question about being underpaid.

EmilyAnn89
EmilyAnn89 Posts: 564 Member
edited September 2024 in Chit-Chat
i watch my mother in laws kids ( 3 & 5 ) currently 3 days a week from 8-5. she pays me $100 per week. the 5 year old is in school and gets here around 11 a.m. after memorial day she is going back to full time and the 5 year old will be out of school. i will have both kids from 8-5 everyday and she is still only going to be paying me $100 per week. am i getting ripped off? she says that once the 5 year old starts full day kindergarten next year 8 am - 2:30ish. and the three year old starts preschool.. 11 a.m. - 2:30 it will even itself out. i just don't see that being possible? am i being unreasonable to think that i am being underpaid?

Replies

  • EmilyAnn89
    EmilyAnn89 Posts: 564 Member
    i watch my mother in laws kids ( 3 & 5 ) currently 3 days a week from 8-5. she pays me $100 per week. the 5 year old is in school and gets here around 11 a.m. after memorial day she is going back to full time and the 5 year old will be out of school. i will have both kids from 8-5 everyday and she is still only going to be paying me $100 per week. am i getting ripped off? she says that once the 5 year old starts full day kindergarten next year 8 am - 2:30ish. and the three year old starts preschool.. 11 a.m. - 2:30 it will even itself out. i just don't see that being possible? am i being unreasonable to think that i am being underpaid?
  • EmilyAnn89
    EmilyAnn89 Posts: 564 Member
    i also want to add that i provide lunch & snacks for both and breakfast for the 3 year old.
  • Phoenix_Rising
    Phoenix_Rising Posts: 11,417 Member
    3 days x 9 hours = 27 hours
    $100 / 27 hours = $3.70 per hour to watch 2 children.


    Yes, you are being underpaid. The question is, are you doing this because she is family???
  • Phoenix_Rising
    Phoenix_Rising Posts: 11,417 Member
    i also want to add that i provide lunch & snacks for both and breakfast for the 3 year old.

    :noway: :noway: :noway: :noway: :noway: :noway: :noway:

    I have the most inexpensive daycare EVAH (and luckily it's a TREMENDOUS facility) through a non-profit Baptist church. I pay $115 per week for one 3 y/o, which includes breakfast, lunch, snack.
  • EmilyAnn89
    EmilyAnn89 Posts: 564 Member
    well i'm genuinely a nice person and she asked me if i was interested... i have a child so i thought it would be nice to stay home... but it just seems like i could be making so much more money elsewhere.
  • RachVR6
    RachVR6 Posts: 3,688 Member
    My bf's mom pays I think $200 a week for one 1.5yr old. :noway:
  • 3babybeans
    3babybeans Posts: 8,268 Member
    I don't think you want to talk most expensive day cares ever. I paid $750 a month when I was working for ONE child FOUR days a week. Let's not go there, I might start crying. :sad:


    I think you're being underpaid as well. BUT, it sounds like if you try to push the issue with her, she's going to want to adjust your pay come fall if she adjusts it in the summer. What does your husband think about this?
  • EmilyAnn89
    EmilyAnn89 Posts: 564 Member
    well she originially told me that when she went back full time it was going to be from 7:30 to 2:30 which is what i had agreed to because then i still had from 2:30 each day of the sumer to spend with my child and maybe my mother.. but then 2 days before i started she started talking about how she would be working till 4:30 every day AFTER she had already cancelled with her other sitter and i was too chicken to say anything :frown:
  • EmilyAnn89
    EmilyAnn89 Posts: 564 Member
    i think that she was lying to me to get me to say yes and then once i agreed sprung the 4:30 on me. my husband says she "doesn't lie" so she wouldn't do that.
  • Phoenix_Rising
    Phoenix_Rising Posts: 11,417 Member
    BTW, my 10 year old brother's after school care (at the same facility as my kiddo) runs $65 a week plus activity fees.
  • Shannon023
    Shannon023 Posts: 14,529 Member
    I pay $30/day for my daughter.

    I think you're being grossly underpaid too. :flowerforyou:
  • EmilyAnn89
    EmilyAnn89 Posts: 564 Member
    :explode: :explode: :explode: UGH!!! i dont can't even begin to think of telling her this without starting world war 3 :grumble:
  • 3babybeans
    3babybeans Posts: 8,268 Member
    i think that she was lying to me to get me to say yes and then once i agreed sprung the 4:30 on me. my husband says she "doesn't lie" so she wouldn't do that.

    Perhaps you should research some other in-home daycares in the area & see what they charge for the same services you're giving your MIL. That way, when you bring it up you can have that information to give her. I feel for you. You're in a difficult spot between MIL, hubby, HER kids & your child!
  • kimber607
    kimber607 Posts: 7,128 Member
    Hi

    I agree with the others
    The cheapest you can get in my neck of the woods is about $10/hr
  • JDHINAZ
    JDHINAZ Posts: 641 Member
    I have no children, but the math says that you could be making more, and she would still be saving some money if you raised your rate. If you're in a situation where you NEED to make more, then you need to be honest with her. If you feel you're just being taken advantage of, then you should probably still try to renegotiate. It could always be that she just might be thinking..."well....she's home anyway, and she's family, so it isn't that big of a deal for her." But, it would be a huge deal to me. Tricky situation. Good luck!
  • Philde04
    Philde04 Posts: 160
    I pay $20 a day for my son...... I would say you are def being underpaid.
  • Shannon023
    Shannon023 Posts: 14,529 Member
    :explode: :explode: :explode: UGH!!! i dont can't even begin to think of telling her this without starting world war 3 :grumble:

    Would your husband back you up??
  • chrissyh
    chrissyh Posts: 8,235 Member
    You might consider adding a little more when they are there full time and go back to the $100 when school starts back.

    My daughter keeps a 7, 9 and 11 year old in the summer and makes $200 a week and they provide their own lunch and snacks. The mother is thrilled because she's getting such a good deal.....
  • EmilyAnn89
    EmilyAnn89 Posts: 564 Member
    i would hope he would but then again he is a BIG momma's boy. i am going to talk to him about it tonight and see what he thinks.. it's not even that i want to make a mint off of her because since she is family i would like to give her a good deal, but not one that completely rips me off either..
  • lmdavis804
    lmdavis804 Posts: 81
    I babysit for one family on my days off and they pay me $2/hr per child. On the days that my children go to daycare I get charged $2/hr. Which in the area that I live in is the norm. Maybe you should start charging by the hour. :smile:
  • MyaPapaya75
    MyaPapaya75 Posts: 3,143 Member
    I think you have to figure out if your doing this for the extra money or doing it because your home and have a child already and so its just sorta to help her out....if its for the extra money then i would have to ask what would you do with your child while you work another job? would you have to pay for childcare? If so you may have to figure out the difference in what you would be making...meaning if you got a job then subtract gas,childcare etc and see if you come out above what your making by staying at home...if your doing it just to help her out then I would simply ask her to chip in on groceries by adding in an extra 25 per week....100 bucks is pretty cheap for even 1 child part time including food....100 bucks for one child and she brings the food would be more reasonable and then she should add on 70-80 bucks for any additional children ..
  • Shannon023
    Shannon023 Posts: 14,529 Member
    i would hope he would but then again he is a BIG momma's boy. i am going to talk to him about it tonight and see what he thinks.. it's not even that i want to make a mint off of her because since she is family i would like to give her a good deal, but not one that completely rips me off either..

    You should be able to come up with a happy medium.

    Don't let her make you feel bad for taking advantage of you. :flowerforyou:
  • FluffnStuff
    FluffnStuff Posts: 387
    I pay $20 a day for 5 days a week.... Which equals $100 a week...
    She only watches her from 11:30-4:30, and is supposed to feed her lunch (which I have come to find out has been SERIOUSLY lacking...not happy).

    Then again, she's been watching my daughter since she was 9 months old.
    It depends on the arrangement. As someone mentioned above... why are you doing it... mine is just helping me out cause she knows it's tough for me as a single parent and commuting.
  • Heather125
    Heather125 Posts: 433 Member
    I was paying $30 ( canadian funds) a day for an at home daycare without snacks and that seems to be about average around here anyway
  • EmilyAnn89
    EmilyAnn89 Posts: 564 Member
    I think you have to figure out if your doing this for the extra money or doing it because your home and have a child already and so its just sorta to help her out....if its for the extra money then i would have to ask what would you do with your child while you work another job? would you have to pay for childcare? If so you may have to figure out the difference in what you would be making...meaning if you got a job then subtract gas,childcare etc and see if you come out above what your making by staying at home...if your doing it just to help her out then I would simply ask her to chip in on groceries by adding in an extra 25 per week....100 bucks is pretty cheap for even 1 child part time including food....100 bucks for one child and she brings the food would be more reasonable and then she should add on 70-80 bucks for any additional children ..


    if i was working i would either take the night shift after my husband gets home from work or i would work a few days a week and my mother or stepmother would watch him. neither would charge me.
  • LuvinLife
    LuvinLife Posts: 89 Member
    I used to run a daycare, and yes, $100 is way under what I would have charged for full time/ 2 kids. I charged $165 for 2 and that was on the lower end in my area. Buuuuu-t I also agree that you need to figure out what the priority is. Is this just a bonus that helps and you get to be with your child(ren)? It meant so much to me to be able to be home with my kids. Unfortunately, I started a daycare so that I didn't have to send my kids to my MIL's daycare anymore. (She has lost her touch) Or is it that you need more money and if she doesn't pay more you may HAVE to look for a job so that you can bring in more income? There may be a way to put it to her that your family needs more income. If she's willing to pay more, then this could avoid you having to get a job and her looking for other care. If she's not then you have warned her that she may have to find other care. If she looks around, she'll find she will have to pay A LOT more.

    Another option for more income is if this is something you enjoy, get your daycare license and take on a couple more kids. It's a great tax break and you could take on just one more child if you wanted to.

    If you have any other questions, PM me and I'd be happy to help if I can. Good Luck!! I know it's a touchy situation.

    Claire
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