Penny_P Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 I'm still trying to get off of working nights and want to work one day a week. Ideally, ds would have (minimal) guidance on his own schoolwork, be able to sit in on science/history lessons, be picked up from our house (or dropped off at 6:30am), fed lunch, and go to any homeschool fieldtrips/activities scheduled for that family that day. DS is 10. How much would you charge/pay for this service? How much if DS2 was to be watched, too? (I was trying to organize it with his enrichment day, but I don't think there are any families from this area going out there.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penny_P Posted November 15, 2011 Author Share Posted November 15, 2011 Anyone? Someone mentioned that they payed $40/day for a child. I'm wondering if that's sort of the "going rate". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
love2read Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 Don't take this the wrong way, but you couldn't pay me enough to watch another child who is homeschooled while I homeschool. I would do it out of love for the family for free, and I have for short intervals, but I couldn't do it otherwise. Is there any way you can make a trade of some sort? Barter something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaAkins Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 How long of a day? 6:30am until when? If it is until 4:30, I would say a minimum of $40, with you sending food for your ds' breakfast, lunch and snack....or including an extra amount to cover food for those meals, as well as covering the cost of any field trips/activities. If it is later than 4:30 for pick-up, then I would say that you should pay more....maybe $50? Honestly, I think you might be hard-pressed to find someone who is willing to take on that task. The combination of a very early morning, having to include another child in the homeschooling, and the long day may make it not worthwhile for another mom to take on the task. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 If someone around here wanted me to... I would do it, if you'd have him go along with where we were... (but at his right level) To take him with me to co-op would be easy if it was the right day.... or to do a day of "field trips" or something like that. It'd be harder if you were strict about him keeping to your schedule at another persons house.... I'd put an ad up at your local hs bookstore or something like that... :) If you were just paying money to "sport the other family's field trips" versus daycare that might work, too. I imagine all the fun everyone could have going to an educational field trip every week or two that we might not normally budget for... :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 Also... just a thought... but at 10 perhaps you'd have a family where he could just spend the night and wake up at whatever time the family does.... We don't wake up at 6:30am if we can help it :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penny_P Posted November 15, 2011 Author Share Posted November 15, 2011 I probably wasn't real clear on my first post. He could be picked up at 8:45 or so. I think dh would be... uncooperative with dropping ds1 off at daycare and dd at ps AND ds10 at someone's house. I could take him, but my shift would start at 7, and, YES, it's way before we're normally up and going around here. Unless, the family would be willing to watch dsalmost2. Then I don't think dh would mind dropping them both off. I just meant if they happened to be going somewhere, it would be swell if ds10 could go to, like a parkday or whatever. Of course, we'd pay for him. Frankly, I'm just fishing for ideas here. I, personally, wouldn't want to do it either. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 Babysitters in my neck of the woods get at least $10/hour so $40 seems low to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penny_P Posted November 16, 2011 Author Share Posted November 16, 2011 Anyone else? No way would I pay someone $10/hour. That would make my work day not very lucrative. Maybe a swap situation would be better. Sigh. I AM awfully desperate to get out of working nights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 Is it everyday of the week? I have done this for a family. It was $40 a day, but the day was 10 - 3 for two kids. Honestly if your kid is a joy and a delight $40 for a longer day would be fine. My dd's best friend, I would keep in a heartbeat for her family for less; she is so dear. Anyway... I think it is a hard thing to do with someone you don't know. I would rack my brain to see if there is someone to ask directly. Money is money and for a lot of people $40 extra dollars a couple times a week could mean a big difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penny_P Posted November 17, 2011 Author Share Posted November 17, 2011 Anybody else? Sorry, I don't mean to be beating a dead horse, but I'm planning to post an ad on our local homeschool board. I want to have a clear idea of how much is reasonable. Unfortunately, I don't have anyone really close that I can ask that would really do it for free. I will suggest offering an exchange in my ad, though. Unfortunately, with only an SUV it would make us housebound for the day, but maybe the trade-off would be worth it.... The day would be like from 8:30-6 one day a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 Well, *I'd* never do it, lol. But, if you can find someone who'd do it, then I'd imagine $40-$60/day would be reasonable if they are really just babysitting, taking him along to their stuff, and keeping him safe. As in, they aren't responsible for making him get his stuff done. If they had to make sure he got his stuff done (or, God forbid, helping him with it), then it'd have to be more like $10/hr. At least. If you add the 2 yo to the mix, that'd more than double it IMHO. I'd imagine more like $60-$80/day for a 2yo. So, $100/day minimum for the two of them, probably more. Definitely in the $10+/hr range. Are there any daycares in your area that do "drop-in" or one-day-a-week day care? If so, then I'd call them and find out what their rates are for, say, a 4 or 5 yo (or whatever age is cheapest, maybe they do older kids in the summer). Then I'd use that as a starting point. Unless you have an individual person who you can ID that would be willing and able, then I think it's going to be very expensive and difficult to arrange. If you had to drop the child off at 6:45, that'd be a huge problem for me. Likewise, coming to fetch the child would also be a huge problem. I think you need to get your husband to be willing to drop your child off. The hs families that I know who hire help hire people to come into their home. Usually 10+/hr even in a cheap cost of living area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather R Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 What about finding a day home that is willing to take an older child? Around here, day homes charge between $25-40 per day, depending on age, quality, etc. Maybe you'll even find a homeschooler who runs a day home (I know at least two). Good luck! Heather Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farnie6 Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 Once a month, another local Home educator and her 2 kids come to our home 11.30-5.30 & look after my 4 kids, to enable me to go to work. I have scheduled that particular day as a free day, and essentially it's a play date. We agreed that £10 ($15)per hour was a good deal for both, so £60 total, that's about $95. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 Are there any daycares in your area that do "drop-in" or one-day-a-week day care? If so, then I'd call them and find out what their rates are for, say, a 4 or 5 yo (or whatever age is cheapest, maybe they do older kids in the summer). Then I'd use that as a starting point. Our drop-in childcare takes kids 18 months through age 12. I don't know what they would think about having a 10 year old during the school day. When I buy a card ahead of time (20 hours) it is $5.50/hr. Paying as you go is $7/hr. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 I'd say $60/day for one child and $100/day for both. They provide meals/snacks. You'll have better luck with the 10-year-old. Adding a 2-year-old to the mix will be a deal breaker for many. I wouldn't want to count on field trips working out with someone else's toddler in the mix. If dropping 3 kids in 3 places really is the best solution your DH will just need to get over himself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meriwether Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 I'll be the odd man out and say that $40 for a 10 yo sounds really high. If I lived near by, I'd offer to have him over on a trial basis. If he was relatively easy to be around and would work on whatever you sent with reasonable input from me, I'd be happy to have him come. Twenty dollars would be plenty for me. It's not like I'd have to take him potty.;) I'd watch the little one, as long as he got along decently with my 2yo. Maybe $5/hour? I wouldn't charge for the older one, then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
black_midori Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 I'd say $60/day for one child and $100/day for both. They provide meals/snacks. You'll have better luck with the 10-year-old. Adding a 2-year-old to the mix will be a deal breaker for many. I wouldn't want to count on field trips working out with someone else's toddler in the mix. If dropping 3 kids in 3 places really is the best solution your DH will just need to get over himself. :iagree: I completely agree with this - a 10yo would be fairly easy to deal with, assuming they were co-operative & could sit & get their own work done without much assistance (or joined in on things that my family was dong). A 2yo is a completely different deal, requiring almost-constant entertainment & watching. If I was already homeschooling my own kids & added someone's 10yo into the mix - that would be do-able. Adding a 2yo into the mix, though? NO WAY. I would offer a minimum of $50 per day & would expect for that price that it would be someone either who knew my ds & was fully willing to incorporate him or someone anxious to find a way to make some money from home & still be able to do what they usually do (as in, not a professional teacher who has your son's educational experience as their over-riding goal & will bend over backwards to get things done exactly as you, the payer, desire). I currently pay $60 a day for an 8yo & 6yo to stay at our home with a sitter for 7 hours a couple times a week. I consider this basically babysitting & therefore don't expect them to get very much schoolwork done (a few worksheets & some Spanish). I think I started at $50 a day but gave a raise after a couple of years. If the day were longer or the youngest younger, I would definitely pay more. I would pay about the same if it were only the older for a longer day & I expected him just to blend into the other person's day. I would pay more if I expected my educational desires to be catered to. I would pay a TON more if I were also asking someone to watch a 2yo, and I would expect them not to get much school done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
********* Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 (edited) Any chance you have two really good homeschooling friends? If one of my good homeschooling girlfriends wanted to do something like you're proposing, I'd be more than happy to help her out one day every other week. And on my 'off' week, her kid(s) could go to another friend's house. And honestly, if I were close enough with someone to be willing to keep their kid(s) one day every other week, I couldn't/wouldn't charge them. But if it were EVERY week, yeah, then it's more like a 'job', and compensation would be appreciated. $40 seems MORE than generous for one day in our area. But really, first off if I were you, I'd consider if I had more than one friend who would be willing to help. I think it's more likely you'll get a girlfriend that's fine with watching your son every other week rather than every week. Every week feels kinda like a job/chore; every other week feels more like a play date/helping out a friend. Or maybe that's just me. :D ETA: Maaaan, I got sucked in to an old thread, LOL. That almost never happens; I *always* check the OP date. Edited May 30, 2012 by bethanyniez Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 I'm still trying to get off of working nights and want to work one day a week. Ideally, ds would have (minimal) guidance on his own schoolwork, be able to sit in on science/history lessons, be picked up from our house (or dropped off at 6:30am), fed lunch, and go to any homeschool fieldtrips/activities scheduled for that family that day. DS is 10. How much would you charge/pay for this service? How much if DS2 was to be watched, too? (I was trying to organize it with his enrichment day, but I don't think there are any families from this area going out there.) I think the rate would really depend on the going rate for daycare in your area. What's reasonable in one area of the country may be way too high/low for yours. Especially with the 2yo in the mix, you really need to consider local daycare rates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Kate Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 (edited) Anyone? Someone mentioned that they payed $40/day for a child. I'm wondering if that's sort of the "going rate". Not sure if this was me or not, but I did pay a friend $40 per day (2 days per week) to watch my ds this year. I sent his math, copywork, phonics worksheet, etc. She did science and history with him (along with her kids). Our kids were in a homeschool PE class and she took ds there. She watched him from 8:30 - 5pm. ETA: Just realized this is an old thread. :tongue_smilie: Edited May 30, 2012 by mandos mom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 here;s a thought.,,, why not see if a homeschooled teen would be willing to come to your house and stay with him. She would be able to do her work while he does his. A 15-16 yo might enjoy getting $40 for doing her work at someone else's house one day a week. If you get the right teen, she might like helping him with his work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourcatmom Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 This is exactly the kind of thing I have been looking for. I have worked for the local school district for the past 6 years but want to be at home. Watching someone's kids and incorporating them into our homeschool would be the easiest way for me to stay home and earn some money. I don't know what I would charge and that's why I am following the conversation. I think if it's the right circumstance for both parties, then why not? I wish you lived closer to me! :001_smile: The problem that I am having is how to find the right family! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.