Please Help Me Decide!

[Unregistered]

I am a registered user, but logged out just in case. So, I will try to explain as simply as possible, but I tend to ramble

I watch dcb (9 months) 1-4 days a week. I have watched him since two months and have great relations with the family (no payment problems, late pick up, ect). His mom works 4 days on , 4 days off, 12 hour shifts, so with driving time, that makes my day 13 hours (5:15 am-6:15 pm). Sometimes, dad can pick up earlier, but it is never earlier than 5:30, so every day is at least 12 hours. They pay me $200 a week, every week, and get 2 weeks unpaid vacation each year. I also get two weeks unpaid vacation time, so they technically pay for 48 weeks of care each year. I have him, on average, about ten days per month.

Mom called me today and said her job wants her to go to 5-2-5-3 shifts. (what??) She said it means she would be working 5 days a week, but get monday off ever other week. She asked me if I could do it and what I would charge and said she needed to know quickly. I am like...wth? Five, 13 hour days? Do I want that? At the same time, to be honest, I want to make more money and not take on any other kids, because I love my littles. This could be my opportunity to charge enough to not have to take on any more kids, but my hours would be basically 65 a week. Any advice would be great! I am suppose to email her back soon, but I am kind of annoyed she is putting me ont he spot like this. Would $375 be too much to ask? (again, the hours would M-F, 5:15-6:15, with two mondays off a month). Thank you for any help!

[AmyKidsCo]

Honestly, I personally couldn't do it. I used to do 12 hour days and had to cut back because I was burning out. It didn't help that I couldn't take the dck with me anywhere so I was stuck in the house all that time and missed a lot of my children's after-school events.

If you can stand having him with you that long, can take him with you if you want to go someplace, it might be worthwhile.

For rate, try figuring out your current hourly rate and multiplying by the new hours and see how you feel about that total.

[Baby lady]

Are they still 12 hour shifts at 4 or 5 days a week? what sort of job is allowed that kind of hours?

I have my grandson when my daughter works 12 hour shifts, but no way would I do it for anyone else. I have him from 6:30 am - 8:00 pm, but only once or twice a week, sometimes she works 8 hour shifts

I have no idea how much I'd charge for that

[Blackcat31]

I am a registered user, but logged out just in case. So, I will try to explain as simply as possible, but I tend to ramble

I watch dcb (9 months) 1-4 days a week. I have watched him since two months and have great relations with the family (no payment problems, late pick up, ect). His mom works 4 days on , 4 days off, 12 hour shifts, so with driving time, that makes my day 13 hours (5:15 am-6:15 pm). Sometimes, dad can pick up earlier, but it is never earlier than 5:30, so every day is at least 12 hours. They pay me $200 a week, every week, and get 2 weeks unpaid vacation each year. I also get two weeks unpaid vacation time, so they technically pay for 48 weeks of care each year. I have him, on average, about ten days per month.

Mom called me today and said her job wants her to go to 5-2-5-3 shifts. (what??) She said it means she would be working 5 days a week, but get monday off ever other week. She asked me if I could do it and what I would charge and said she needed to know quickly. I am like...wth? Five, 13 hour days? Do I want that? At the same time, to be honest, I want to make more money and not take on any other kids, because I love my littles. This could be my opportunity to charge enough to not have to take on any more kids, but my hours would be basically 65 a week. Any advice would be great! I am suppose to email her back soon, but I am kind of annoyed she is putting me ont he spot like this. Would $375 be too much to ask? (again, the hours would M-F, 5:15-6:15, with two mondays off a month). Thank you for any help!

If dad can pick up at 5:30 why would care be longer?

I wouldn't do it. That is an awfully long time to care for someone else's child. It's one thing if it were 3 days a week but M-F with only 2 days off a month other than weekends? With DCB spending that much time with you, he almost counts as a dependent.

I value my bank account but I value my time more. I also prefer parents that want to spend QUALITY time with their child.

I also would not allow her to tell you when you have to respond by....I'd really really think this over. I would be honest and tell her that she is putting you on the spot and you don't want to decide until you've had a chance to weigh all the positives and negatives first.

Longer hours means more stress for you and that might bleed into the mood and stress you have with the others...kwim?

IF you do decide to do it, I'd ONLY agree to see how it works (another trial period)

Good luck in whatever choice you make but remember when you say yes to others, make sure you arent' saying no to yourself (or your family)

[finsup]

Yikes...that's a lot of hours! I don't know...if I really loved the family, maybe. But I'd have to REALLY love them . But 375 a week...that's pretty tempting too! Ah I'm no help . That's such a long day for that little one you would be a huge influence on his life if you do decide to do that!

[melilley]

Those are REALLY long days! I guess it would depend on the baby. Is the baby easy? Is the baby your only one? I could probably do it if the baby was the only one and if he were easy going. It would kind of be like having your own baby. And if you could go places with him, that would be a factor for me.

As for pay, that would be 15 extra hours every other week (when you work Monday) for me. I would have to think about what would be worth charging.

[Unregistered]

Thank you for the responses! Dcm and dad work for an oil industry company, so he is a truck driver (long shifts, sometimes random) and mom does dispatch work, so her shifts are 12 hour/4 day shifts. She called me at lunch today and explained it all to me and asked me if I would consider it and I told her it would mean a change in pay and I would need to think on it, but that I love dcb and would hate to lose him, but she honestly has no other options in terms of childcare, so if I don't do it, then she will have to find a new job or stay home. I lose money in both those situations. If she finds a new job with standard hours, I will work more, for a less rate, since she would be a "normal" client and I charge her more right now for the irregular and long hours.

The hours are so long, but I love the little guy and I am trying to weight the odds of longer hours with him, versus taking on a new kid and having potential problems. My son starts school int he fall, so keeping my crew small means I can transport easier and have less overhead, but again, the hours make me scared Thank you so much for the input!

[Annalee]

Thank you for the responses! Dcm and dad work for an oil industry company, so he is a truck driver (long shifts, sometimes random) and mom does dispatch work, so her shifts are 12 hour/4 day shifts. She called me at lunch today and explained it all to me and asked me if I would consider it and I told her it would mean a change in pay and I would need to think on it, but that I love dcb and would hate to lose him, but she honestly has no other options in terms of childcare, so if I don't do it, then she will have to find a new job or stay home. I lose money in both those situations. If she finds a new job with standard hours, I will work more, for a less rate, since she would be a "normal" client and I charge her more right now for the irregular and long hours.

The hours are so long, but I love the little guy and I am trying to weight the odds of longer hours with him, versus taking on a new kid and having potential problems. My son starts school int he fall, so keeping my crew small means I can transport easier and have less overhead, but again, the hours make me scared Thank you so much for the input!

Long hours get old really quick and no amount of money will make that better. Think long and hard on this before committing....looks like a burnout potential situation with loads of stress.

[melilley]

If dad can pick up at 5:30 why would care be longer?

Yeah, why would the hours be longer? I wonder what his starting/work hours are? That is a long time for a child to be in care every week.

[Thriftylady]

It sounds like you want to keep him. It may make a difference for me if mom and dad could promise to get him him early (or have someone else do it X times a month? That way not every day would be so long. And I would charge quite a bit for it, because it is eating into your personal life.

[Unregistered]

I watch this dcb and one other girl and my own two kids. My son starts school in aug and my daughter will go to preschool 2 days a week, so I am really enjoying the small group, but I am not sure what is an okay amount to ask for. They pay $200 a week, but when you average days for the month, I would literally be working twice as many days, but $400 a week seems like too much to ask for. More like nanny rates in my area.

[Thriftylady]

I watch this dcb and one other girl and my own two kids. My son starts school in aug and my daughter will go to preschool 2 days a week, so I am really enjoying the small group, but I am not sure what is an okay amount to ask for. They pay $200 a week, but when you average days for the month, I would literally be working twice as many days, but $400 a week seems like too much to ask for. More like nanny rates in my area.

That may seem high, but can she get the service anywhere else without actually getting a nanny? A nanny may ask for $400 a week, but would actually cost way more than that because they would be paying all the taxes and such on a nanny.

[Unregistered]

okay, so dcm talked to me and gave me a schedule for the year. The original schedule averaged 10 days per month...the new schedule averages 15 days per month. The problem I have is that on some months, I am working almost 5 days a week, every week, and these are 13 hour days, so even though the other months average them out, I am still busting my ass for some months, and I want to get paid for the inconvenience of it. And, on top of it, tis is the third time in 8 months that the dcm has come to me with potential schedule changes. And not just minor changes, but big changes. I watch one other little girl and my own two kids (who start school/preschool in the fall), so would it be unreasonable to ask her for more "nanny" like rates? Like say, $375 a week, 5 days, 5:15-6:15, schedule set a week in advance, ect. Then they can just pay me and have me available (with notice for non work events) and we won't have to do this schedule/pay rate dance every few months? Any help?

[Thriftylady]

Gosh it seems this keeps getting more complicated. I'm not sure but I do think you need paid for those long days.

[Unregistered]

It is so complicated Thrifty! I just don't know how to base my rate and with the continual changes, I just want to make sure I take care of myself, kwim? I am just not sure what to charge and if I go to easy, I feel like I am setting myself up for future issues with schedule changes, where I may end up kicking myself later on. Agh! I hate making decisions!