Babysitter fees | Imamother

questionanswer

Wed, Feb 01 2023, 9:35 am

amother Cobalt wrote:

I babysit and I charge 6.00 an hour! 20 is a bit high.

For how many kids?

The way it works us if you send to a smaller group you pay more. Typically enough so the total earnings for the babysitter are similar (or a few dollars more in total for a larger group)

amother

Scarlet

Wed, Feb 01 2023, 9:41 am

questionanswer wrote:

Yes, and OP wants to charge nanny prices for a group of 3.
Assume a babysitter is making $20-30 depending on the size of the group (bigger groups pay more because you're working harder), so $6 you need 4-5 kids. A group of 3 should be $7-10

keym

Wed, Feb 01 2023, 9:51 am

I see $15 as being reasonable if you're commiting to full time 8:30-5:30, including Friday in the summer, and until 2 Friday in the winter, all vacations, Erev Yom Tov and isru Chag.
In other words, if you're going to have the schedule of a private nanny, available for a ft working parent, I can see it being worthwhile to some families.

On the other hand, if you plan on taking off midwinter and Chanuka and a week before Pesach and half days on Friday and fasts, then to me, that seems not worth it.

amother

Aquamarine

Wed, Feb 01 2023, 9:55 am

A kollel family is likely a low income family. I would consider it to be unethical to charge them that much. Like someone else suggested, it makes a lot more sense to get two kids and charge each $10 an hour. That’s already on the higher side where I live in Lakewood by the way - most people I know would try finding a cheaper option before even doing 10 an hour.

If you were my neighbor and wanted to charge $20 an hour, it would change the way I think of you. It’s a tone deaf move.

amother

Tangerine

Wed, Feb 01 2023, 9:58 am

keym wrote:

Actually, for $20 an hour in their home, I would expect the babysitter to match my schedule.

830 to 530 m to th, sometimes as late as 630 or 7 if I go to the office.
Friday -- summer to 5, winter 2 hours before zman.
Work every erev and isru except erev pesach. Every fast except 9av.

I do expect her to have some days off but would hope they could be coordinated with mine (eg, legal holidays, same week off in summer).

amother

Clematis

Wed, Feb 01 2023, 10:24 am

amother Aquamarine wrote:

It wouldn't change my opinion of anyone asking that much. I'd just look elsewhere.

A service provider can ask for any fee they want, they may just not get any takers. I agree that $20 is unrealistic unless it comes with extra services. (Transportation, food provided, extended hours, etc)

amother

Seafoam

Wed, Feb 01 2023, 10:36 am

$20 is wayy too much. In lakewood the most ppl charge is $10 and that’s considered high. Average is 7-8 an hour. (And this is pricing for drop off babysitting playgroup is less) You can’t look at it as financial worthy. Keeping your kids at home is a very big plus. Your saving on daycare cost for them plus you have the benefit of being home with your kids, not traveling, etc etc.

amother

Pear

Wed, Feb 01 2023, 10:39 am

amother Aquamarine wrote:

A kollel family is likely a low income family. I would consider it to be unethical to charge them that much.

Maybe yes, maybe no. I used to run a community mikvah and our boss had us stop giving the kollel men and women (we had mikvahs for both) any discount because the kollel in our community had such a generous stipend, they were making a real living wage and doing financially better than many others. They also got so many more discounts around town that no one else got... so the kollel discount at the mikvah ended. And if you read what someone wrote in a recent thread, all of the kollel guys where her husband learns are wearing extremely expensive name-brand coats this season.

So I would say that the generalization about kollel families and their income really depends on where they live, and is about more than just his salary.

amother

Seafoam

Wed, Feb 01 2023, 10:43 am

I agree with @pear. My sisters husband is in kollel and she keeps telling me all the checks he gets from kollel and all the things they get for free cuz he learns. Some kollel ppl end up on the better end than working ppl. Depends where you live…

amother

Wed, Feb 01 2023, 12:45 pm

Basically I have interest and I’m trying to figure out what’s appropriate to charge.
I feel like the responses are really hostile. I literally am asking because I didn’t know what going rate as and when I used to babysit in college that was what people would pay. But I see how having my own kids would make people want to pay less. In that case maybe I should look for a different job because I live in a very expensive city and can’t really make it otherwise .

yidisheh mama

Wed, Feb 01 2023, 12:54 pm

amother OP wrote:

I’m planning to take in babysitting of a neighbors child so that I don’t have to leave my toddler and infant every day next school year. I would have to charge about 20 dollars an hour. That’s the least I can charge without this being A very bad financial decision for me. (I’m a preschool teacher by trade but I would lose more money than I make on daycare if I kept up my job.) I feel bad though. Is this too much? I dont want to make it impossible for my neighbors in kollel. I know one women who charges 10 an hour. Is 20 unreasonable ?
I can only take on one extra kid, because more than that the state considers a daycare and I am not ready to get my house up to state code. (My husband works from home, for one thing and we just don’t have the set up)

That's very much above the going rate!!! $20 makes sense if you are in their house, probably even without your children, or with just 2 of your own. I wouldn't pay more than $8-9/hour to drop my child off somewhere for a small group babysitting.
But in NYC you can have under 3 children in addition to your own and be a legally exempt providor. You don't count your own children when informally babysitting in your house. So you can take another child and not need to be up to code for a daycare.

amother

Mintcream

Wed, Feb 01 2023, 1:01 pm

amother OP wrote:

I would pay about $10-$12 an hour if I was dropping off my child to someone who was also watching their own 2 kids. If you were going to the person's house, only watching their baby, and cleaning you could charge $20.

amother

Aquamarine

Wed, Feb 01 2023, 1:04 pm

amother OP wrote:

You’re getting a hostile response because babysitting is so expensive already and the thought of someone normalizing charging $20 an hour for babysitting terrifies us.

watergirl

Wed, Feb 01 2023, 1:08 pm

amother OP wrote:

Ok, I see where the confusion from you is coming in.

The charge for an hourly babysitter for a once-off, like for a college kid to come at night so the parents can go out - that's going to be more money per-hour. And again, you as the sitter went to the home of the client and you did not have your own kids with you.

A daily arrangement for many hours per day, in a set-up where the client has to come to YOUR house and your own kids are there also - that's very different than a college kid going to someone's house every now and then so they can go out.

amother

DarkMagenta

Wed, Feb 01 2023, 1:10 pm

It would be normal to pay $20 an hour for a specialized time- ex: night hours, after reg playgroup hours 4-7, or if you offer the service of coming to the childs house and would include some light housework

Reg playgroup/babysitting hours noone would pay so much for a drop off, its just wouldnt be worth it to work!

You can charge that but doubt youll have any takers

amother

Rainbow

Wed, Feb 01 2023, 1:18 pm

amother OP wrote:

I don't think anyone was trying to be hostile. You asked a question - if your asking price was unreasonable, and the answer you got was a unanimous resounding yes.
You not liking the answer doesn't mean it's hostile.

amother

Kiwi

Wed, Feb 01 2023, 1:22 pm

amother OP wrote:

Hi OP. I don't think the intent of the posters is to be hostile, but rather to answer your question and the answer simply is no, $20 an hour for this arrangement is not an acceptable price based on the going rate and what you are offering. Sorry it's not the answer you were looking for, but it is the reality.