I have one client who I still babysit for. She has requested that i watch her two children (1 year and not quite 5 years old) and a friends two children who are 2 and 6. What would be an appropriate charge for this? I normally do her two children for $8/hr. It's about a 25 minute drive from my home. It will be from about 8 until the next day. I don't want to over charge - but I don't want to undervalue myself, either. I figured I would get a consensus and then go from there.
Thank you.
8 + 8 = 16. Pretty simple. 2 kids - $8 per hour. 4 kids - $16 per hour.
I agree with Carol. Charge your client what you normally charge, and charge her friend the same. $8/hour each = $16/hour. If you normally charge less while they are sleeping, then do so now too, but I don't see why you should charge a different amount. After all, you are still responsible for them and their safety, regardless of if they are asleep or awake.
Considering the fact that the kids will be asleep for the majority of your responsible time, I would think that $10-$15 an hour would be appropriate. If the kids are bathed, fed and ready for bed when you get there then you're really just getting them settled, little t.v. and off to sleep before popping in a movie yourself!
Let's say you're there from 8pm- 10am. If you charged $12/ hour you're looking at $180 during which they slept for the bulk of that time. I would factor that in and say $125-$150 for the night. Are they splitting the cost? If so, then $75 per family to have an overnight sitter is more than fair!
Are you licensed????
Each state, has regulations on this per how many kids you can watch.... in your home....
Or are you babysitting at their home????
I think, you are undercharging... that is too cheap.
Wow...I know people that babysit for $20/hr for 2 kids...not sure what your minimum wage is in WA but that does account too...SF is about $10/hr for minimum so you'd be underpaid here..
I think between $12 and $15 is fair.
Unless there are other circumstances...
$12 and hour seems reasonable to me. But most of the hours the kids will be sleeping ... maybe more during the waking hours and less when the kids are asleep, but then again you are in charge for all those hours and you have to pay for gas, too. I say $12. But then again, I pay my babysitter $10 and hour to babysit just one child.
