baby sitting job - part time work at home
boyohboyohboy wrote: ok, so for a while now i have wanted to find some kind of small job i can do from home. this opportunity has just come up for me to start watching a one yr old little girl in my home part time.
there are pros and cons to this..
i think it would be good for jake, who needs to socialize more. he is just starting to like to make friends, and its really helping having some smaller kids around to play with. we have all the toys and the house is baby proofed.
I am just not sure if a one yr old is a little young for me to take on. that would be one more child in diapers and one more on a bottle more then likely and the time it would take to feed her...
while i have a two yr old and a 7 week old..
and would also have caleb when he gets home from school and such.
so if i do decide to take this on, since its only part time, what would you ask for as payment? I have no idea what sitters charge now.
what do you think.
kit_kats_mom replied: I wouldn't be able to do it but if you think you can, maybe do a trial run on a weekend or something.
Our sitter charges $35/day per child for part time. That means I pay $70/wk for Lauren to go on Tues and Thurs from 8-5. I think she charges about $150/wk for full time and it might be a little more if the child is younger.
lovemy2 replied: Yep - most babies that age - I still consider them babies - here range from $35-$40 a day....I say give it a try - see how it works out - tell the mother you would like to give it a trial run for two weeks and see if you can swing it- it may make like easier in some respect by helping to occupy Jake ie: while you are feeding Andrew, etc - and Andrew probably naps twice a day right and the little girl would too I imagine in the afternoons so you would have some breaks.....
luvmykids replied: I'm glad you asked, I'm doing the same thing starting today....watching my friends one year old on Tues/Thurs. They're paying me $100 a week but I don't know how that came about, I guess that's what they were paying her old sitter.
boyohboyohboy replied: I am lucky with andrew, he is such a good baby. he sleeps most all day really. he is only awake a little bit. and he loves his swing, so i hate to say it, but he lives in that thing, because its not safe for him on the floor or in the bassinet with jake running around. jake can be a terror (as caleb says)
so mainly my day is spent chasing after jakob. and i thought if this little girl can walk ( i dont have all the details yet) but if she can, then she and jake can play. he is good with other kids. he is actually really shy and shares really well. now that might change once he gets used to her......
but i think i will call her and tell her i will try it for two weeks for free, just to see if it works. and then we can talk about the money.
and besides i always wanted a little girl around!
momtoMegan&Alyxandria replied: Unless she is super good friend I don't think I would do it for free, but maybe a reduced price since it is a trial. Maybe charge her $30.00 for the week. That way you do earn a little money especially if you are going to be providing all the food. (I don't know you didn't mention it). My daycare provides all the food and I provide the diapers and wipes. Just something to think about.
moped replied: I think here is around $60/day.
mummy2girls replied: Give it a whirl for a couple weeks and see. I charge 35/day
Yes it will be busy and stressful but a good stressful. I didnt think I could handle it but I handle 6 kids under the age of 4yrs. 3 are 2 yrs old and under. The kids do play and get along but they also fight like siblings!
you may have to take more then 2 weeks trial because sometimes it can take that long to get a good routine down and the kids true personality can come out. Meaning with every new child they are angels. because they dont know you and are not quite comfy with you so they are scared to act up in fear of abadonment. but as they get used to you and know you wont turn your back onthem they start to show their true personality. some stay nice some can turn ugly...LOL. Plus it took about jenna that time to get tired of sharing her toys and then fighting started... the advice for that is let him take the toys he does not have to share with the kids and put and keep in his room and when he seems overwhelmed then he can go to his room and be by himself.. works for Jenna:)
But throught it all i enjoy my job and love every aspect of it except for calling CS.
holley79 replied: I pay 115 a week for full time so just all depends on you.
boyohboyohboy replied:
I dont know this woman at all, I am not trying to get into a real day care setting thing, just wanted to help her out, and get a playmate for jake at the same time. I dont think i will provide anything, and i think she is thinking just 2 days a week a few hours, she is a SAHM and just had a new baby, and is having some trouble adjusting, and this little one just turned one, so she wants her to get out to have a play time with some kids, and also some one on one time, and then give her a chance to rest and get her house in order, and get a routine and her head above water..i can so relate..
i just dont want to sink myself at the same time.
i think i can do it, but would like a trial run.
thanks for helping and throwing ideas around
also i have been a SAHM now for 2yrs and honestly, i know i shouldnt feel this way, but i feel like its my chance to provide a little for the family. i know i have a "job" but sometimes i feel like i wish i got paid..
My2Beauties replied: I think it would be good for Jake to have a playmate, it will occupy his time and give this little girl a chance to play with kids closer to her age as well. Also, as far as feeding her...she can hold her own bottle/sippy cup, you just have to prepare it, so I wouldn't even worry about giving her liquids. As far as actual food food, you'll have to ask the mother, some kids are good at feeding themselves at that age, they may make a mess, but the majority of the foods goes in their tummies and not the floor, other kids still need help. I think most kids at 1 probably need more help. But you'll probably just feed her lunch right? Well I guess breakfast too huh? It depends on how far over 1 she is, at around 18 months she should be good to go with feeding, albeit making a mess but nonetheless not having to sit there feeding the kid yourself. As far as diaper changing, it's fewer and farer inbetween so you'd probably have to change her every 2 hours, maybe even 2.5, so just about 3-4 times a day, no biggie, versus a newborn's once every hour diaper change  Not fun!
Boo&BugsMom replied:
That's a very good rate for only 2 days a week! Some licensed center's don't even get that much. 
Boo&BugsMom replied: Why would she still need a bottle? At her age she doesn't need it so you can tell the mom you will take her but only if she is weaned from the bottle and only eats solid foods. Makes it much easier to deal with from a sitter/daycare perspective. That was always my policy regarding children over the age of 1. It would be too hectic to take care of all the other kids if that wasn't the case. Then she can be on the same schedule as Jake. If she agrees to that or if mom doesn't have her on a bottle anymore, I say go for it. Coming from a daycare perspective, it is a good thing for Jake to have a playmate and as he gets older you will find they will keep each other company so you can focus on the baby more. To be honest, it probably wouldn't be much more work than what you already have considering her age. If she were a baby, that'd be different. Of course it all depends on what kind of kid she is. If she's crazy and out of control it'd be nuts. But if she's laid back and quiet, then it may be easy money for you.
When is her birthday? Just wondering how close to 1 she is or if she's an older 1?
Boo&BugsMom replied: Rate...I'd say $30 a day for no more than 4 hours per day, but it also depends upon your area. Some are more, some are lower.
luvmykids replied: OK Not to scare you off, just some honest input after my first day  It may be easier for you since yours are still closer to that age but man I am WIPED OUT   
I would highly recommend the trial period...I think I can stick this out but it was much tougher than I imagined it would be. Since I only have her on Tues/Thurs I don't have very high hopes of making significant changes in the things that would make it much easier (like eating a meal instead of snacking constantly, having to be held constantly, and not sleeping AT ALL)...don't get me wrong, she is a sweet baby but considering that her mom parents much differently than me, it was all kind of a shock to me as to how hard it is to care for someone elses child when they are used to things being done so differently.
boyohboyohboy replied: i am a little nervous about doing this..I will have three kids in diapers if she is here. and i also have to pack them all up at 11am and head to the bus stop to get caleb, i am sure she would be here during that time...i do have the double stroller but thats two kids in the stroller and then the baby in the carrier..
i got an email that said she is going to be one in a few weeks..so she isnt one yet..
i am to talk to her today, but i do appreciate the heads up.
i still dont get alot of sleep , with jake up and the baby..i swear andrew will sleep thru the night before jake does!
so i know i dont have tons of extra energy to spare.
thanks again
Boo&BugsMom replied: Monica brought up a good point....parenting styles! The parents who I dealt with that had a similar parenting style to mine were my easier parents. I have had some who were completely different and that was really hard to deal with, personally. It all depends on how the parent is. In daycare, I will be honest with you, the kids were the easy part, it was the parents who were the pain sometimes.
Stacy, I would go with the trial period. Do it for a couple weeks and then you can always back out. It's not like you'll be in a contract or anything. Let her know how you will try it out and take it from there and see what she says.
boyohboyohboy replied: are there specific questions i should ask to see how our parenting styles differ?
i mean at one or almost one, i cant really think of what issues i might run into?
I am a little leary right now of this anyway..i want it to work out, but the last few emails she sent me she said her name was lisa, well today i got one that she signed laura..
so now i wonder whats up?
why the different name, and when i called the number she gave and left a message this am, she says her name is lisa..
so now my paranoid mom instinct is telling me something is up here..
why would a woman have two names?
luvmykids replied:
I guess parenting style wasn't the best way to put it, but I put routines and such into that category.
I asked and knew ahead of time about when she eats, how she eats (bottle? cereal? baby food?), when she sleeps, how she is used to going down for naps...the mom was honest, I knew ahead of time but just didn't realize how difficult it was, kwim? The mom admits this baby is spoiled and used to being held, not eating if she doesn't want to or only eating cookies all day long, having a paci constantly, being taken for a ride in the car to get her to sleep, etc....I didn't do things that way with my kids so my instinct is to try to get her on established meal times, going down for a nap at certain times, etc but it just doesn't work that way when at home the baby is in charge
I'm not judging the mom, she is a friend of mine, and I know all babies are different, some are harder than others, etc. just saying it is very different 
Boo&BugsMom replied: You'll get a sense of her parenting style by asking her basic questions. How does her child fall asleep? If she is rocked, could be hard being that you have other little ones. How does she view discipline? Does her child have a routine? Those types of questions will lead you to what kind of parent she is. Your gut instinct will tell you what to do. I have turned a few parents away that I knew were not right for me. You'll just know. It's important to remember since the child will be with you consistantly that you want someone who will work "with" you on things. It's really a team effort.
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