Need Some Advice

[newbie123]

Hi there,
I need some advice. I am a stay at home mom and I watch a little 2 year old that I have had taken care of for about a year and a 1/2. I am not licensed as because I take care of just one family that isnt related I dont need to be. Well mom works at a Salon as a hair dresser and expects me to be home and ready for her whenever she gets a call to go in. (We live in a small town so it takes her like 5 minutes to get to my house, so say 10 minutes to get to work) Well its hard for me to plan anything because she expects me to be home. Plus she wants to pay hourly, but I think I need to change that, but not sure what to even charge or how to even go about that. (right now its $3 an hour) and sometimes I will get a text and she will drop her off for an hour. On top of all that she gets upset when I make appointments.. I let her know in advance, but she acts as tho I am an inconvenience because she says she has no one else to watch her kid. I even asked her if I could get a schedule on Sunday for the week and she got all defensive because she doesnt know her schedule. And said she can find a daycare but she has to get on a waiting list and that would take her awhile and all this (almost like it was my fault) I have let this go on for far too long and I am someone who doesnt have the balls to say anything. Many ppl have told me to just tell her to go fly a kite, but it is just not me to do that to someone. I dont like making issues or like confrontation. So if anyone here could give me some advice I surely would appreciate it. I almost think I need to make up some kinda contract or something that says you pay $X each week and I am available these days. Or if you want me for the full week you pay $X amount. But the hard part of that is I have no clue what to even charge. And what if I have an appt, does she still pay or do I deduct $x amount for my appt?
I really enjoy having the little girl here, she is a little cutie and loves to come see myself and my 4 year old daughter! Even tho she is a little turkey and likes to destroy everything. .. Any advice or tips or anything would be greatly appreciated!!
TIA!!

[Michael]

Welcome to the forum and Happy New Year.

[e.j.]

I agree that you need to create a contract. She is taking advantage of you and you need to set some boundaries or she will continue to do it.

She basically expects you to be on-call for her without compensating you for that (her) convenience. If she wants you to be available at a moment's notice, she needs to pay you accordingly - if you're still willing to do that for her.

If she were my dcp, she would have to give me a regular schedule that I could count on. She could bring her child to me or not during that time but either way, she would have to pay me for the spot. Any time she needed me to care for her child outside of her regular schedule would have to be on a drop-in basis. Drop-in means she would have to check with me to see if I am available to watch her child. If so, she would have to pay for those extra hours in addition to her regular tuition rate. If I were not available, she would have to find someone else to care for her child for those extra hours.

[Maria2013]

I think she should pay you just for being on call on top of paying for the time you care for her child

How much to charge and other details is something only you can decide...think of what changes would make you happy, then write down some guidelines

welcome to the forum :hug:

[nannyde]

That's a terrible financial arrangement. Most likely she thinks it's a great deal for you because you get a playmate for your daughter and get a big chunk of her hourly rate. When you tell her no more she is going to be upset. She is doing you a great favor and she's not going to appreciate you saying it's not good and you want more. She will MAYBE understand when she tries to replicate the deal with another daycare. If she scores another you for a year and a half she won't get it.

Whatever you decide is fair won't last so be prepared to either keep doing what is best for her or quit doing it with a couple of weeks notice. Don't let it get ugly.

[newbie123]

Does anyone have any ideas on how to write up some kinda contract or how to word it? Like I said I am not license so it is just kinda go by word of mouth with us, but think I need something better.

Thanks for all the replies.. I think I just needed others to tell me that it is wrong and that she should have a schedule. I should have found this forum like a year ago

[Great Beginnings]

I can send you a copy of my contracts if you want to message me your email. I used to do drop in care and was flexible but hard times called for some changes. I even have a contract change form letter I send out when I update contracts.