Hourly Rate

[Kabella22]

Hi everyone. I recently put an ad on Craigslist (I'm a nanny) for in their home childcare. I specifically put my rates started at $10 per hour. I had a lady email me for two children, a one year old and a 3 year old but, she said she also has two other kids who ill be watching for four ours in the afternoon but because they are 5 and 7 they won't need care so she just wants a weekly rate for the two little ones. Now I've worked with afterschool before and from what I've noticed, when they are with you, they also need attention. They want snacks, need homework help, want you to play with them. They need to be entertained but, with it being in her house I don't how to what level of entertainment they are going to need. I feel like shes asking me for my weekly rate and telling me her two older children don't need care is because she thinks it will be cheaper. So I guess my question is, when I email her to tell her my rate should I explain to her why it is what it is? Or do I just give it to her?

[Blackcat31]

Welcome to the forum!

Your status has been upgraded so you can post freely now

[JenNJ]

Discuss duties and responsibilities and THINK LONG AND HARD about what you thin is fair for that amount of work. She can accept or not. But $10 for that many kids is much too low in my area.

[MrsB]

That is weird in my opinion.

If I were you I would explain to her that you get paid for being the responsible adult on sight not necessarily for the amount of care that you provide. Children 5 and 7 cannot be left at home alone. (or I am assuming) Here my state it is age 8. Therefore if something happened you would be held responsible.

My opinion 5 and 7 year old require way more entertainment and attention than infants and toddlers. Even more attention needy if the child doesnt get alot of face to face time with the parents.

When I did nanning, way back when, I charged a flat hourly rate too. (I think it was $8 per hour) I ended up having the issues where parents would say oh by the way, DD had 3 girls spend the night last night they will get picked up sometime today or hey my friend needs you to watch her two kids for a few hours today too.

Thats when I changed to $8/hr for the first child. $1.50/hr for each additional child (regardless of who the child belong to or how much supervision the parent is requiring)

[daycare]

a 5 and 7 year old cannot watch themselves...

My question would be that if the 5 or 7 year old get hurt, leave the house or do something wrong are you responsible?

Of course you have to watch them. I think that this parent is silly to say that to you....

Thanks everyone! She emailed back and said she was wanting to pay 300 a week for someone to come there but since I'm so expensive shes just going to pay 440 a week for the Goddard School. I'm perfectly fine with that, I figured she wanted cheap when she skipped over my hourly rate and tried to say the older two didn't need care.

[jacksonvillecare]

[quote=MrsB;215438] When I did nanning, way back when, I charged a flat hourly rate too. (I think it was $8 per hour) I ended up having the issues where parents would say oh by the way, DD had 3 girls spend the night last night they will get picked up sometime today or hey my friend needs you to watch her two kids for a few hours today too. QUOTE]

this is so true. When I was a nanny, their friends were always coming over or their cousins. I would get really irritated bc I had not agreed to that when I took the job. It always made me feel taken advantage of. That's why I'm not a nanny anymore.