I am going to start watching a neighbor's 4 month old son. I will be watching him for 4 hours 2 days a week. What do you think a fair price would be to charge per hour?
2007-12-09 13:21:22 · 3 answers · asked by lovednotspoiled 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Etiquette
ok baby sitting whatever term you want to use...I have already talked to the mother, but I kinda think that she wanted me to do it for free and now it is a bit awkward...
2007-12-09 13:46:58 · update #1
yeah I told her that a friend of my mom's pays 8/hour and she said she would have to ask her husband well she called me back and said that "he" thought that was too high and that 6/hr was more reasonable since the baby would be sleeping most of the time... thanks for the input SHSHSH :)
2007-12-09 15:19:30 · update #2
Well, at most day cares, it would cost about $25 per hour for an infant. I would say that anywhere between $10 and 15 per hour would be acceptable. If you will be with the baby alone, then charge more, but if you are just watching the baby so she can do stuff around the house. have a break, then charge less.
No way should you do this for free. Maybe if it was a one time thing, but not at this frequency. I'm curious what would compel someone think that a person not related would be so interested in her spawn as to give up 8 hours a week to watch it. Weird. Some people lose their damn minds once they procreate!
2007-12-09 15:14:07 · answer #1 · answered by SHSHSH 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It would be called babysitting where I live! And as to what to charge, a lot depends on where you live. Do you know any other mothers of babies you could ask what they pay? And what others charge? Otherwise, you could talk it over with the mom of this baby and see what she offers. It's a big responsibility, so you should be paid enough.
Edit: I have to disagree with SHSHSH. $10 to $15 an hour is way more than sitters get here. And day care moms never charge $25 an hour! They get maybe $100-$150 a week, but that is for full time sitting. I live in a city of nearly 100,000 in the midwest. If you live in a wealthy community on the east or west coast and baby sitting is very expensive, then you must charge accordingly.
Thinking it over, I would charge her $20-$25 for the 4 hours, if you would be satisfied with that. If she expects you to do it for nothing, I would tell her you have changed your mind, and she will have to find someone else.
It's really hard when it's a neighbor, isn't it!
2007-12-09 13:42:16 · answer #2 · answered by Cat Lover 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Tell them it's $10 per hour and it's not negotiable. It's not a matter of the baby sleeping or not. It's the time you have to put in at their house away from what you have to do at home. 4 hours is alot of time doing nothing watching a baby sleep. If you are not paid well, you might as well be sleeping in your own bed. Watching over a baby involves alot of responsibility anyhow. What if it chokes or smothers itself to death? You will be the one to be blamed.
2007-12-09 23:13:57 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋