A friend is going to watch my 3 year old for the next 2 days because she cannot be at daycare. She is on antibiotics for an ear infection and as a result now has diarrhea. How much is right to pay for sick child care? I want to be more than fair as she is helping me out of a jam.
I am definitely paying more than day care as that would only be $22 a day. In our area it is minimum wage and I am okay with paying her more, I am not concerned with the money, I just want to be fair and since she is sick I do want to give her a little extra. She is hurting for money so I know she can use it.
I know we really lucked out, and they are so good with the kids. My 3 year old is already reading, writing, etc.
We have done the probotics since she started and it is still hitting her hard.
ADDED: She had one bout of it this morning and does make it the potty, but she still cannot be at daycare. She has been fine all day and I just cannot take any more time off work or lose my job.
If she is that sick, maybe she should stay home. She needs another dsy or so to recoup. However I guess if you are leaving a sick kid with diarrhea, I would pay that person very well. I would pay a minimum of $150 for the two days. That would be the very least.
pay what you'd pay the daycare for a day
Just OMG your daycare is cheap. And at least $10/hr.
Since she's helping you out of a bind, I would pay more than a regular daycare rate. I would try to get a sense of what a nanny earns an hour in your area and pay that for the number of hours plus maybe 10%. Depends a bit on your finances. If you're really really tight on money and she knows that, then the nanny rate. If you're comfortable though and she knows that, I'd pay above the nanny rate. A 3 year old with diarrhea is not fun...
I agree with Sally.
Side note: are you doing anything to remedy the diarrhea? She needs probiotics to add back healthy bacteria to her gut. Every time we do antibiotics in our house we also do probiotics. The only time we didn't is the only time that my son got diarrhea from the antibiotic.
ETA: I would take her off all dairy products for 24 hours and give her only Pedialyte. Antibiotics can make her temporarily lactose intolerant.
I do not agree with Sally and I am happy to see you do not either.
Daycares usually have many children and you pay less because of that. The daycare can have for example 10 kids at $22 a day which would be $220 a day for the center. Obviously the worker does not get the whole amount, but by not having individual care, the parent saves money.
She is your friend and wants to help, so I doubt she expects nanny service payment.
I would give $15 an hour since she is sick.
I'd do $100 for the two days and maybe a gift card to a local eatery as an extra thank you.
Locally, we pay a teenaged/young adult sitter $10/hr for a healthy child. I would pay your friend at least that much, possibly $15 or more, especially if she is dealing with such a messy illness.
I would also talk to the daycare because if the diarrhea is caused by the medicine and the child will have some level of problem for the duration of the medication, is there ANY provision to send her? In a pull up, perhaps? I would not send a child if acute, but my DD can have a good day and then maybe loose bowls the next day til her meds are done. Def. give your kid bananas and yogurt, but I'd still talk to the director if this is totally about the meds and not that she has a nasty stomach bug that is contagious.
I think $100.00 is a fair amount.
