How much are you worth?

Published on August 12, 2006 By Tova7 In Home & Family

Today I was approached by the father of my son’s friend. I will call him D.

D asked me if I’d be interested in keeping his son for about 7-9 days in September. He is selling a house in Florida, and his wife will be out of town as well doing something else.

He doesn’t want to pull his son out of school for a week. (The second week of school.)

This is the same kid I wrote about before and you really have to understand our history to help me with my question.

http://lifehappens.joeuser.com/index.asp?aid=91653

http://lifehappens.joeuser.com/index.asp?aid=92317

So D told me to come up with a number (meaning how much I will charge to keep his child for a week).

The day I pick the child up, my husband will be returning from a three week business trip in Asia. So the timing isn’t great but that’s ok I can swing it.

My question concerns payment. How much do I charge?

The kid will be in school for 7 hours a day, 5 of those days. The other two are on the weekend. I will be feeding him, and teaching him all about personal hygiene. Heh. And probably making his life miserable, but I won’t charge for that, it’s on the house. Hehe.

I joke because he gets unlimited internet and video game playing at home and my son isn’t allowed to do either during a school week. And on the weekends he has to earn an hour of video/internet play by being physically active an hour. Anyway, I am sure it will cause some issues at first, but will even out as the week progresses.

I don’t pay babysitters, as we don’t have any. And I don’t usually charge a friend when watching her kids. I have no idea what to charge and in all honesty I think D expected me to say, “Oh don’t worry about it. I’ll do it for free.”

Not.

I asked my gal pal from high school, she puts her kids in daycare. She did the figuring and said I should charge $400. That seems like a lot to me.

So how much would you pay someone to keep your 10 year old son for 7-9 days during the school year while you were out of state?

Comments (Page 1)

Gideon MacLeish

on Aug 12, 2006

$400 is not a lot, Tova. In fact, it's pretty low.

It amounts to less than $60 a day, not much more than minimum wage, really, when you consider you're "on call" through the night, and all of the possibilities tht could arise. It's about the cost of a fairly inexpensive hotel room for that same week.

If you think $400 is enough for those services, that would probably be a decent price. But I wouldn't offer to go any lower. If he makes a counter offer to you and it sounds fair, though, go for it.

Tova7

on Aug 12, 2006

I just think when I say $400 he will think I am a nut job.

I don't get the impression they value child care. Or that they think it is worth much. They just let him go out of state to Florida for three weeks with people they don't know.

Oh well, I'll put it out there and see what he says. heh. Should be interesting.

Dr Guy

on Aug 12, 2006

Meals, Lodging, Supervision.

I agree with Gid. Go for $75 a day. If they were your bossum buddies, I would go less, but given the history....

As my Wife says "This is strickly Business".

Tova7

on Aug 12, 2006

This is strictly Business".

Exactly what my husband says.

how much do you feel he can afford to pay without it being hardship?

That's the tricky part. He is a hospital administrator and she is a nurse. They bought and live in a historic old school house they are renovating. They have 3 vehicles (jeep, monte carlo, extended cab truck) all probably less than five years old.

When I drop my son off I see an old 1950 something car in their detached garage being redone.

The father is going to Florida to sell a home they own there.

Despite all that in my mind I see them as strapped for cash. I guess because that's the only reason I want to believe that parents would leave a 9 (now 10) year old child alone so often.

I just talked to my husband, he is out of town. He's not too fond of the idea. He will be coming home after a 3 week Asian trip and doesn't want someone else's kid in the house. But he says I can do it if I want.

how much would it take for you not to feel put upon or taken advantage of?

$200 is the cheapest I will do it. I figure that will cover food and activities since he will be here over a weekend.

I want to help them out, even though I wrote a whole big article about not helping out people who work and ignore their kids. heh. But at the same time I don't want to be taken advantage of and with these people I am never sure of that until after its happened.

I'll think on it some more.

Question of the Day

on Aug 12, 2006

My first thought is that if my husband was coming home after three weeks away I'd say no way. but if I decided to do it personally wouldn't do it for any less than $100 per day. I'm serious. If they can afford the toys they can afford you. And besides it makes up for all the free babysitting. They asked you. They must be serious about it.

I went back and read your other articles about this boy and his family. It's really pathetic. I have a friend with two kids who works full time and she can't handle being with her own kids. On three day weekends, by Satuday night she's calling me and telling me how happy she'll be to go back to work. It's pretty sad.

That said, in this respect I'm glad that I don't have kids because I think it would be hard for me to stay home and raise kids. AND I'm convinced that I would have had a better childhood if I had been in daycare. It's a tough choice nowadays.

Tova7

on Aug 12, 2006

My first thought is that if my husband was coming home after three weeks away I'd say no way

HAHAHA. Yeah I probably should feel that way, but he is gone all the time, usually a couple three weeks a month, so his coming home is more of a logistics problem than a "homecoming" one.

I have a friend with two kids who works full time and she can't handle being with her own kids. On three day weekends, by Saturday night she's calling me and telling me how happy she'll be to go back to work.

I have a couple friends like that too. But they swear they couldn't raise their kids without losing their minds. Some days I know EXACTLY what they mean. heh.

$100 a day! Well if I ever need a babysitting agent you are it sista!

Actually I will probably take the wimpy way out and let my husband do the negotiating. I hate that part of any transaction and will gleefully give it to my husband whenever possible.

Question of the Day

on Aug 12, 2006

Some days I know EXACTLY what they mean. heh.

I have a lot of respect for women who take care of their children. It's hard work. Anyone that says it's not should be left with a sick two-year-old for a week

Heck I've been so mad at my dog that I've wanted to pick him up and shake him (course with was before my hysterectomy when I was on a wild PMS roller coaster - a huge other story but related to what my mother was going through when I was a child and she stayed home with me - not pleasant to say the least)

Tova7

on Aug 12, 2006

It's hard work

That is no joke. I considered myself a fairly strong woman, until I had kids.

Then they showed me how wrong I was.

I can't say its the best job I ever had, but its certainly not one I'd entrust to a stranger.

momijiki

on Aug 13, 2006

DON'T do it for $200!

At least $400 and better off charging $100 like QOD suggested.

Ok, then again, I am a wimp when it comes to charging people $$$ but like Whip said, charge enough so that the whole thing doesn't make it a hardship for ya.

Best of luck, though.

Draginol

on Aug 13, 2006

When my wife go out for an evening and leave our sons with a babysitter we pay the babysitter $10 per hour.

So on a typical date -- 6pm to 11pm that's $50. So a week for $400 is very generous of you.

But I agree, if I were in your shoes, I'd charge $100 per day.

Gideon MacLeish

on Aug 13, 2006

When my wife go out for an evening and leave our sons with a babysitter we pay the babysitter $10 per hour.
So on a typical date -- 6pm to 11pm that's $50. So a week for $400 is very generous of you.
But I agree, if I were in your shoes, I'd charge $100 per day.

A few years ago, my wife and I went to a Christian marriage conference for the weekend. We paid the babysitter $200 for two days...and WE provided the meals. So QOD's $100 a day is very fair.

I think there's some merit to charging a daily rate and not a flat rate as well, Tova. From the sounds of it, this guy might decide to extend his absence if it's a flat rate, and by the time he gets back, you'll be worn out. Whatever daily rate you charge, for your own sanity, it would probably be best to keep it above $50 a day...$75-100 would be fairer, and extremely reasonable.

Tova7

on Aug 13, 2006

DON'T do it for $200!

The more I think about it, the more this makes sense! hehe.

So on a typical date -- 6pm to 11pm that's $50. So a week for $400 is very generous of you.
But I agree, if I were in your shoes, I'd charge $100 per day.

Wow! Can I be your babysitter? hahaha.

Well you are a business man, so I am taking this advice to heart. Thank you.

think there's some merit to charging a daily rate and not a flat rate as well, Tova. From the sounds of it, this guy might decide to extend his absence if it's a flat rate, and by the time he gets back, you'll be worn out. Whatever daily rate you charge, for your own sanity, it would probably be best to keep it above $50 a day...$75-100 would be fair

Oh Gid, I didn't even think about THAT. hahahahaha. Yeah, I like the daily rate thing...I guess I wasn't sure about the days he's in school, it seemed a little greedy to want to be paid the same for those days as the days I have him all day no break.

My husband is stopping in this week on his way to Asia, I will talk to him about it...and I think a daily rate is the PERFECT way to go with this.

Thanks!

foreverserenity

on Aug 14, 2006

$400 sounds good. Some people would charge even more. I think going with Gid's suggestion is better, charging on a daily basis. Especially since his dad or mom could get delayed or something. That or they get back in town and decide to stay away for another couple of days! Stranger things have happened!

Tova7

on Aug 14, 2006

That or they get back in town and decide to stay away for another couple of days!

That is exactly something they'd do too....I'm gonna decide on a daily rate and stick with it.

Tova7

on Aug 17, 2006

My husband just got off the phone with D.

He asked D what he was thinking to pay me for 9 days...a ballpark....D said, "well at least $100."

Told ya they didn't think child care was worth much.

When my hubby told him our daily rate he said he'd think about it and call us back.

Heh. We'll see.

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