How Much Would You Pay? - Arlington Heights,IL

Since you're seriously considering starting to sub in the Fall, I would decline the offer. It wouldn't be fair to the neighbor who likely won't be able to pay you a competitive wage and that's why she's asking you to babysit rather than going to a daycare situation or kindergarten enhancement situation. Not only that, but even if you started to do it as a favor and then started working in the Fall with something that pays better she'll end up in the same position she's in now.

Decline.

I can get PT summer camp care -- 3 days per week, 2 outings (O. day swimming, O. day field trip), all food--from a nearby YMCA daycare facility for $125/week.
I doubt anyone is going to pay $25/hr. for watching a preschooler.
I'd be willing to bet she's thinking about $25-30 per day.
If you're looking for more money--do the subbing.

I was an in home daycare provider for almost 4 years. I charged $27/day for full time. I'm talking like 7 am - 5 pm type days. My rates for less than 5 hours was $5/hour. You don't make much doing in home daycare. And I'm assuming since she's an acquaintance, she may be hoping you'd be cheaper than a stranger. I can tell you now that I work outside the home, we pay $175/week for full time care for my almost 4 year old to go to Tutor Time. She goes to Pre-kindergarten there. So I think in home and part time would be much less than that.

My freedom is worth an awful lot. The family would have to make it worth my time. 3 days a week sounds way better than 5 as you will have the other 2 to do what you want. That said, any long term subbing would be out of the question.
I would ask them what the salary was going to be. If it isn't at least $15-$20 per hour, I'd say no thanks.
That's a tough decision... Good luck!

Not sure about how much to pay you...we used teenagers as babysitters in the past $5-$10 an hour. We have never needed chidcare. From what I hear it is not something that pays well..especially for one kid. One day subbing will probably make you the same as one week watching her kid.

Also, I think it wouldn't be worth giving up your freedom. Subbing has SO much freedom. You can say no to a job if it doesn't fit in your schedule or you have sick kids. Subbing pays more in one fell swoop. I also wouldn't want to watch a friend of a friends kid for $...too often mixing friendship,business and a person's child ends up bad.

Just thoughts off the top of my head.

Here in Chicagoland the going rate for a sitter for 1 kid is $10-12/hr. Would $40-48/day be enough for you? I don't recall how much subs are getting these days, but I'm pretty sure it's at least twice that amount.

How much effort is needed to watch this particular 5 year old? Are you able to take him with you to run errands? Would he be ok entertaining himself while you did stuff around the house?

I would charge $4.50 an hour since you are transporting. Yes you are walking him now, but later you will have to drive when it's snowing, lightening, or sub zero degrees. Well since you live right across maybe not. You are actually in a bit more expensive area then I am so that would be a good rate. So, about $60 per week. With no other kid around the kid will be bored. Do you really want to start a home daycare? Cause that is what you are heading towards if you try to find a companion for this kid. You could have up to 3 kids and not have to get licensed but you do have to count any income you make and report it to the IRS.
PS just read all the people thinking that it's $10 or more an hour for this type of care... um, NO. My rate is pretty much what it is in this area. You MIGHT get $6 an hour, but I doubt it.

I would not do it. My freadom is worth way more than they could afford and since you can work when you want by subbing the commitment does not seem worth it to me.

Yeah I think the wages for childcare have gone crazy. The few that can afford fancy nannies have ruined it for the rest of us because all sitters want 15-20 and hour. I only make 20 dollars per hour. What would be the point of anyone working? If I had to pay 20 bucks per hour and then an extra 20 bucks for the half hour of driving time I would spend more on childcare than what I made at work.

Do it because you want some extra spending cash and you plan to be home anyway. To make more money and/or work a lot more I would decline and sub like you planned.

If you do sit I would charge 10-12 per hour.

My mother has been doing this type of thing for years. She was asked to watch some young girls 2 to 3 half days a week. The main reason is because the mom wanted my mom to speak Spanish to the girls.. My mom is paid $15. an hour. To make this clear.. it is one child, but the couple now has 2 girls, but the eldest is in a preschool.

The girls speak fluent English, French and Spanish.

Babysitting for 1 child is generally $10-$12 in my area (Western Suburbs of Chicago) for an experience adult babysitter.

J.:

If you are considering subbing in the Fall - I would tell her so. While subbing doesn't mean consistent work - it does mean more work for you. I would tell her that on the days are you not actively subbing, you would watch him or even be the back up.

How much would I pay? $20 an hour for someone who is going to help my child learn and not just plop him down in front of a TV and go about her business.

When my kids were in half-day programs for Kindergarten (so they would go to public K in the morning and then I would pay for an extended day) the tuition worked out to about $20-$25 a day for the half days. I would look at the pre-schools and other childcare centers in your area that offer programs to fill the half-day Kindergarten gap and base a daily rate on their daily rate. On one hand, one could argue that the daily rate at a center should be higher because they have more facilities, professional staff, etc. On the other hand, one could argue that your rate should be higher because there is a much smaller student:caregiver ratio. I guess that what one values more depends on the person but in my area, $20 for a half day would be a really good deal because normally, baby-sitters are paid at least $10 an hour.

We pay our babysitter $12/hr. I would say since you are more "mature" and are entertaining and feeding him no less than $15/hr. but then I'm also in CA where everything is more expensive. Not sure what the going rate in your area is.

I pay the young lady at my gym 15$ per hour plus extra 50$ for food and of fun. She will take the kids to chuckie cheese. But it's only 2 times a month.

For a grown woman and former teacher - $20 per hour.

You're not just a "sitter". $10 is around what I'd pay a teenage girl. You deserve more, you have more qualifications!!

You can go to care.com and use their pay-calculator. You enter your location and it tells you what most babysitters are making in your area. Then you just assume that you would be making that much per hour.

subs in our area make about 100 a day.. 8-3 ish school day hours.

so you would have the child about 4 hours. I would pay at most $40 a day. .. so much less than subbing.

I would say 40-50/day for something like that, esp. since you have experience.

Lots of variables to consider, like your area, what comparable sitters are paid, etc. In my area, personally, I would expect to pay about $150 a week for what you described. And I would be happy paying that.

I don't know those exact variables but I paid my sitter 20 dollars to come at seven and kick the kids to the curb at 8:20 so I could get to class on time.

$200 per week.
khairete
S.