What Would you Charge in this Situation?

[MN Mom]

OK. Long story short, I took my old day care family back. I swore I would never do it again, but with us being so tight financially...I felt I had no choice when she asked me to take her baby part time.

I'm on an every other week schedule: 3 days 1 week, 2 days the following. Dad drops their children off at 6:45 am. The SA boys get on the bus at 7am.

I have the infant all day until 4:45ish. I decided to charge 30/day for baby and 15 /day for before and after school care for both boys. The SA boys I have 15 min in the am, and 1h:15min in the afternoon. This comes to 45/day for all 3.

I found out this morning via the oldest, they have a half day of school today and no school on Wed. When we talked payment on Friday, I told mom if she needed more care than standard before/after for the SA's I would have to charge her more...but I never said WHAT I would charge.

What would you charge extra for today, the half day..and the whole day on Wed?

The bus will drop the SA's off today at 1:30pm. So 3 1/2 hours care for them + 10 hours for the baby. Wed will be 10hours for all 3.

I'm thinking +15 today for the SA boys (so 30 total for both) and 30per/child on Wed. Is that fair? Total for 2 days would be $150.


Monday: 4 hours B/A care for 2 SA's: 30, 30 for baby all day
Wed:10 hours care for baby, 5yo and 8 yo, 30 each.

I just want to be fair, but to be honest..them not telling me about today and Wed pissed me off. I want it to be fair, but slightly uncomfortable for the unexpected care. That way they are more inclined to tell me ahead of time so I can plan groceries.

Last year, I was being paid 135/week for 2 FT kids and 1 before/after 4 (40+hours) days per week. In the summer, I had them all day 4 days a week, and was given 150. I didn't set the price last time, she did. This time I set the price for the baby and before/after care only for the older kids. We never discussed drop-in prices or anything like that.


(No I do not have a paper contract with this woman, as this is the "favor" family for my father in law. I thought about making one this time around, and my husband got huffy and said it was rude. We got in a fight and I gave in)

[marniewon]

As harsh as this sounds, one thing I've learned in this business is to NEVER do favors for family or friends. And if you do, have a contract! I've been burned so many times in this situation.

Anyway, I have SA who came in the summer but no longer comes (except on days off of school). Her younger brother is here full time. First, I give a sibling discount, so my daily rate for school vacation days is about 75% of my regular day rate. UNLESS they give no notice that she will be here, then it is my regular day rate.

Actually, I'm just looking again at how often you care for them and your proposed rates for days off school, and I don't see any problem with it. They look reasonable for such part time schedules.

[Lilbutterflie]

Thinking of it this way, it would be an extra $60 for the week (extra $15 for today & extra $45 for Wednesday). I think that is totally fair. You are watching an extra half day and full day for two boys, so if I were a parent I would think that is reasonable. Especially since it's last minute.

One thing you could do to avoid this in the future... go online to the school's website and print your own school calendar. Then you will always know exactly when their early release, holidays, and teacher in service days are. I had to do this with my previous dck's b/c their mom would always give such short notice.

[AfterSchoolMom]

I think your rates would be perfectly reasonable!!! Make sure you tell her today - that way you won't have to fight her for it later.

[DancingQueen]

sa kids for me are $15.00 per day per child
If their child is here for more than 4 hours they are full day rate. PERIOD
which is currently $28.00 per day. (but I'm going to change it to $30 flat as a day rate)

[MN Mom]

Well girls, I had a services and fees agreement all typed up breaking down the rates. I also included an illness policy and requested emergency contact hours etc.

I showed my husband today at lunch, and discussed with him my plans. Lets just say we got into a huge fight and he just turned and left the house, slamming the door behind him...

He thinks I'm trying to rip her off. He thinks day care is a huge rip off period. That DCP's charge too much for their time etc etc. He thinks I need to sit down with her over coffee and come up with prices that SHE thinks are fair, not what I think is fair.

I told him to forget it, I'll just fly by the seat of my pants like last time. I don't want to ruffle any feathers considering she's an employee of my father in law, and a co-worker of my husband.

I was considering, for the first time, getting licensed so I can have more children than just one family. I told him I was trying to become more professional so he would have to worry less with his job (which pays jack and squat) trying to pay the mortgage. He just said: "See it's stuff like this that is wrong with the world today, people just can't AFFORD to work when they have kids." While I do agree, to an extent...as day care prices is ONE of the reasons I chose to stay home with my kids...it wasn't the only reason I decided to be a SAHM.

So what now?? I have this nice little contract/handbook all printed out and am considering just shredding it and let things be as they be. I just want to cry... :confused:

[AfterSchoolMom]

MN Mom, no offense intended here, but your DH is wrong. Does he WANT you to get taken advantage of? I'd think he'd be on your side rather than a coworker's, but that's JMO.

Not having any sort of agreement is just like saying "that's ok, you can do whatever you want, pay whatever you want, and expect me to be at your beck and call 24/7". Would he like a job like that? Even if you're just doing a "favor" for a friend or neighbor, a contract protects both parties.

If he's against a really formal handbook, contract, etc...you can always type up a simple agreement that states days, hours, fees, sick policy, and termination policy. Those are the very bare necessities.

ETA: I'm really sorry that you're going through this stress. We're here for you!

[MN Mom]

That's the thing. It's not about policy..it's about the fees. His job is currently a beck and call type of job. He works a very abnormal schedule and half of it he doesn't get paid for...but that's OK because he's "helping out the family farm". He stays up till 3 or 4 in the morning running from our house to the farm to check on things but will only get paid for 1/3 of that time he had to keep himself awake for. He will then get calls at 7am from work, and go in again about 9 or 10am until 6pm. His pay certainly doesn't reflect the hours he puts in, and he simply doesn't care. He thinks not having a backbone in regards to what his time is worth is a GOOD thing....regardless of how much his immediate family suffers for it.

He thinks 30/day with 25% off the rate for additional siblings is too much...even if the SA boys are rarely here. I would only charge that rate IF they have to be cared for on a non-school day. Summers I will be willing to re-consider..but to me my summers are priceless, and I didn't get a summer this year due to her kids here 40-50 hours a week.

Honestly he thinks I should charge 30/day TOTAL for all 3 ...so basically charge for the baby and let the SA's stay free when they are here. He even thinks my 45/day rate currently (1 FT slot, 2 SA slots) is too much.

I knew he liked to be in control (hence why he has a car and I do not), but I didn't realize HOW much control he really likes to have over me. This is turning out to be a MUCH bigger situation that I realized.

I'm going to hold off on giving her the contract today, mull things over and give it to her Wed at pick-up. Maybe I am being unfair. Maybe I am charging too much.

[juliebug]

wow i see a contract as a must have! that is just part of doing any business! that way both sides know what to expect. i also think your rates are just fine $45 a day for 3 kids is great! i think that is totally doable by most parents. they don't really expect you to watch them for free!

[MommyMuffin]

I would get licensed so you have more ability to have more children enrolled and I would go ahead with the plans to become more professional, give her the contract...it is your buisness not your husbands. Although I know it is so hard when it is causing stress between you two. I would also go on the department website and print off for him the average rates of child care providers in the county you live in! Then he can see that you are not out of the norm.
I have hope that as the economy picks up so will parents needing child care...at least that is what I am hoping for.

[Live and Learn]

I think that the $30 dollar rate is perfect.

[momofboys]

I think that the $30 dollar rate is perfect.

For all 3 kids?!?!

MN Mom, I think $45/day is VERY FAIR! And I am sorry your DH thinks your time is worth so little. I find that very sad & would ask him to step into your shoes & do your job for even 4-5 hrs & see how little he thinks it is worth. I am so sorry for you.

[momofboys]

He just said: "See it's stuff like this that is wrong with the world today, people just can't AFFORD to work when they have kids." While I do agree, to an extent...as day care prices is ONE of the reasons I chose to stay home with my kids...it wasn't the only reason I decided to be a SAHM.

So is he saying you should be letting them come for free? Or is he saying the wife should be staying at home with them. Since she is making $$$ why are you not entitled to a fair wage? I don't quite follow your DH's train of thought. I'm sorry you are having to go through this though. I'm not sure what I would think/do if my husband did not agree with my policies.

[Live and Learn]

$30 each like she said in her original post.
For hubbies info that is quite the killer deal in my neighborhood.

[MarinaVanessa]

That's too bad that your DH is being ... well, a D.H. . He should appreciate that you are trying to help him out and you would think that he would not want someone taking advantage of you. He just has no idea what the childcare rates are nowadays. Yes, they're expensive but we don't get paid nowhere near what we should be getting for what we do. I'm sorry that he's making you feel this way, I feel for you ... I really do.

Most DC don't offer a sibling discount and even when they do it's usually just 10% off of the weekly rate. I don't think your rates are unreasonable at all. Especially since DCM doesn't even have the courtesy to tell you that you are going to be watching her kids extra hours. My FT weekly rate is $155 a week which breaks down to $31 for one kid per day (or $3.10 an hour per kid). PT's pay $105 a week which breaks down to $3.50 an hour for 30 hours a week. If they need a full day then they pay $37 for the day, again this is for one kid. I don't know what the rates are for your area but it might be worth it to you to call licensing and ask what the average rates are, then you can see where you rate.

I mean, she can pay you your rate or pay a teenager or college age kid about $7-$10 an hour to babysit for those few hours. KWIM?

I have the infant all day until 4:45ish. I decided to charge 30/day for baby and 15 /day for before and after school care for both boys. The SA boys I have 15 min in the am, and 1h:15min in the afternoon. This comes to 45/day for all 3.

Your Rates:
Infant: $30/10 hours= $3.00 an hour for the baby
SA's: $15/2 kids= $7.50/1 hr 30 mins (let's say it's 2 hours since most of us charge per hour or part of) = $3.75 per hour.
*Note: that I would charge the SA's a drop-in hourly fee of $5 an hour

Honestly he thinks I should charge 30/day TOTAL for all 3 ...so basically charge for the baby and let the SA's stay free when they are here.

What your DH wants you to charge:
$30 a day for all three (10 hours for the baby, 2 hours for each SA = 14 hours (just for the sake of the math) $30/14 hours= $2.14 hour per child.

I'm assuming that you feed them?? That's probably not enough to even cover their meals. In essence yes you'd be watching them but your hubby would be helping the family by paying out of his pocket for their meals, the utilities they use etc. That's awsome of your husband to want to help them out, not so awsome that he thinks your time is only worth $2 an hour.