hours you will be with the kids. Divide 400 by 286 hours (which is 14 x 24 - the 50 hours of daycare), you are getting paid $1.39 an hour! This is highway robbery. She should pay you alot more or make other arrangements!
Tell her you cannot do it because your husband is leaving and your family needs you!
2007-03-12 10:55:00 · answer #2 · answered by I See You 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
$400 - you are getting robbed. How long are the kids in daycare? 5 hours? Even if it was 10 hours that means you still have them for 14 hours a day, even if some of it is sleep time you still are responsible for them.14 hours a day times 14 days = 196 hours. This means that you're getting paid just over two dollars an hour. No one is worth this little. I would charge like this: 8 dollars per hour for daytime childcare (all the time that you have them not at daycare that they're awake), 10 dollars per day for pickup/dropoff at daycare, and 20 dollars per day for overnight. I'm assuming that their daycare is 8 hours, it might be less, but at 8 hours, that comes out to $1176 for the two weeks. The lady might think that's kind of high, but if you itemize it, the charges are really reasonable. Surely she feels like the well being of her children is worth more than two dollars an hour.
2007-03-12 10:57:48 · answer #3 · answered by derelicthypotheses 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You are totally being cheated. If you do this you won't end up making any money, because you will end up buying groceries and stuff. Not to mention the extra expenses hubby and son will have at home.
I would say skip the daycare, it's too much work for you (unless you want to take them to daycare. And that your hubby and son are moving in too, or the kids are staying with you. And that probably at least $800 a week is fair. You aren't going to do light housework, you are going to do ALL the housework. I mean three kids are going to make a mess, you can't exactly leave it until she get's back.
2007-03-12 11:05:25 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I don't think it's worth it for $400. I wouldn't leave my kids to stay over at someone else's house and watch her kids 24/7 and if I considered it $400 would be much to little for 2 whole weeks. I would charge closer to $1,000 but even that doesn't make up for the time you won't have with your son and husband who is going to be deployed soon.
2007-03-12 10:59:19 · answer #5 · answered by Miriam Z 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
She wants you to keep them overnight? Then let's factor in food on top of gas, since obviously you will feed her kids dinner and breakfast and, most likely have to make lunch, right? $400 for 2 weeks is an insult. She's totally trying to rip you off! I'd tell her to find a different provider.
2007-03-12 14:08:49 · answer #6 · answered by Shelley L 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It sounds like it's not good compensation for all the things she's asking you to do. You need to have a talk with her and tell her that you have thought about it and you can't do it for $400. You can tell her if she agrees to pay your mileage on top of that it might be acceptable, or decide on a price and tell her. There is nothing wrong with negotiating, and if she can't afford you, well no skin off your back!
2007-03-12 14:17:21 · answer #7 · answered by amyvnsn 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If I were you I would refuse it. $400 for two weeks is just not worth it for two kids 24/7. ( I know people that pay over $200 a week for two kids just working a 40 hour week!) You will be cheated if you accept this.
2007-03-12 10:53:25 · answer #8 · answered by mom2ace 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It doesn't sound fair to me. I would suggest that you compose an estimate with a breakdown of figures. Include your hourly wage, your costs for trips to and from daycare everyday, your extra charge for "light housekeeping", food costs and food preparation costs, and any additional charges, including care for your own son if you can't bring him with you. Add all the figures up and present them to her BEFORE Friday and tell her this is what you will charge and expect to be paid. Don't overcharge her...only what is fair. She will then have the option BEFORE Friday to find other care if your price is not acceptable. Please also be aware that she may not like the idea of the invoice estimate and may not want to retain you at all, even when she does return from her trip.
2007-03-12 11:01:29 · answer #9 · answered by byandbye 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Is she paying you under the table or are you going to have to tax that? If you have to tax that FORGET IT! I would tell her to find someone else because gas is TOO expensive alone! Besides KNOWING that her child is in the best care! Do you have overnight daycares in your area? Tell her to check that out instead! That's a rip off if you ask me! Good Luck! ~T~
2007-03-12 11:24:45 · answer #10 · answered by boxerlover_96 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋