Babysitting to earn extra money as a single parent?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Haha OP no one is gonna hire someone who has older kid, wants to do her own stuff and be paid more than $20 lol

Ignore this poster

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a single parent with an older child and I have done this in the past but I stuck to weekend daytime hours only or did Friday evenings close to home and I would bring my child with me.

On weekends, families needed to bring their child to my house and if they needed me for more than 2 hours, they needed to be ok with me taking their child to run errands, etc.

I am in a close in neighborhood in VA and I charged $10 an hour a few years ago and at that time my child was early elementary age. If I did it now, I would charge $12.

I ended up having a a roster of regular families but after a while I just got tired of doing it and stopped.

All the teenage babysitters in my neighborhood charge $10/hour - even the 8thgraders!
You can definitely charge 15-20 if you're an adult mom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is your custody agreement? How are your qualifications?

I think you could find work if you have joint custody. You could also be a back up care for snow days. You could also offer after care but you need to be competitive. There are tae kwon do, daycares, SACC that all offer care for ~$100 per week and that is for 5 days per week.

Yes, I have joint custody, but are you suggesting I should write that in a listing? That seems odd to me.
I have done some camp counseling and I've traded off babysitting with a number of parents whose kids were friends with my son through the years. Or are you referring to academic qualifications and job experience, for helping with homework? I have an advanced degree in a non-education field, and I work in education technology.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At $15-$20/he, I expect you to engage with my child-- not your 8yr old son. If I'm paying you, I expect my child's needs come first.

If I have an 8 yr old kid that needs after school care, I expect my kids homework to be completed by the time I get home. I expect that if the homework requires a trip to the craft store, that you'll take care of it. I expect my child to be fed a snack after school.

If you're babysitting and my kid is asleep, I don't care if you do your own stuff.

You say this like Op is going to be standing there deciding which kid to feed. It is quite possible to feed 2 kids, help with 2 assignments and take 2 kids to the store.

That's fine. My point is that if I'm paying, I expect my child's needs to come first. As a parent it might be difficult to constantly put another child ahead of your own kids needs. Obviously not for something life threatening but let's say both boys have a project due and they are in different classes but the same grade. The assignments are not the same. If I'm paying, I expect you to go to the store, gather the materials, and perhaps even get started. I don't expect you to run your own errands (picking up your child's project materials) on my time. Of course if both sets of materials can be purchased at the same store, that's one thing. But going to multiple stores for multiple children (that aren't mine) wouldn't fly with me.

I wouldn't expect this from a babysitter, from a nanny yes, but not a babysitter. I'd have all the supplies already purchased and expect the babysitter to help my child with the project, but not to make a special trip to the craft store. OP, I'd have no problem with you bringing your child along. If you were available on snow days and such, I'd definitely hire you.

[Anonymous]

OP - I think it is a great way to earn extra money, but I would expect you to have CPR and First Aide certification if going for $20. On line you might put in profile you have a child and are available certain times and see what halogens. If no takers, then revise your bio and focus on experience and availability. But even one day or evening a week if you set a minimum of say four hours could make it worthwhile. As you get to know clients, you might also let it be known you could do sitting at your home at times for a child or two of comparable ages of your son on say snow days or teacher work days if you can make your work schedule fall in line. I would not want any child along to my home - unless I had known the sitter for a time and there was a special circumstance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Haha OP no one is gonna hire someone who has older kid, wants to do her own stuff and be paid more than $20 lol

I never said I wanted to be paid more than $20. And I said I would expect to do my own stuff only if I was babysitting at night (which I would do alone). That's what our babysitters always did - we would come home to find them reading or surfing FB or whatever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Haha OP no one is gonna hire someone who has older kid, wants to do her own stuff and be paid more than $20 lol

I never said I wanted to be paid more than $20. And I said I would expect to do my own stuff only if I was babysitting at night (which I would do alone). That's what our babysitters always did - we would come home to find them reading or surfing FB or whatever.

Actually you did. If you think working for $15-20/h is not worth it then you want more

[Anonymous]

We have a single mom who babysits for us. She is awesome. Sometimes she brings her own child with her (maybe 50% of the time), who is about the same age as our child. I don't mind because they play together well. It might be awkward if they were vastly different ages though. We do pay her less than market rate though, $10/HR for one kid.

Regardless of the babysitter, when we have nighttime babysitters I expect they will bring a laptop or iPad to amuse themselves with after they put my child to bed. Or watch our tv or something...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At $15-$20/he, I expect you to engage with my child-- not your 8yr old son. If I'm paying you, I expect my child's needs come first.

If I have an 8 yr old kid that needs after school care, I expect my kids homework to be completed by the time I get home. I expect that if the homework requires a trip to the craft store, that you'll take care of it. I expect my child to be fed a snack after school.

If you're babysitting and my kid is asleep, I don't care if you do your own stuff.

You say this like Op is going to be standing there deciding which kid to feed. It is quite possible to feed 2 kids, help with 2 assignments and take 2 kids to the store.

That's fine. My point is that if I'm paying, I expect my child's needs to come first. As a parent it might be difficult to constantly put another child ahead of your own kids needs. Obviously not for something life threatening but let's say both boys have a project due and they are in different classes but the same grade. The assignments are not the same. If I'm paying, I expect you to go to the store, gather the materials, and perhaps even get started. I don't expect you to run your own errands (picking up your child's project materials) on my time. Of course if both sets of materials can be purchased at the same store, that's one thing. But going to multiple stores for multiple children (that aren't mine) wouldn't fly with me.

I wouldn't expect this from a babysitter, from a nanny yes, but not a babysitter. I'd have all the supplies already purchased and expect the babysitter to help my child with the project, but not to make a special trip to the craft store. OP, I'd have no problem with you bringing your child along. If you were available on snow days and such, I'd definitely hire you.

+1 you cray cray

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Haha OP no one is gonna hire someone who has older kid, wants to do her own stuff and be paid more than $20 lol

I never said I wanted to be paid more than $20. And I said I would expect to do my own stuff only if I was babysitting at night (which I would do alone). That's what our babysitters always did - we would come home to find them reading or surfing FB or whatever.

Actually you did. If you think working for $15-20/h is not worth it then you want more

No she didn't. She said that it isn't worth her taking a job that pays $15-$20 an hour with short hours unless she can bring her kid, or get other things done. That doesn't mean she thinks the job should pay more than $20, just that it's not the job she's looking for.

I make enough money from my day job, that I would turn down an offer for minimum wage at McDonalds. That doesn't mean I think McD's should pay more. Just that I am not interested in a minimum wage job that involves current work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Haha OP no one is gonna hire someone who has older kid, wants to do her own stuff and be paid more than $20 lol

I never said I wanted to be paid more than $20. And I said I would expect to do my own stuff only if I was babysitting at night (which I would do alone). That's what our babysitters always did - we would come home to find them reading or surfing FB or whatever.

Actually you did. If you think working for $15-20/h is not worth it then you want more

No she didn't. She said that it isn't worth her taking a job that pays $15-$20 an hour with short hours unless she can bring her kid, or get other things done. That doesn't mean she thinks the job should pay more than $20, just that it's not the job she's looking for.

I make enough money from my day job, that I would turn down an offer for minimum wage at McDonalds. That doesn't mean I think McD's should pay more. Just that I am not interested in a minimum wage job that involves current work.

Blah blah blah if she was offered $30/h with her requirments she would take it. Meaning she wan't more to make it work for her..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Haha OP no one is gonna hire someone who has older kid, wants to do her own stuff and be paid more than $20 lol

I never said I wanted to be paid more than $20. And I said I would expect to do my own stuff only if I was babysitting at night (which I would do alone). That's what our babysitters always did - we would come home to find them reading or surfing FB or whatever.

Actually you did. If you think working for $15-20/h is not worth it then you want more

No she didn't. She said that it isn't worth her taking a job that pays $15-$20 an hour with short hours unless she can bring her kid, or get other things done. That doesn't mean she thinks the job should pay more than $20, just that it's not the job she's looking for.

I make enough money from my day job, that I would turn down an offer for minimum wage at McDonalds. That doesn't mean I think McD's should pay more. Just that I am not interested in a minimum wage job that involves current work.

Blah blah blah if she was offered $30/h with her requirments she would take it. Meaning she wan't more to make it work for her..

Maybe, maybe not. She has said that she's not interested in a job that is during the daytime and does not let her bring her kid. One of the reasons why she isn't interested in the other job is because it doesn't pay enough for her to pay for childcare. She hasn't said how much it would take for her to get that job, because that's not the job she's posted about. Talking about the conditions under which she'd take a different job is irrelevant.

She has been really clear that she'd take 15 - 20 for a job that meets her parameters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Haha OP no one is gonna hire someone who has older kid, wants to do her own stuff and be paid more than $20 lol

I never said I wanted to be paid more than $20. And I said I would expect to do my own stuff only if I was babysitting at night (which I would do alone). That's what our babysitters always did - we would come home to find them reading or surfing FB or whatever.

Actually you did. If you think working for $15-20/h is not worth it then you want more

No she didn't. She said that it isn't worth her taking a job that pays $15-$20 an hour with short hours unless she can bring her kid, or get other things done. That doesn't mean she thinks the job should pay more than $20, just that it's not the job she's looking for.

I make enough money from my day job, that I would turn down an offer for minimum wage at McDonalds. That doesn't mean I think McD's should pay more. Just that I am not interested in a minimum wage job that involves current work.

Blah blah blah if she was offered $30/h with her requirments she would take it. Meaning she wan't more to make it work for her..

Maybe, maybe not. She has said that she's not interested in a job that is during the daytime and does not let her bring her kid. One of the reasons why she isn't interested in the other job is because it doesn't pay enough for her to pay for childcare. She hasn't said how much it would take for her to get that job, because that's not the job she's posted about. Talking about the conditions under which she'd take a different job is irrelevant.

She has been really clear that she'd take 15 - 20 for a job that meets her parameters.

OP here. Thanks for chiming in . I think you explained my position perfectly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a single parent with an older child and I have done this in the past but I stuck to weekend daytime hours only or did Friday evenings close to home and I would bring my child with me.

On weekends, families needed to bring their child to my house and if they needed me for more than 2 hours, they needed to be ok with me taking their child to run errands, etc.

I am in a close in neighborhood in VA and I charged $10 an hour a few years ago and at that time my child was early elementary age. If I did it now, I would charge $12.

I ended up having a a roster of regular families but after a while I just got tired of doing it and stopped.

All the teenage babysitters in my neighborhood charge $10/hour - even the 8thgraders!
You can definitely charge 15-20 if you're an adult mom.

I am the PP single parent babysitter. Even nowadays I could not charge $15 for one child and bring my own child along. People expect to pay less when you as the sitter bring along your own child and I understand that.

[Anonymous]

OP, while I agree that childcare can be a good way to earn some extra ca$h on the side, your perspective may be a little cloudy.

If you baby-sit & bring along your own child, you will command much less per hour since your attention will be divided in half.
And if you prefer evening sitting when the child sleeps, you most likely will have to do this in your own home since you do have partial custody of your own child.
Still even less money to be had.

Have you considered perhaps a housesitting gig for a family w/pets?
You can stay in the home, care for the animal(s), water plants, gather mail all while earning a daily fee.

Try Care.com or Sittercity.com.
Or spread the word around your community too.