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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Funeral Sat Pay?? HELP
Unregistered 03:39 PM 06-28-2012
What would you charge an existing client to watch their two kids for 2-3hrs on sat am while they attend a funeral? I had plans with my mom, will also have to adjust my kids sports plans (miss a little of their practice) and have a family member bring them home so that I am home in time to meet said client before funeral starts. I feel bad since its for a funeral but it really sucks the life out of my weekend. They said they would pay and said an amount, I am just wondering whats fair and if its really appropriate to take their money when these are the circumstances. Its for a somewhat distant relative.
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Heidi 03:54 PM 06-28-2012
yes, it's appropriate. Very kind of you to do it, too.

They could always take their children with! Why don't they?
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cheerfuldom 04:46 PM 06-28-2012
Totally appropriate to get paid for a service, no matter why parents need the service. I would do at least $5 per hour, per child, so $30 for the 3 hours. But in my case, it is no big deal to have kids here on an occasional weekend. If it is a big deal for you, $40 or more is not out of the question.
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Soccermom 06:06 PM 06-28-2012
Families tend to make a habit out of asking their sitter to help them out on weekends if we allow it to happen. I agreed once to watch DCG overnight because DCD was having surgery. I did it as a favor to them because I wanted to help them out. I didn't charge them any $ and spent the next few months dodging their attempts to have me take her on the weekend again...once was for a funeral, another was to get their fence finished before they got their new dog, another was because they wanted me to take her for the weekend because they were going away because a family member was ill. I always felt really bad for making up excuses but my kids need their Mommy time and weekends mean a lot to us as a family.

I never expected that to happen when I took her overnight that first time. I just really wanted to be a kind person. If I would have been smart, I would have treated it as a business transaction and would have overcharged so to be sure they would not ask again unless it was really necessary.

I think 10$ per hour is not unreasonable on a weekend. It is outside of your regular hours of operation and the teenagers that babysit here in our town charge that for evening and weekend babysitting jobs.

Just something to think about....
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Half-Pint Hide-Out 07:54 PM 06-28-2012
For me, it would depend on the family and the situation. I have watched a couple of the families on weekends or evenings from time to time, but I also don't have any children of my own. Then, there are some families that I would never even consider doing it for. I have vastly different relationships with some of my families that I have and I figure when it's not something that's in my handbook and is on my own time, I get to make the rules of who and when and how much.
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Unregistered 08:22 PM 06-28-2012
Thanks, I love this family. I know they have nobody else to do it, or they wouldn't even ask. This funeral is also for a very popular community person so the whole atmosphere is going to me more event like than family funeral like if you kwim. Their one is infant age so that makes it really hard.

Dad offered $50 for 3 hours two kids. At first I thought, no I would do this no charge since they are stuck but then I got to thinking about how much it really interrupts my weekend, my kids ball practice, my husbands potential plans with the family. I think I am going to take them up on the 50 and tell them this is stictly nondaycare related.
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Countrygal 05:08 AM 06-29-2012
It would definitely be fine to charge, or not to charge, as you see fit. I do weekend care for drill weekends and I charge my normal rate. In an instance like this, though, I think I'd just charge a flat fee for a specific amount of time. Like $15.00 for up to 3 hours - something like that (not necessarily that amount). That's just how I'd do it.
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SunshineMama 06:20 AM 06-29-2012
Unless the dck's are your best friend's kids, or a member of your family's, you should definitely charge. If you do not, you open yourself up to all sorts of favors. $50.00 is acceptable.

Unfortunately, the ones whom you give the most extra service to are the ones who end up screwing you over the worst in the end. Treat yourself as a business at all times. If their kids are at your house, you are working.

Can your mom come over and have a brunch with you that day?
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