No my sitter rate is not $30/hr...

[Anonymous]

it's $12, but when you ask me to come over for 1 hour you need to make it worth my time. I don't understand this mom I just started helping out occasionally. Family friend so I can't say anything about it to family, but she is freaking cheap! She asked me to come and babysit for an hour and gave me $12. Actually she gave me 3 5's and asked for change. I don't want to make a "$35 flat or $12/hr whichever is higher" rule but this is crazy. MBs and other caregivers, what do you think?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:it's $12, but when you ask me to come over for 1 hour you need to make it worth my time. I don't understand this mom I just started helping out occasionally. Family friend so I can't say anything about it to family, but she is freaking cheap! She asked me to come and babysit for an hour and gave me $12. Actually she gave me 3 5's and asked for change. I don't want to make a "$35 flat or $12/hr whichever is higher" rule but this is crazy. MBs and other caregivers, what do you think?

Tell her you have a 2/3/4 hour minimum. Or just stop sitting for her.

[Anonymous]

MB here. I think you should say you have a 3 or 4 hr minimum. I think that's what most babysitters do and I think that's totally reasonable.

[Anonymous]

Yup just say you have a minimum for $12 an hour otherwise you charge X amount per hour. Not a big deal.

I mean, if your hourly rate is $12, that is what she paid you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yup just say you have a minimum for $12 an hour otherwise you charge X amount per hour. Not a big deal.

I mean, if your hourly rate is $12, that is what she paid you!

Yes but common curtesy dictates that you compensate someone for their time. If my cleaning lady charges $15 and comes over for 1.5 hrs just to help me out with the kitchen/living room/dining room after a party I wont pay her $22.50. $22 doesnt make it worth her time. So I may give her the equivalent of $35/hr. If she comes over for 7 hrs (per usual), then $105 (15/hr) is worth her time.

[Anonymous]

I would say you have a 3 hour minimum. Thats what I used to do when I babysat for other people outside of my nanny family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yup just say you have a minimum for $12 an hour otherwise you charge X amount per hour. Not a big deal.

I mean, if your hourly rate is $12, that is what she paid you!

Yes but common curtesy dictates that you compensate someone for their time. If my cleaning lady charges $15 and comes over for 1.5 hrs just to help me out with the kitchen/living room/dining room after a party I wont pay her $22.50. $22 doesnt make it worth her time. So I may give her the equivalent of $35/hr. If she comes over for 7 hrs (per usual), then $105 (15/hr) is worth her time.

I agree but if this is the first time this mom has hired anyone for such a short time, I think I could understand what happened.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yup just say you have a minimum for $12 an hour otherwise you charge X amount per hour. Not a big deal.

I mean, if your hourly rate is $12, that is what she paid you!

Yes but common curtesy dictates that you compensate someone for their time. If my cleaning lady charges $15 and comes over for 1.5 hrs just to help me out with the kitchen/living room/dining room after a party I wont pay her $22.50. $22 doesnt make it worth her time. So I may give her the equivalent of $35/hr. If she comes over for 7 hrs (per usual), then $105 (15/hr) is worth her time.

I agree but if this is the first time this mom has hired anyone for such a short time, I think I could understand what happened.

Seriously? Even if you had never hired a sitter EVER before, you would think it is ok to pay someone $12? I couldn't even imagine not giving someone at least $20, and that would still feel cheap.

[Anonymous]

OP here.

I suppose when parents work on salary at their jobs they don't do the "hourly" break down. And if they do it is the ideal of "I get paid for time worked". The hourly thing works when you are tallying hours to be paid at the end of a week. For example, I have no problem making $12 per for a random weeknight hour that will get added to my check at the end of the pay period, but if I am doing sitter jobs, again, you need to make it worth my while.

I don't want to say there is a minimum of time, but possibly a minimum $ amount. I don't want parents to feel compelled to stay out for 2 extra hours just to meet a minimum, but if they cannot pay accordingly...

[Anonymous]

I always say up front that I have a 3 hour minimum. If parents need care for less than 3 hours and ask me, they know they will have to pay me for 3 hours of time. If they choose not to have care for 3 hours, it's not my job to feel guilty for accepting 3h of pay.

[Anonymous]

Mother here. If you told her your hourly rate was $12 and she asked you to come for one hour, and then paid you $12 - then it seems like she wasn't intentionally being a cheapskate - she was paying you what you asked.

If you want to establish a minimum that's fine - but you have to be clear and direct about your rate. You can't fault someone for not paying you more - just for kicks - than the rate you quoted.

I won't take a stance on whether $12/hr is sufficient or insulting - I'm just saying that it sounds like you got what you asked for in terms of rate. Was she supposed to read your mind?

[Anonymous]

I have a minimum time requirement as well - 3 hours - and make that clear up front. I do think your hour-long employer was cheap and would advise against sitting for them again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mother here. If you told her your hourly rate was $12 and she asked you to come for one hour, and then paid you $12 - then it seems like she wasn't intentionally being a cheapskate - she was paying you what you asked.

If you want to establish a minimum that's fine - but you have to be clear and direct about your rate. You can't fault someone for not paying you more - just for kicks - than the rate you quoted.

I won't take a stance on whether $12/hr is sufficient or insulting - I'm just saying that it sounds like you got what you asked for in terms of rate. Was she supposed to read your mind?

It's not about mind reading, it's about common decency.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

I suppose when parents work on salary at their jobs they don't do the "hourly" break down. And if they do it is the ideal of "I get paid for time worked". The hourly thing works when you are tallying hours to be paid at the end of a week. For example, I have no problem making $12 per for a random weeknight hour that will get added to my check at the end of the pay period, but if I am doing sitter jobs, again, you need to make it worth my while.

I don't want to say there is a minimum of time, but possibly a minimum $ amount. I don't want parents to feel compelled to stay out for 2 extra hours just to meet a minimum, but if they cannot pay accordingly...

I think it's better to say you have a minimum time. Our babysitter has a minimum of 4 hours. We don't always stay out 4 hours but understand that if we come home early we still owe her for 4 hours. I don't think it would make feel parents compelled to stay out for that time but to me an hourly minimum sounds better than a minimum $ amount. But maybe that's just me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Yup just say you have a minimum for $12 an hour otherwise you charge X amount per hour. Not a big deal.

I mean, if your hourly rate is $12, that is what she paid you!


Yes but common curtesy dictates that you compensate someone for their time. If my cleaning lady charges $15 and comes over for 1.5 hrs just to help me out with the kitchen/living room/dining room after a party I wont pay her $22.50. $22 doesnt make it worth her time. So I may give her the equivalent of $35/hr. If she comes over for 7 hrs (per usual), then $105 (15/hr) is worth her time.

She met your "common courtesy" standard when she paid you your rate. If your rate isn't "worth your time" then you need to establish a minimum or raise your rates.

She wasn't a cheapskate and she did nothing wrong. You gave one rate and expected more money with no policy and no reason.

You are the problem, OP.