s/o Babysitters and rides

[Barb_]

If I am then it's new to me. How this is any different than an adult working for me, I'm not sure. I pay her just as much as I paid adults previously.

Should I just not use her and instead use an adult so I'm not taking advantage?

 

Look, take it or leave it. Hire whomever you want. Your original question said, "I'm just wondering..." but it seems as if you expected to hear a lot of people agreeing with you. Shrug. If you want to continue along with what you are doing, that's between you and your sitter (and her parents). But it does sound like your perspective may not jive with the social expectations of most people.

 

Barb

[Danestress]

I guess I see it differently. I'm not asking a favor - I'm paying for a job to be done. Lol.

 

I'm just saying that in my neck of the woods, if you really want to older, more experienced sitter, you have to make that attractive to her, because she has other options, and other people who want her to sit, or friends she can hang out with. I think young girls are more free, but older girls have more options. I really liked having the best sitters available to me.

 

So for me, this is what worked. If you have your choice of great sitters and their parents are willing to get them to your house and take them home, I think you are lucky, and that's great. You asked the reasons why I drove, and I gave them to you, lol.

[Danestress]

I can't believe you only made that amount. That just doesn't seem right. Is that the going rate?

 

I didn't normally have to pay $12 an hour for a sitter - I think more like $10 an hour. But I think it was sort of "what the market can support." I never used home day care, so I didn't know it was so cheap, and I can't really comment on that. Frankly, I am shocked. I can only discuss the irregular babysitter angle.

 

Where I live, I could probably find sitting for $5 an hour. But it would be a 13 year old. I just really wanted an older teenager with more maturity, wisdom, experience. I don't think there were any who were going to be regular, dependable sitters for less than $ 8 or $ 10 an hour. So that's what I paid. I think that is right and fair.

 

But I am shocked home day care would pay so much less.

[AimeeM]

Look, take it or leave it. Hire whomever you want. Your original question said, "I'm just wondering..." but it seems as if you expected to hear a lot of people agreeing with you. Shrug. If you want to continue along with what you are doing, that's between you and your sitter (and her parents). But it does sound like your perspective may not jive with the social expectations of most people.

 

Barb

You're right. Let's agree to disagree. I didn't expect anything - including (to my detriment, obviously) fellow homeschoolers to get on me for not biding by majority rules or social expectations. Lol.

[AimeeM]

I can't believe you only made that amount. That just doesn't seem right. Is that the going rate?

 

I didn't normally have to pay $12 an hour for a sitter - I think more like $10 an hour. But I think it was sort of "what the market can support." I never used home day care, so I didn't know it was so cheap, and I can't really comment on that. Frankly, I am shocked. I can only discuss the irregular babysitter angle.

 

Where I live, I could probably find sitting for $5 an hour. But it would be a 13 year old. I just really wanted an older teenager with more maturity, wisdom, experience. I don't think there were any who were going to be regular, dependable sitters for less than $ 8 or $ 10 an hour. So that's what I paid. I think that is right and fair.

 

But I am shocked home day care would pay so much less.

Going rate here is about $10-$12 an hour for a great sitter. It's what most professional "sitter city"ers charge in the area.

(I can't answer your in home child care center questions as I've never used one)

[Impish]

I'm boggled.

 

Most ppl would agree that *any* job is worth more than $1.75/hr.

 

Yet, you say you cannot comment if it's worth more or not.

 

From a purely hypothetical pov, surely you can see that someone who spends the majority of the child's waking hrs w/them should be better compensated than that.

 

My younger 2 (and it'll be the same for our new one) have never been in daycare.

 

My eldest 2 were, as I was a single mom. I was lucky in that I found excellent situations for them, where it was more of a preschool than daycare.

 

I honestly think ppl value their entertainment childcare more than their employment care...and yet, couldn't work w/out it. Witness the chaos that ensues if a provider gets sick and can't mind the children that day, or refuses to take a sick child (according to signed policy and contracts).

 

I can't see paying a dayhome/daycare $12/hr, a lot of folks barely gross that...I'm not saying that should be the going rate.

 

I *am* saying that it strikes me as hugely imbalanced that someone would pay an untrained, uncertified, unsupervised, uncrim check/child welfare check teen $12/hr, but complain hugely about the costs of a dayhome/daycare centre.

 

I'm not saying *you* have complained, I'm saying that I've seen this over and over again irl.

[Bluegoat]

 

Where I live, I could probably find sitting for $5 an hour. But it would be a 13 year old. I just really wanted an older teenager with more maturity, wisdom, experience. I don't think there were any who were going to be regular, dependable sitters for less than $ 8 or $ 10 an hour. So that's what I paid. I think that is right and fair.

 

I've had really good luck with younger sitters. I actually find them pretty reliable and mature, and they seem to really like being with younger kids. They want to be responsible and aren't totally obsessed with boys and such, unlike a lot of older girls.

[AimeeM]

I'm just saying that in my neck of the woods, if you really want to older, more experienced sitter, you have to make that attractive to her, because she has other options, and other people who want her to sit, or friends she can hang out with. I think young girls are more free, but older girls have more options. I really liked having the best sitters available to me.

 

So for me, this is what worked. If you have your choice of great sitters and their parents are willing to get them to your house and take them home, I think you are lucky, and that's great. You asked the reasons why I drove, and I gave them to you, lol.

As I've said, it may indeed be the area. Here, we have just as many adults willing to sit as teenagers. This is the first time I've used a teen.

[FaithManor]

When dd was babysitting as a teen, she only received $5.00 an hr. for one child and an additional $1.00 per hr. per child. That was the going rate. If she babysat for only two or three hours, she made less than $20.00. I have to tell you as a parent, there is no way it is worth my time to drive her to and from which means that I have to also have the evening free even though I'm not the one doing the babysitting.

 

Due to licensing costs here in Michigan and car insurance costs (in our area it goes up right around $100.00 per month per newly licensed teen and that's if they aren't going to be driving nicer cars or anything with a loan on it), we did not have dd get her license until she turned 18. She was a primo babysitter, much sought after, but I NEVER would have been willing to put my whole evening on hold so that I could provide transportation twice.

 

I think that if the parent who needs the in-home sitter wants that teen's parent to provide transport, then they need to not only be willing to have access to care when it is convenient to that teen's parent to be home all evening, but they also need to pay that parent for the hassle.

 

Imp, I don't know who was only paying you $1.75 an hr. 18 years ago in Newburg, Oregon, my friend was getting $5.50 an hr. per child in her daycare. Since she had an LPN's license but didn't want to work in the medical field at the time, she charged $7.50 an hr. for a child requiring specialized medical care...juggling of meds, regular breathing treatments, therapy exercises, etc. She had a waiting list of parents desperate to contract for her services. But, maybe incomes were much higher in Oregon than in your area. I know one mom who cleared not one penny between health insurance and daycare, however, they had a medically fragile child and desperately needed the group medical insurance because her husband was self-employed.

 

During my teen years, the parents who needed the sitter provided the transport. My parents never would have stayed up until 1:00 a.m. to pick me and pay for the gas to do so. Would not have happened.

 

As for regular employers, parents paying teens for babysitting are not regular employers unless that teen is providing care every week for several hours. A few hrs. here or there is not a regular job and it certainly wouldn't happen, in most cases, often enough to pay the parents for the use of the car...not in the same way that 15-20 hrs. per week working at a local business would.

 

We were also extremely particular about the families we let dd babysit for because some of them expected a tremendous amount of housework do be done on top of the babysitting, plus wanted supervision of homework to the extent that it was essentially free tutoring when you considered she was only getting $5.00-6.00 an hr. A few families were put on the definite "no" list.

 

Faith

[Barb_]

 

I can't see paying a dayhome/daycare $12/hr, a lot of folks barely gross that...I'm not saying that should be the going rate.

 

I *am* saying that it strikes me as hugely imbalanced that someone would pay an untrained, uncertified, unsupervised, uncrim check/child welfare check teen $12/hr, but complain hugely about the costs of a dayhome/daycare centre.

 

I'm not saying *you* have complained, I'm saying that I've seen this over and over again irl.

 

Maybe it's a Canada thing?? Honestly Imp, I remember paying $280 a week to a center for 3 half days (maybe 5.5 hours a day?) back in 1994. Around here, the local daycare centers charge between $5.50 and $8.00 an hour (infants are higher). My oldest is getting $120 a week to watch a 10 month old for 2 7-hour days a week. It's at the higher end of the scale but her boss feels the in-home care is worth it. The same boss pays closer to $10 an hour when she hires her for late night or last minute jobs.

 

Barb

Edited February 25, 2012 by Barb F. PA in AZ

[AimeeM]

I'm boggled.

 

Most ppl would agree that *any* job is worth more than $1.75/hr.

 

Yet, you say you cannot comment if it's worth more or not.

 

From a purely hypothetical pov, surely you can see that someone who spends the majority of the child's waking hrs w/them should be better compensated than that.

 

My younger 2 (and it'll be the same for our new one) have never been in daycare.

 

My eldest 2 were, as I was a single mom. I was lucky in that I found excellent situations for them, where it was more of a preschool than daycare.

 

I honestly think ppl value their entertainment childcare more than their employment care...and yet, couldn't work w/out it. Witness the chaos that ensues if a provider gets sick and can't mind the children that day, or refuses to take a sick child (according to signed policy and contracts).

 

I can't see paying a dayhome/daycare $12/hr, a lot of folks barely gross that...I'm not saying that should be the going rate.

 

I *am* saying that it strikes me as hugely imbalanced that someone would pay an untrained, uncertified, unsupervised, uncrim check/child welfare check teen $12/hr, but complain hugely about the costs of a dayhome/daycare centre.

 

I'm not saying *you* have complained, I'm saying that I've seen this over and over again irl.

I'm sure teachers would agree with you - but I don't see the same women arguing for more in home day care pay, willing to pay public school teachers $10 an hour per child. Lol. That would amount to what... about $350 a week per parent, per child.

 

I'm not disagreeing with you completely. I do not use in home day care. I'm just saying that many people would be up to bat if we paid hourly for everything, and not monthly or weekly at cut rates for some things.

 

Public school teachers who work 40 hours per week, 30 children per class, at $30K a year make... what... about .60-something cents per child?

[LMA]

If your child has a job at a fast food restaurant or a store in a mall, the manager would not come to pick up your child. If your child volunteers at an organization, the organization does not send someone to pick up your child.

[Impish]

I can't believe you only made that amount. That just doesn't seem right. Is that the going rate?

 

I didn't normally have to pay $12 an hour for a sitter - I think more like $10 an hour. But I think it was sort of "what the market can support." I never used home day care, so I didn't know it was so cheap, and I can't really comment on that. Frankly, I am shocked. I can only discuss the irregular babysitter angle.

 

Where I live, I could probably find sitting for $5 an hour. But it would be a 13 year old. I just really wanted an older teenager with more maturity, wisdom, experience. I don't think there were any who were going to be regular, dependable sitters for less than $ 8 or $ 10 an hour. So that's what I paid. I think that is right and fair.

 

But I am shocked home day care would pay so much less.

I charged $450 a month.

 

On average, I had my dayhome kidlet 700-530. 10.5 hrs a day.

 

450/4.2=107.14 a wk. 107.4/52.5= $2.05/hr.

 

Subtract snacks, lunch, craft supplies, extra high chair, tandem stroller, crim checks for me and Wolf, first aid and cpr, (there was insurance via the agency, but I honestly can't remember if I pd that or it was covered, so not including that cost...I *think* I pd it, $15 or so a month for a million dollars in coverage)...we sat down at tax time and figured out that I'd made about $1.75/hr.

[Barb_]

I charged $450 a month.

 

On average, I had my dayhome kidlet 700-530. 10.5 hrs a day.

 

450/4.2=107.14 a wk. 107.4/52.5= $2.05/hr.

 

Subtract snacks, lunch, craft supplies, extra high chair, tandem stroller, crim checks for me and Wolf, first aid and cpr, (there was insurance via the agency, but I honestly can't remember if I pd that or it was covered, so not including that cost...I *think* I pd it, $15 or so a month for a million dollars in coverage)...we sat down at tax time and figured out that I'd made about $1.75/hr.

 

Okay, now I get it. I agree that stinks. Is that the going rate? The montessori down the road charges $628 a month for 8:30-3:00. Extended hours are extra. The Goddard school charges more than that. You'd think people would pay at least what a center charges.

[WeeBeaks]

It really irks me when I am expected to drive my daughter to a babysitting job. She usually gets paid $15-$25 and I have to eat the gas costs and the time costs. I think if someone hires a babysitter, they should plan to pick them up. Now if they want to pay at least minimum wage, I'll take her and she can reimburse me for my gas and time.

 

We are one of the oddballs who don't drive our sitter, but I do pay her $15-20/hour and book at least a week or two in advance. For those prices for a homeschooled teen, she makes very good money as it is daytime hours besides, leaving her those prime evening hours for more babysitting. :D

 

She watches them sometimes even when I'm home for a break so is not primary. Or some of them for a medical appointment for the others.

[FaithManor]

If your child has a job at a fast food restaurant or a store in a mall, the manager would not come to pick up your child. If your child volunteers at an organization, the organization does not send someone to pick up your child.

 

 

True. But, babysitting is not a regular job. I know of no teens who babysit more than a couple of hrs. once or twice a month..it's a completely unreliable source of income and the pay is low enough that is certainly for me not worth my time to run my child to that job, keep my evening, afternoon, weekend, whatever open so I can provide transportation and then pay the gas for the privilege of doing so. It isn't worth is because there is very little job experience that my child can put on a college application or use as a reference and since my child has siblings to help with, there isn't any educational value from babysitting for other people.

 

If my child takes a regular job at a restaurant, they have references if it is a job well done and regular hours with a schedule. They will have more income than they will waiting for the couple down the street to decide to go on their once a month outing. As for volunteer work, that is something that is highly prized on college apps and can also be used for references as long as the work is regular and required a more stringent time committment. Comparing a job in a business with steady hours or a volunteer job that will come with references from an organization to an irregular babysitting job is the same as comparing apples and oranges.

 

Faith

[LMA]

No, but the child has a say in the hours he is available to volunteer and work and can work that out with a parent before submitting his volunteer/works hours. But with babysitting, the time is set by the asking parents and the child's parents may not be able to help with driving during that time.

 

For example, my ds was asked to babysit on V-day last week. My dh and I also had plans to go out for V-day. We were not about to change our plans around to be able to drive ds to babysit for someone else.

 

My 15-year old niece works in a bakery. She has no say in the hours because all of the teenage workers want the same hours. My BIL and SIl have to make sure she gets to work and gets home. They have to change their plans a lot because she gets stuck with working almost all Saturday nights and she gets off at 8 and they like to go out to dinner on Saturdays.

 

Honestly, I don't have time to go get my babysitter. If they didn't have a ride, then the prospective babysitter should just turn down a job. As a freelancer, if I can't take a job for whatever reason, I turn it down. I expect the same of anyone else I ask to do a job or a favor for me. I would understand that someone doesn't have a ride to do a job for me. If I was asked to do a job and didn't have transportation, I would have to turn it down.

[LMA]

True. But, babysitting is not a regular job. I know of no teens who babysit more than a couple of hrs. once or twice a month..it's a completely unreliable source of income and the pay is low enough that is certainly for me not worth my time to run my child to that job, keep my evening, afternoon, weekend, whatever open so I can provide transportation and then pay the gas for the privilege of doing so. It isn't worth is because there is very little job experience that my child can put on a college application or use as a reference and since my child has siblings to help with, there isn't any educational value from babysitting for other people.

 

If my child takes a regular job at a restaurant, they have references if it is a job well done and regular hours with a schedule. They will have more income than they will waiting for the couple down the street to decide to go on their once a month outing. As for volunteer work, that is something that is highly prized on college apps and can also be used for references as long as the work is regular and required a more stringent time committment. Comparing a job in a business with steady hours or a volunteer job that will come with references from an organization to an irregular babysitting job is the same as comparing apples and oranges.

 

Faith

 

If my child had a request for a babysitting job and couldn't do it because of transportation, I would just tell him/her to turn it down. The requester has the option to find someone else.

 

ETA: I don't mean this in any snarky way. I would treat any babysitting request as any other activity. If it fits our schedule, then he/she could do it. If it doesn't, then I would not complain about spending the gas or changing plans. I would just have him/her turn it down. It would be the same if violin lessons or co-op or hockey did not work with our transportation schedule. We wouldn't do it. I guess I don't see why parents are complaining. It's not an obligation.

Edited February 25, 2012 by LMA

[Bluegoat]

I'm sure teachers would agree with you - but I don't see the same women arguing for more in home day care pay, willing to pay public school teachers $10 an hour per child. Lol. That would amount to what... about $350 a week per parent, per child.

 

I'm not disagreeing with you completely. I do not use in home day care. I'm just saying that many people would be up to bat if we paid hourly for everything, and not monthly or weekly at cut rates for some things.

 

Public school teachers who work 40 hours per week, 30 children per class, at $30K a year make... what... about .60-something cents per child?

 

It isn't really a matter of per child pay. It is a matter of are you really paying the person the value they deserve for the kind of work you want them to do.

 

Typically here, and I think in most places, day-cares are more expensive than in-home care. Most day-care workers get minimum wage, and often no benefits.

 

In home care is probably cheaper for a few reasons. One is that it is in the care givers home rather than a more specialized facility, and the other is that it allows the care-giver to stay at home which is often desirable for them.

 

But you also get better care in many ways - it is more like home life rather than an institution and usually there are fewer kids.

 

But the fact is, none of these people are making very good money. There are countries where pre-school teachers are paid decently and are well respected professionals who consider it a career rather than minimum wage workers who move on after a year or so. Not here in Canada r the US though.

 

So what does that say about us?

[Impish]

Okay, now I get it. I agree that stinks. Is that the going rate? The montessori down the road charges $628 a month for 8:30-3:00. Extended hours are extra. The Goddard school charges more than that. You'd think people would pay at least what a center charges.

Here, a dayhome is expected to be cheaper than a centre. And more flexible w/the hrs.

 

I've heard of more expensive homes in recent years, so it does sound like the prices are going up, mostly due to lack of options.

 

I ran my dayhome 6 yrs ago. Chances are, if I did it again, and had a spot for an under 2 (way it goes is, 1 under 1, 2 under 2, 3 under 3...til 5 I think. And there is a max amt of how many is allowed...I don't know w/my 4 at home if I'd even be allowed to have more than 1 more...not that w/my disability I could run a dayhome again) I'd be asking $600/mth, b/c it seems that's what I've been hearing lately.

 

At the same time, I didn't want to be charging parents so much that the daycare costs hurt them, kwim? And one of the many benefits to being w/an agency, is it meant that I could accept subsidy via them...there are a lot of ppl who need subsidized (sp) care, and not enough providers that accept it.

[Bluegoat]

The thing is - teen babysitters will have to get there one way or the other. They probably can't do it themselves. As long as arrangements are discussed ahead of time, that is fine. But if you want a sitter and won't help with transport, the end result may be you won't get that sitter.

 

I worked at a job where transportation was laid on - a giant green bus picked me and all the other workers up along the highway and took us out to the farm where we worked. If they hadn't, they would not have had enough labour.

 

I have a friend who is in a similar but better paying job - she gets picked up by helicopter to take her to the mine she works at which is in the middle of no-where.

 

And on a totally different point, if you see your babysitter walking home in the dark and the night and don't offer a ride if you could provide one, it is not really all that thoughtful. Being kind isn't something we do just because we are feeling like handing out treats today - it is a duty.

 

It was, in the past, understood that employers do have these kinds of duties of care towards employees - it was a major pillar of conservatism that this employee/employer relationship included this kind of loyalty and bond of community on both sides. It has unfortunatly been forgoten by modern conservatives (more properly called neoliberals), who have reduced that relationship to a kind of social-Darwinist-survival-of-the-fittest hierarchy. The contract is all we're obliged to do, apparently.

[Barb_]

Honestly, I don't have time to go get my babysitter. If they didn't have a ride, then the prospective babysitter should just turn down a job. As a freelancer, if I can't take a job for whatever reason, I turn it down. I expect the same of anyone else I ask to do a job or a favor for me. I would understand that someone doesn't have a ride to do a job for me. If I was asked to do a job and didn't have transportation, I would have to turn it down.

 

That assumes everyone would rather be short a sitter than go pick her up. I agree a heads up is in order if transportation will be an issue, but to turn down a job rather than giving the employer a chance to make that call isn't right either.

[Impish]

And, $600/mth would bring the per hr pay up to $2.72.

 

Out of curiosity, I did it backwards, to see what paying min wage would equal.

 

I'm going w/a straight $9/hr, for simplicity sake.

 

9*52.5 =472.5 * 4.2 = 1984.5

 

*faint*

 

Now, to make that...Charging $600 per infant, $500 preschool, $380 before and after school...4 additional children wouldn't even bring it up to min wage. :001_huh:

[busymama7]

I do see if very different than a regular job for many of the reasons already stated. And I do think I am doing the family a favor, even though my teen gets paid. Its not a lot of money( I get that the OP of THIS thread pays a bunch, but in my experience and circle, young teens dont get paid that much) and I also lose MY sitter for the evening. Not always, as she has an older brother, but tonight the brother was going on a campout so it meant I didnt have a sitter either. I didn't NEED her, or I she couldnt have done it, but I could have done grocery shopping if she had been home to watch our little ones.

 

AND, she didnt get asked till about 11 this am. I am FINE with that as I also make last minute plans and Im happy for her to make a little money. But I still think it is odd to ask the teens parents to drive.

 

I do not view teens babysitting in the same professional way that the OP does either. My daughter ONLY sits for families that we know well, have been in the homes, have the same/simular values. I would NEVER in a million years have her go into someones home that I did not know well. I am 100% sure that none of the families she sits for would be driving her home after drinking(we are LDS and all the families she sits for are as well). My husband, and none of the dads of the families we allow our children to sit for, drive female sitters home alone. Its not proper. I would drive while my husband stayed home with our kids while I drove them home. Except in the situations where I needed the help and asked for it up front.

 

We live near the families that have assumed I would drive(less than 4 miles) and I really do not feel like it is my responsibility to get her there. I am encouraged that the majority agreed with me.

[jasar31629]

My mom does daycare in an avg. small town in MN. She charges about $170 last I checked for a FT child. Average that out for 9-10hour days and that comes to 3.40-3.80/hr/child. She is actually high for her area as she likes to stay small. If you get in further toward the bigger suburbs you pay around $300 for in-home daycare/wk. Still not quite min. wage, although most providers do care for more than 1 child. If you want such individualized care, you'll need to jump to nanny rates which are anywhere from $14-$20 and up in my neck of the woods.

 

Babysitters ime make around $5/hr. This was pretty standard for me when I was younger and not much has changed, so I've heard. I'm sure you could pay more and get more of a nanny sort of deal, but for me, I feel that if I were to allow someone to watch my child I'd need to be comfortable with them regardless. I'd much rather a 13-15yo who I knew and trusted than a 17yo nanny sort whom I didn't know. 13-15yos are still pretty excited and gung-ho for their first real jobs too, which is nice. :D

 

I don't need to worry about any of this though- we have a few friends we co-op date nights with and my parents and a sister are within 1/2hr-45min as well and love having dd over for an evening.

[jasar31629]

I'll add that the local centers charge about 1.5 to 2x's the average in-home daycare. This is true across the board for the few metro counties averaged. It's public information through your county daycare overseeing agency (slips my mind the actual name!).

[Shellers]

For those who believe it is the responsibility of the parents needing the sitter to provide the teenage sitter with a ride - why? Just curious. I saw the replies but most weren't accompanied with an explanation.

 

I think it's the responsibility of the the people needing babysitting services because the person they are employing is underage.

[Heather in Neverland]

Yet another reason I do not use teenagers for sitters.

[LucyStoner]

First off, they're still caring for your children. Wouldn't you think that they deserve more than $1.75 an hr to mind your kids? Seriously?

 

For me, I minded ONE child. I had Tazzie who was a baby, and accepted a child 6 wks older than him. Period. Once in a blue moon I had a call for a fill in for another provider who was sick, but I refused to have more than the 2 little ones b/c I was determined to provide the best care possible, and felt that more children wouldn't allow me to do that.

 

I still made $1.75/hr. Yes, I *could* have stuffed my home to the limit, but wouldn't do that. I take pride in what I did, and know it was the kind of care that *I* would have wanted for my children.

 

I was licenced, certified, inspected, crim and child welfare check passed, my home inspected, unannounced inspections...

 

You're right, it doesn't compare to a teen. A dayhome should be paid far more.

 

As a business owner, you set your own rates, no? If you were not happy with them, raise it. Around here home daycare providers get about $800 PER CHILD a month on the low end, often closer to $1100. If they have 3 kids, even after taxes and insurance they should be clearing more than $1.75 an hour.

[LucyStoner]

I'd be asking $600/mth, b/c it seems that's what I've been hearing lately.

 

 

 

Here $800 is the lowest I have ever heard. I have friends that pay $900 and are thrilled. And the SAHM who does it for them is thrilled for the extra $$ (she watches 2 kids along with her one, so about $1800 a month pretax).