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BR: Shocked
DH finally got a job after hunting and hunting (he started a painting company but it's just not enough work right now). I'm so happy he finally got something but now we're running into daycare issues. I work until 7:30pm 3 nights a week and am usually home by 8-8:15. Bella usually goes to sleep around 7pm. His hours will be until 9pm so we'll have a gap in day care from 5pm-8 when I get home. I've asked girls at work for suggestions but they pay 8-$12/hr for part time care. I think that's insane! I used to babysit for 3 kids and would get $4, that was years ago but damn! PT jobs don't even pay teenagers $12/hr!!
If any of you use PT care what do you pay? How did you find the person? I'd love to pay someone to come to our house so Bella's sleep doesn't get messed up... ugh! This is stressful!
Re: BR: Shocked
I used to babysit two kids for $10/hr. this was from 2001-2008 in the Silicon Valley...I think that rate was on the low side because they were acquaintences/colleagues.
I'd suggest trying to find a child development student who might enjoy the extra cash as well as time with a LO. Seems to me the major responsibility between 5-8 p.m. would be getting Bella dinner and down to sleep (bath, book, etc.) and once they did they could use the last hour (assuming Bella is in in bed by 7 pm) for study time (that's what I did). GL!
TTC/PG Blog | Mommy Blog
i know it sounds high but $8-12/hr sounds great to me b/c here in dallas it's about $12-15/hr.... i think here in dallas you can sometimes find someone much cheaper if they're illegal and only speak spanish
but if you can find someone for $8/hr i'd snatch them up!
as for how to go about finding someone, i know that www.care.com has listings. i would also talk to any mommy friends you have about mommy groups...when i told my cousin we were looking for someone to watch miss A, she started forwarding me all these emails from her mommy groups with moms that didn't need their nannies anymore and that was great b/c you knew that they came highly recommended, as opposed to using some random site and trusting that person's references. we lucked out and i ended up being able to ask a coworker/friend to watch her for us, so we didn't end up having to hire a stranger.
good luck!
Jaime & Brent
Oahu, Hawaii | Sept. 9, 2005
My Food Blog - Good Eats 'n Sweet Treats
I think it depends on who you are hiring. If it's a teenager, I'd say $8/hr is about right.
But if you are hiring someone with more experience, I think those rates are actually pretty fair. I was a nanny/babysitter when I was in grad school in the Bay Area and I charged $15/hr. in 2005. I had a lot of business from the professors and staff at the university, in part, because I was "highly qualified" -- earning my grad degree in child development and also working as a preschool teacher.
A lot of times, you pay for what you get -- especially if someone is just covering a few hours here and there and if you want them to commute to your home for work.
Personally, I would pay a little extra to work with someone who I knew I could trust. But if your friends' providers are too pricey, maybe you could ask if any of your friends know teens or college-aged kids who are interested and state the rate you are willing to pay.
Heh, this was my thought too. I know it's different because I'm in Australia, but that kind of care is just not cheap here (I always laugh when I get the suggestion of hiring a nanny vs putting our kids in daycare because we'll "save money"...ummm no we won't, a nanny here costs double what daycare does!).
Anyway, I think Jaime's suggestion of talking to a mommy group is a good one, if you know a group - I think that's a great way to get good recommendations.
You might also check out the sites www.sittercity.com and www.sitters.com
I registered with both back in the day when I was looking to watch kids between singing gigs. Maybe Craigslist too?
That said, even if you go with someone who is recommended by a friend I'd be sure to do a background check, check references and make sure you also find someone who is CPR certified. JMHO.
Another idea...if it's at all even possible...can you or your DH adjust your work hours so that there is no overlap of time away from Bella? That's basically what J and I are doing...at least until he's in his clinical rounds next Fall. Then we're doing a daycare center from 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. four days a week.
TTC/PG Blog | Mommy Blog
i totally agree w/all of this. when i was looking, those w/children's ed backgrounds and training in infant CPR charge towards the higher end, around $15/hr....since you are only looking for a few hours, you may just want to find a teenager who is cheaper. but I also agree that i would rather pay a little extra to have that extra peace of mind.
Jaime & Brent
Oahu, Hawaii | Sept. 9, 2005
My Food Blog - Good Eats 'n Sweet Treats
The problem is that I work 12 hour shifts. So even if I worked night shifts there would still be a gap in times for DH and I... so either way I work my schedule we'd need someone at least 2 nights a week.
I wouldn't mind to find a high schooler... the issue is that if we end up paying $12/hr, it's not worth it for DH to work at all, the starting pay at his new job would be just over $12... if we pay more then we'd actually be out money that he wouldn't even be making... It's a tough situation.
Her night time routine is a bottle and bed. I bathe her on the nights I'm off so it's not like they would be doing much. I am asking around and I would LOVE to find a mom that I could trade with, we just haven't met anyone around here yet...
As for meeting folks...I hear ya...we've been here 18 months and still don't have a real network of friends...just mainly work colleagues. The one exception is our own Hawaiian Honey! We don't see each other nearly enough!
It's my goal in 2010, now that Libby is here, to connect with other local moms and develop a "village" of like-minded friends. There are two local web sites for moms in Tulsa (918moms.com and ttownmoms.com)...is there something similar where you are? Or even Craigslist? You could post that you're looking to trade daycare w/ another family.
TTC/PG Blog | Mommy Blog
It might seem strange to search Craigslist for something as intimate as childcare, but it CAN work. And trading care with another family might be the best bet considering the financials....
I hooked up with one of the families I nannied for via CL -- and after we met, it turned out the mom and I knew a ton of the same people. It worked out really well. I also found our doula via CL and she's amazing.
Tough situation, but good luck to you!