You are much nicer than me if you even have to ask this question 
I would have charged for just the one day. At the minimum you should have always been compensated for food or other activity fees.
Of course you should be paid - otherwise you would completely be taken advantage of. She is working a full-time job, and you are not the child’s grandma, etc. You could be doing other things with your time, and devoting more time to your own kids if you weren’t watching hers. Take the money!!!
If she offered, take it. Even if she didn’t offer, you should still charge her for regular care. It is a service you are providing that is helping her from needing to seek out someone else.
I watch one of my best friends little girl twice a week. I used to be “as needed” whenever her mom needed a break. She still paid me. She even pays her mom - very well, too. They pay her/me what they would pay a regular sitter because they know and appreciate having someone they know and trust taking care of their child.
Watching children is not an easy job. If you are watching someone else’s child, you should receive something for it. To watch a child once in a while to help someone out is one thing, but anything regular is a service that you should be compensated for…
Just have to get on the bandwagon of take the money! 
I think $6.25/hour is cheap for her and since you are friends then I think it’s fine, but know she’s getting child care at a good deal. I do agree with those that said you need to sit down and have a plan of what it will look like and how to plan around vacations, summer, sick days, etc.
I’m always happy to watch friends’ children for free. However, you are doing more than the occasional, or even recurring favor. You are essentially working full time by caring for her child 4-5 days a week. I would definitely expect some sort of compensation (though minimal, seeing as she is a friend) and wouldn’t turn down the money she offered. Though, if i was setting the price, I would have asked for less. $6.25 an hour, assuming 40 hour work weeks, is over 1000 a month.
LET HER PAY YOU. YES. But don’t do it for $6.25—thats way too cheap~ I would say at least $8/hour. She is already getting an awesome deal. Just because you are friends doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be compensated for this. Its one thing to do it once in awhile, but if this lady didn’t have her daughter with you, she would be paying someone else to watch her. So yes—do a contract (i know–but just for business purposes) and then make sure you both sign and date it. State everything in there—that way nothing is uncomfortable or gets weird in the process.
YES!!! And shame on her for not insisting.
I think that you should accept her money. You are giving her a bargain because you are a friend. Tell your DH she wouldn’t find a good babysitter anywhere else for that price and that’s the friendship part. She may also feel better paying you. There are times when I feel like I want to give something to my friends not because I have to but because I appreciate it and it’s the right thing to do.
(For comparison, in my area, I paid $299/week for infant and toddler care - and that was on the mid to low side of what this area costs.)
Ditto everyone else’s advice, of course she should pay you.
And I really don’t get where your husband is coming from, would HE take care of someone’s kid all week, every week for free?!
You’ve gotten a lot of responses already, but I want to throw one more in there: you need to take the money to keep the friendship equal.
Right now, you are doing her a HUGE favor, which she has no way to reciprocate. She feels very indebted to you, and the only way she can return the favor is to pay you. Otherwise, this favor will hang over her head, and she will feel forced to find other ways to pay you back.
Also, the kid is going to do something that drives you nuts. (Because that’s what kids do, right?) You will feet better about it, if you are getting paid.
There will be less hurt feelings all the way around,
I am in a similar situation, watching a girlfriend’s child. We settled on, she drops off enough snacks and lunch items for BOTH of our kids (my youngest is the same age as her child). I watch them and prep the food which SHE supplies. It’s enough to settle the debt.
By all means, if you can think of another way for her to return the favor, take it. But the money is the easiest way, in this case.
Thank her graciously and accept the payment. There is no good excuse for you to give that much time and work for free. It wouldn’t be right. I’m not sure what your husband is thinking to be honest. Would he work full time for free for any friends? I’ve had various friends watch my kids. I always offer to pay. They always take it unless they have kids too and we swap. You need to get paid. You’re right, she’d pay someone else if not you.
As for rate-a top notch daycare in our area is $36/day. SO her hourly rate is fair. If it’s total rip off where you live, you may want to ask for more, but it sounds OK to me-but maybe have her add a bit for food or bring food.
Watching a child for a friend or relative once in a while or even once a month or so at no charge is reasonable. Watching her child one day a week at no charge for 1.5 years is kind is kind.Watching her child every day, full time for free would be crazy. You have committed your time and are restricted as such.
She changed her schedule, she offered to pay you, you are ok with the amount (she presumably is too) so I think it is fine but let me just say that if she is paying you by the hour and is working full time (40 hours) she will be paying you quite a bit (just 40 hours x $6 would be $240 per week). When you add travel time for her it would seem that she would be paying more than she would pay for fulltime care at a licensed facility…assuming that hubby isn’t picking up earlier . Since she’s a friend, maybe you should check around to see what is the going rate in your area and charge her that.
If you provide the food for the daughter, that would mean a little more may be warranted but $250 a week seems like a lot.
Charge her. This is not every now n then. This is a job. Don’t be foolish.
I get paid to watch my nephew. Babysitting full time is hard work and you should get paid for it. As long as she offered and you are happy with it then do it.
I’m still stuck on the fact that you watched her child for 9 hours a week for a year and a half with no pay. A family member who is in a bind and can’t pay you? Maybe. Charity starts at home. I would feel zero guilt about being paid. Doesn’t your husband think giving up your free time is worth being paid for? Absolutely take the $$.
Is your husband crazy?!?! Definitely take the money. You’re not doing her a once in awhile favor. This is a JOB. Actually, it was a job when you were doing it for 9 hours!! You are a truly nice person for doing that. I can’t imagine asking a friend to do that. So, it’s only right that she offers to pay you now. And you are right - she has to pay SOMEONE to watch her daughter, and she’s lucky she has you - a good friend who knows her kid. A win/win situation - as long as she pays you
I would charge her. You have helped her enough. I would just think about it this way, full time care is a lot, a big responsibility. Use the money to buy your family Christmas gifts, a fun day out, whatever you have been wanting to do but have been holding off on!
I think $6.25 is way too much for you to charge her. Even if she’s willing to pay it that’s over $300 per week for child care. I would charge her a flate rate for the whole week and be done with it. You also need to find out what the laws in your area are for running an unlicensed child care in your home. You are in fact already doing just that. Some states have a zero policy and others are much more lenient. I would want to get it from the licensing agency so I would know for sure. If they say you can watch this child then I would consider getting certified and take a couple more kids so you could make more money.
Normal child care for full time if about 10 hours per day, even can be up to 11 if it’s a busy place like you live. Traffic can be really bad at rush hour.
I would call around and find out what child care centers charge full time for a 3 year old then charge her less. A child care worker is a professional person who has gone to school and has specialized training to offer. They also spend hours every year in continuing education. You are a good person I am sure but you are also not a professionally trained child care provider.
Accept some payment. I agree with the moms suggesting a flat rate. However, go into this arrangement expecting late payments or requests to skip a payment here and there. Asking for snacks & supplies in lieu of a portion of a payment would be okay too. Otherwise if you’re counting too much on the money then late payments ect. might cause a rift in your friendship. Have an if I get it great if not no biggie attitude.
Definitely take some payment. I think I paid my daycare $30 per day when it was a whole day. My babysitter gets $15 per hour but I don’t need daycare now just after school. I can see you didn’t want to charge for one day a week but a full week with a 3 year old deserves some payment. Hope this helps.
yeah you need some sort of payment. once a week okay no reason to pay but you are going to be sort of like a day care, get it in writting and make some type of contract